Searching for a simple programmable timer plug with a remote control override? Here’s why they’re so hard to find and what to look for.

I have a weirdly specific relationship with my home gadgets. I love automation, but only when it makes my life simpler, not more complicated.

So, I have some of my lamps plugged into those simple digital timers. You know the ones. You set them to turn on at sunset and off when you usually go to bed. It’s perfect 90% of the time. It makes the house feel lived-in, and it’s one less thing to think about.

But then there’s the other 10%.

The other night, I was up late, lost in a good book, and click. My favorite reading lamp went out, right on schedule. I was left in the dark, and my options were suddenly annoying. I could get up, unplug the lamp from the timer, plug it directly into the wall, and then reverse the whole process in the morning.

It’s a small thing, I know. But it got me thinking: why isn’t there a simpler way?

The Obvious Solutions That Don’t Work

My first thought was, “I’ll just get one of those remote-controlled outlets.” They’re simple on/off switches you can control from the couch. Problem solved, right?

Not quite. Those remote outlets don’t have a timer. So I’d gain the manual override I wanted, but I’d lose the daily schedule that I loved. I’d have to remember to turn the lights on and off myself, which defeats the whole purpose.

“Okay,” I thought, “what if I combine them?”

I tried plugging the remote-control outlet into the timer plug. The timer part worked, but as soon as the timer turned off for the night, it cut all power to the remote outlet. The remote was useless. I couldn’t turn the lamp back on because the remote outlet itself had no power.

Strike one.

Then I tried the reverse: plugging the timer into the remote-controlled outlet. This didn’t work either. I could use the remote to cut power to the timer, but I couldn’t use it to bypass the timer’s own schedule. If the timer’s program said “off,” the lamp was off, no matter what the remote wanted to do.

Strike two.

What About “Smart” Plugs?

This is where someone usually chimes in with, “Just get an Alexa or Google Home smart plug!”

And they’re not wrong. A few years ago, I had a setup like that. I could set schedules in an app, and I could use my voice or my phone to override them whenever I wanted. It worked.

But I’ve been moving away from that kind of “smart” smart device lately. It’s not that I’m against them, but sometimes they feel like overkill. It means another app on my phone, another device connected to my Wi-Fi, another company’s ecosystem I have to live in. Sometimes I just want a gadget that does one job well, without needing an internet connection or a software update.

I just wanted a simple timer with a simple remote. A “dumb” smart plug, if you will.

The Search for the Gadget That Shouldn’t Be Rare

I was convinced this thing had to exist. It feels like such an obvious combination of features. A programmable daily schedule plus a simple button to say, “Hey, ignore that for now.”

For a while, I couldn’t find anything. It seemed like the market had decided you either wanted a “dumb” timer or a fully Wi-Fi-connected “smart” plug. There was no middle ground. I started to wonder if there was some technical reason it wasn’t possible or if the audience for such a device was just… me.

But it turns out, they do exist. They’re just a little niche and you have to use the right search terms.

After some digging, I found what I was looking for. The trick was to search for things like:

• “Programmable outlet with remote override”
• “Timer plug with remote control”
• “Countdown timer remote outlet”

These products combine both functions into one simple device. You program the daily on/off schedule right on the plug itself. Then, you get a small, simple remote—no app, no Wi-Fi, no voice assistant—that lets you manually turn the plug on or off whenever you want, overriding the schedule. When the next scheduled event comes around (like “on” tomorrow at sunset), it just resumes the program.

It’s exactly what I wanted. The convenience of a schedule, with the simple, tactile control of a button when I need it.

So if you’ve been on a similar quest, don’t give up. The perfect, simple gadget is probably out there. It just might not be on the first page of Amazon results. And for me, finding a piece of tech that does its job without demanding my constant attention feels like the smartest solution of all.

Considering a digital whiteboard for your home office? We break down the costs, features, and smart integrations to help you choose the right one for your space.

I was tidying up my home office the other day, and my eyes landed on my traditional whiteboard. It’s a battlefield of faded markers, eraser smudges, and a dozen old ideas I forgot to photograph. It got me thinking: what’s the next step?

For a lot of us, that thought leads to the world of electronic whiteboards.

It sounds a little futuristic, right? A giant screen on your wall that you can draw on, save everything, and maybe even connect to your other gadgets. It’s not science fiction, though. These devices are real, and they’re becoming more common in home offices.

So, if you’re curious about adding a digital whiteboard to your space, let’s talk it through. It’s a big purchase, so it’s worth thinking about what you actually need.

First, Why Go Digital?

The old-school whiteboard works fine, mostly. But a digital one solves a few annoying problems. You never have to hunt for a working marker, and your notes don’t get accidentally erased. Everything can be saved, exported as a PDF, or emailed to your team with a tap.

