Self-Hosted Homeserver Infrastructure

A homeserver built from repurposed PC parts, running 40+ Docker containers for media management, monitoring, and experimentation with open-source tools. Zero hosting costs, complete control over data.

What It Does

Self-hosted alternative to commercial cloud services, running everything from media streaming to infrastructure monitoring. Built to learn DevOps, networking, and system administration through hands-on practice.

Services Running

Media Stack (7 containers)

• Jellyfin - Personal Netflix (media streaming)
• Sonarr/Radarr - Automated TV/movie management
• Prowlarr - Indexer manager
• Bazarr - Subtitle downloader
• Jellyseerr - Request management
• qBittorrent - Download client

Monitoring (3 containers)

• Grafana - Dashboards and visualization
• Prometheus - Metrics collection
• Uptime Kuma - Service health monitoring

Infrastructure (10+ containers)

• Portainer - Docker GUI management
• Nginx Proxy Manager - Reverse proxy with SSL
• Immich - Photo backup (Google Photos alternative)
• Filebrowser - Web file manager
• ROMM - Retro gaming library
• Automated backups - Synced to Google Drive
• Various automation tools

Total: 40+ containers running 24/7

Network Setup

Cloudflare Tunnel - No open ports, secure remote access without VPN

• Exposes services without port forwarding
• Built-in DDoS protection
• Hides home IP address
• Free tier

DNS - Cloudflare for external, local DNS for internal routing

SSL - Automated certificates via Let’s Encrypt

Tech Stack

Containerization:

• Docker & Docker Compose for all services
• Portainer for visual management
• Resource limits to prevent conflicts

Networking:

• Nginx as reverse proxy
• Cloudflare Tunnel for secure access
• Custom DNS for local/external routing
• Isolated Docker networks

Monitoring:

• Grafana dashboards for CPU, RAM, disk, network
• Prometheus for metrics collection
• Uptime Kuma for service health
• Container-level resource tracking

Hardware:

• Repurposed PC components
• Linux (Ubuntu Server/Debian)
• Multiple drives for media storage

Why Build This?

Learning:

• Real-world Docker orchestration
• Network security and tunneling
• Infrastructure monitoring
• DNS configuration
• Linux system administration

Cost Savings:

• $0/month hosting (vs $15+/month for cloud services)
• Replaced Netflix, Google Photos, Paid Game Services etc.
• All data under my control

Privacy:

• No third-party access to personal data
• Complete ownership of services
• Custom configuration for everything

Technical Highlights

Docker Compose Management:

# Organized by service type
media-stack/
monitoring-stack/
infrastructure/

Cloudflare Tunnel:

# Zero-trust access without opening ports
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:80

Resource Monitoring:

• Container-level CPU/RAM tracking
• Network throughput graphs
• Disk usage alerts
• Service dependency mapping

Results

• 99%+ uptime with automated restarts
• 40+ services running on single machine
• $0 monthly costs (electricity only)
• Complete privacy - all data stays local
• Hands-on experience with production tools

Skills Gained

• Docker and container orchestration
• Reverse proxy configuration (Nginx)
• Network security (Cloudflare, SSL/TLS)
• Linux system administration
• Infrastructure monitoring (Grafana/Prometheus)
• DNS management
• Automation and scripting
• Troubleshooting containerized applications

Future Plans

• Migrate to Kubernetes for learning
• Implement proper CI/CD for config updates
• Set up VLANs for better network segmentation
• Expand monitoring with custom metrics