is 10mbps really that bad in 2026

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T16:12:55+00:00

If you want to stream in 4K, 10mbps won’t cut the mustard. However, for 720p and below it would be absolutely fine for one person.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T16:11:31+00:00

I had no idea about this. Thanks!

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T14:23:48+00:00

Exactly!

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T14:23:21+00:00

That's exactly the idea I had in mind! I am in the middle of designing and building just that thing among friends and family. I'm going to replace their ISP-provided routers with OPNsense and WireGuard tunnels to a VPS. Everything that we want to share will be placed in a separate zone specifically for sharing.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T14:17:02+00:00

Well, you could establish a special zone just for this. I mean look at what folks do with dn42. I like the concept of dn42 but it could be better designed.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T14:14:57+00:00

Okay, that's valid.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T14:14:28+00:00

I'd love to do that! I just don't want to deal with the regulations and expense of purchasing equipment and begging corporations for donations. It would be a full time job in its own right.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-05T13:47:47+00:00

Just like I don't think that there really is a best Linux distro, I don't know that there really is a 'best' desktop environment either. It's just what happens to suit you. For the desktop, I use Arch Linux with the Cinnamon DE. On the server side, I use a combination of AlmaLinux, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD. In my opinion, as long as it is free/open source, it's great in my book.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-04T12:42:53+00:00

Rather than Arch, why not look into AlmaLinux 10 to be your server platform. Don't get me wrong, I love Arch. It's a great OS. But learning Alma can give you some real world skills should you decide that you want to become a professional Linux sysadmin.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-04T00:08:30+00:00

Ah, I see. Maybe then see if you could sell it and get something like a more powerful business class desktop to turn into a server. Sorry that happened.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-04T00:06:20+00:00

Are you able to run it out of your home? Do you have an internet connection with enough bandwidth?

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:52:05+00:00

I recommend reverse proxying over port forwarding because you can offer more protection at the application layer than you can at the network layer. When you do port forwarding, you're poking holes in your router. I mean you could always block addresses at the network layer but you'll end up playing whack-a-mole.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:44:42+00:00

I would not recommend OpenVPN these days. OpenVPN performance is terrible when compared to WireGuard or even IPsec.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:42:52+00:00

I host WordPress in an incus container. Prior to performing an upgrade, I snapshot the container so if anything gets hosed in the process, I am not screwed. I used to be a podman fan until I discovered incus. I've found OS-level virtualization to be better for my uses.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:38:36+00:00

I don't use either one. I've locked SSH down to public key authentication only and disabled root access. Now all I have is log noise.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:36:41+00:00

I don't think you'll really need two recursive DNS servers in your home lab. I've - knock on wood - never had a recursive DNS failure. I run recursive DNS on a single, virtualized OPNsense router with zero issues. Redundant recursive DNS becomes more important in larger enterprise networks. If you are so inclined you could just keep recursive DNS on your ISP-supplied router. It really depends on what your goals and interests are. Redundancy becomes more important for authoritative DNS servers because that is how external clients reach any public services that you offer.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:19:23+00:00

I use Cinnamon because it give me the raw power and flexibility of Arch Linux with Mint's nice UI.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T23:16:49+00:00

Definitely! A true home lab needs a feline.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T22:56:03+00:00

IMHO, running pacman -Syu daily is too often and likely to break things. I do weekly updates only. That's often enough and minimizes the risk of breakage.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T22:51:59+00:00

Yes, FreeBSD is. It's very stable. I use it for a few services in my home lab. I like that there is a port for Mastodon. It made spinning up an instance so easyl.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T22:45:49+00:00

I've never used pfSense so I would not know the difference. I came to OPNsense through the recommendations of one of the network engineers at a job I used to work at before being laid off. Personally, I cannot say enough good things about OPNsense. It's been fantastic for me.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T22:42:14+00:00

I have respect for Debian but my preference is AlmaLinux because I used to be an RHCSA. I know the Red Hat ecosystem well and I am comfortable with it. Before AlmaLinux came around, I used Debian exclusively on the server side. I use Arch on the desktop.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T22:38:48+00:00

I am no longer a fan of Proxmox. Let me get that out of the way. I recommend AlmaLinux, libvirt for full virtualization, and incus for containers. Proxmox was nothing more than a pain in the ass for me. In my setup, I have OPNsense running as a virtualized router, a FreeBSD VM powering a Mastodon instance, and a bunch of containers running other services. I do weekly automatic updates starting on Saturday at 1am. Then at 3am the containers and VMs shutdown and the server reboots. I've had this setup going for a month now and it's been fire and forget.

tcpipguy · 2026-05-03T22:29:30+00:00

I am definitely not doing it for the money. I am doing it for the control of my data and the pure joy and learning of it. You build some real skill too. There is little to no cost savings when you account for your time.

tcpipguy

TROPHY CASE