The real magic is in the workflow. It’s less about just drawing and more about having a central hub for ideas that can connect to your digital life.

What to Actually Look For

It’s easy to get lost in specs and features. But it really boils down to a few key things.

1. The Screen Itself
This is the most important part. You’re looking for a screen that feels good to write on. Some have a slight texture that mimics paper, which is a nice touch. You also want something that’s responsive, with no annoying lag between your stylus and the line on the screen.

• Size: How much wall space do you have? Common sizes range from 55 to 85 inches. A 55-inch screen is plenty for a personal office, but if you have the room, bigger is often better.
• Resolution: 4K is pretty standard now, and it makes everything look sharp, from your handwriting to any videos or presentations you pull up.

2. The “Smart” Features
This is where things get interesting, especially if you want to integrate it into a smart home setup.

Direct control via Google Home or Home Assistant (“Hey Google, turn on the whiteboard”) is still pretty rare. The “smart” part is usually about software integration. Can it easily connect to your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive? Does it have apps for tools you already use, like Trello, Miro, or Slack?

This software ecosystem is arguably more important than voice commands. It’s what turns the whiteboard from a cool gadget into a genuinely useful productivity tool.

3. Collaboration
Do you plan on using this with other people? If so, you’ll want to look at its collaboration features. The best digital whiteboards let multiple people—both in the room and remotely—write on the canvas at the same time. Some even have built-in video conferencing capabilities with high-quality cameras and microphones.

Let’s Talk About Price

Okay, the big question. What does one of these cost? The budget from our original inspiration was under $4,000, which is a very healthy and realistic budget.

• Under $1,500: In this range, you’re often looking at creative solutions rather than dedicated whiteboard devices. Think about a large touch-screen monitor paired with a PC or a big tablet mounted on the wall. It’s not as seamless, but it can work.
• $1,500 – $4,000: This is the sweet spot. Here you’ll find excellent, dedicated options like the Vibe Board or the Samsung Flip. These are all-in-one devices built specifically for whiteboarding and collaboration. They have their own operating systems, built-in apps, and high-quality touchscreens.
• $4,000+: Now you’re getting into high-end, enterprise-level hardware. Think massive screens, advanced tracking cameras, and deeper integrations for corporate environments. For a home office, this is usually overkill.

So, Is It Worth It?

A digital whiteboard is a serious investment. It’s not a casual purchase. But if your work revolves around brainstorming, visual planning, or remote collaboration, it can be an incredible tool.

It removes the friction between thinking of an idea and capturing it permanently. It keeps your office looking clean and modern. And most importantly, it can bring a new level of organization to your creative process.

My advice? Don’t rush. Think hard about your daily workflow. Do you find yourself constantly drawing diagrams? Are you frustrated with taking photos of your current whiteboard? If the answer is yes, then a digital whiteboard might be a perfect fit for your home office.

Thinking about building your first home lab? Discover if buying older, used hardware like an X99 motherboard and i7 CPU is a smart move for your budget.

I love the idea of a home lab. It’s this personal playground where you can experiment with tech, host your own services, and just… learn. But getting started can feel intimidating. The cost, the complexity, the fear of buying the wrong thing. It’s a lot.

So, when I stumbled upon a deal for some older hardware, I had to pause and think. Is this a brilliant shortcut or a beginner’s trap?

The bundle in question was an ASRock X99 motherboard, an Intel i7-5820K processor, and 32GB of RAM, all for €200. I already had a case, a power supply, and a stack of hard drives ready to go.

On the surface, it sounds like a steal. But this hardware is from around 2014. In the tech world, that’s practically ancient history. So, the real question is: is it a good purchase for a first home lab today?

Let’s Break Down the Parts

First, let’s look at what we’re dealing with. This isn’t your typical desktop setup from back in the day. The X99 platform was what Intel called “High-End Desktop” or HEDT. It was built for professionals and enthusiasts who needed more power than the average consumer.

• The CPU (Intel i7-5820K): This is the heart of the system. It has 6 cores and 12 threads. In simple terms, that means it’s great at multitasking. Modern entry-level chips might be more efficient, but having 12 threads is fantastic for running multiple things at once, which is the whole point of a home lab. You can run several virtual machines (VMs) or a bunch of Docker containers without this CPU even breaking a sweat.

• The RAM (32GB DDR4): RAM is what your server uses to juggle active programs. 32GB is a fantastic starting point. It’s enough to run a file server, a media server like Plex, a smart home dashboard like Home Assistant, and still have room to spare for other projects. The fact that the X99 platform supports quad-channel memory is a nice little performance boost, too.

• The Motherboard (ASRock X99 Extreme4): This is the foundation that connects everything. A good X99 board like this one is packed with features. It has tons of SATA ports, which is perfect for someone like me who has a bunch of hard drives (I’ve got eight 3TB drives) to create a massive storage pool. It’s a stable, reliable board built for heavy workloads.

So, What Could You Do With It?

This is where it gets exciting. This isn’t just a pile of old parts; it’s a launchpad. With this hardware, you could build an incredibly capable all-in-one server.

My first thought was a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system. With 24TB of raw storage from my existing drives, I could use software like TrueNAS or Unraid to create a central hub for all my files. It would be perfect for backups, storing photos and videos, and even running a Plex server to stream movies to any device in the house. The i7-5820K is more than powerful enough to handle transcoding video on the fly.

But why stop there? The real magic is virtualization. By installing a hypervisor like Proxmox (which is free!), you can turn this one physical machine into dozens of virtual ones. Each VM or container acts like its own separate computer. You could run:

• A Pi-hole to block ads on your entire network.
• A Home Assistant instance to automate your smart home.
• A personal WordPress site to experiment with web development.
• A VPN server to securely access your home network from anywhere.

With 6 cores and 32GB of RAM, you can run all of this at the same time. That’s the kind of power that sparks real learning and creativity.

The Honest Downsides

Of course, it’s not all perfect. There are reasons this hardware is so cheap.

Power Consumption: This is the big one. An i7-5820K and an X99 motherboard will use significantly more electricity than a modern Intel Core i3 or a Raspberry Pi. It won’t be a crazy amount, but you will notice it on your monthly bill. It’s the trade-off for getting so much performance for such a low upfront cost.

Age and Reliability: These parts are almost a decade old. They are well past their warranty period. If a component fails, you’ll be hunting for replacements on the used market, which can be a hassle.

No Frills: The i7-5820K doesn’t have integrated graphics. This means you’ll need to find a cheap, basic graphics card just to handle the initial setup and any troubleshooting. You can often find one for less than €20.

The Verdict: A Great Starting Point

So, is this €200 bundle a good purchase for a first home lab? Absolutely, one hundred percent yes.

For someone just starting, the price-to-performance ratio is unbeatable. You are getting a massive amount of computing power for the price of a few fancy dinners. This setup is powerful enough to grow with you. You can start with a simple file server and slowly add more services and virtual machines as you learn.

It forces you to get your hands dirty. You’ll learn about hardware, about power management, and about how to build and configure a server from the ground up. The potential downsides are real, but they are also part of the learning experience.

If your goal is to learn and experiment without breaking the bank, deals like this are golden. It’s the perfect, low-risk entry into a deeply rewarding hobby.

Facing a tricky VLAN issue where a device won’t get an IP? Learn the common causes, like access vs. trunk ports, and how to troubleshoot them simply.

We’ve all been there. You’re staring at a network configuration that looks perfect. It should work. All the guides and your own experience say so. Yet, here you are, stuck.

I found myself in this exact spot recently. I was setting up a simple VLAN on a switch. The goal was to isolate a specific device on its own little network segment, VLAN 600. I set up two ports as access ports for that VLAN. Simple enough.

Then came the weird part. The switch itself, through its virtual interface (SVI), could grab an IP address on VLAN 600 just fine. But the actual device I plugged into the other port? Nothing. It couldn’t get an IP address to save its life.

It’s one of those problems that makes you question everything you know. I went over the config again and again. It was so basic, it felt like I had to be missing something obvious. And, as it often turns out, I was.

If you ever find yourself in this situation, it almost always comes down to one fundamental concept: the difference between an Access Port and a Trunk Port.

The Big Question: Access or Trunk?

This is where most VLAN headaches begin. We mix up when to use which, and the network, being the logical and unforgiving thing it is, simply doesn’t work.

Think of it this way:

• An Access Port is for a single occupant. It belongs to one, and only one, VLAN. It’s like a private driveway to a house. Only traffic for that one house (VLAN) is allowed. You use access ports for your end-user devices: laptops, printers, servers, smart TVs, etc. The device itself doesn’t need to know anything about VLANs; the switch handles it.

• A Trunk Port is a highway for many. It can carry traffic for multiple VLANs at the same time. To keep things from getting mixed up, the switch adds a “tag” to each piece of data, indicating which VLAN it belongs to. It’s like a multi-lane highway where every car has a sign telling everyone which city (VLAN) it’s heading to. You use trunk ports to connect your switch to other network devices that also understand VLANs, like another switch or a router.

So, when I said I was trying to “pass a VLAN through a switch,” the real problem was hidden in that phrase. What was I connecting to?

Scenario 1: You’re Connecting to a Router or Another Switch

This is the most common reason for this specific problem.

If your setup looks something like [Router] --- [Switch] --- [My Device], the connection between your router and your switch is key. Your router is likely handling the IP address assignments (DHCP) for VLAN 600. For your switch to get that traffic from the router and pass it along to your device, it needs to understand that the traffic is for VLAN 600.

This is a job for a trunk port.

The link between the router and the switch needs to be a trunk that is configured to “allow” VLAN 600 to pass through it. Then, the port that your actual device is plugged into should be an access port set to VLAN 600.

• Router Port → Switch Port 1 (This should be a Trunk Port)
• Switch Port 2 → Your Laptop (This should be an Access Port for VLAN 600)

The switch’s own interface (SVI) could get an IP because the switch itself understands the VLAN. But it couldn’t pass that DHCP goodness along to my laptop because the connection to the router wasn’t configured to carry tagged traffic for multiple VLANs. It was likely set as an access port, creating a misconfiguration.

Scenario 2: Both Devices Are on the Same Switch

But what if your setup is simpler? What if you’re just plugging two laptops into the same switch and want them to be on VLAN 600 together? In that case, setting both ports as access ports for VLAN 600 is the correct move.

If it’s still not working, it’s time to check other things:

• Where is the DHCP server? For your device to get an IP address, something has to be giving it out. Is there a router or server on another port of this same switch? If so, that link might need to be a trunk (see Scenario 1). If the DHCP server is on VLAN 600 with them, check its configuration.
• Check for typos. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent an hour troubleshooting only to find I typed vlan 60 instead of vlan 600. It happens to everyone.
• Did you save the configuration? The classic mistake. On many enterprise switches, you need to explicitly save your running configuration to the startup configuration. Otherwise, a reboot could wipe your changes.
• Port Security: Is it possible there’s a port security feature enabled that’s blocking the device’s MAC address? It’s less common, but a possibility on a corporate or managed switch.

A Quick Troubleshooting Checklist

Next time you’re stuck, take a deep breath and run through these questions:

1. What is plugged into the port? Is it an end device (PC, printer) or a network device (router, switch)?
2. Use Access for End Devices: If it’s a PC, it needs an access port. switchport mode access & switchport access vlan 600.
3. Use Trunk for Network Devices: If it’s another switch or a router, it probably needs a trunk port. switchport mode trunk.
4. Verify the Trunk: If you’re using a trunk, make sure you’ve allowed the necessary VLAN. switchport trunk allowed vlan add 600.
5. Follow the Path: Trace the entire path from the DHCP server to your device. Every link in between has to be configured to carry the VLAN traffic correctly.

It’s almost never some deep, complex issue. It’s usually one simple setting, one tiny detail that’s out of place. And figuring it out is a great reminder that even with the basics, there’s always something new to learn or, more often, something simple to remember.

Deciding between a dedicated TrueNAS server or running it as a VM on Proxmox? This guide breaks down the pros and cons to help you choose the best path.

So, you’re standing at a crossroads in your home lab journey. You’ve got your server hardware, you’ve decided on Proxmox for your hypervisor, but now you’re staring at your new NAS build and thinking: what’s next? Do you give it its own dedicated TrueNAS install, or do you fold it into your Proxmox cluster as just another virtual machine?

It’s a classic home lab dilemma. I’ve been there myself. You’ve got these two powerful tools, Proxmox and TrueNAS, and you want them to play nicely together. But what’s the “right” way to do it? The truth is, there isn’t one right answer. It all depends on what you value most: simplicity, flexibility, or raw performance.

Let’s break it down, coffee-shop style. No jargon, no hype. Just a straightforward look at your options.

The Two Paths: Bare Metal vs. Virtualized

First, let’s get on the same page.

• Proxmox: This is your hypervisor. Think of it as the manager of your server hardware. It lets you slice up your physical machine into smaller, independent virtual machines (VMs). It’s the foundation of your lab.
• TrueNAS: This is your storage specialist. It’s an operating system designed to turn a computer into a network-attached storage (NAS) device. It’s brilliant for managing storage pools, sharing files, and keeping your data safe.

The question is, do you install TrueNAS directly onto your NAS hardware (this is called “bare metal”), or do you install Proxmox on that hardware and then run TrueNAS as a VM inside it?

The Case for a Dedicated TrueNAS Box (Bare Metal)

Running TrueNAS directly on the metal is the traditional approach. You build a NAS, you install NAS software. Simple.

Why you might like this:

• Simplicity and Stability: This setup is clean. One machine, one job. It’s generally easier to set up and troubleshoot. TrueNAS has full, direct control over all the hardware—the hard drives, the network cards, everything. This direct access often leads to a more stable and predictable system.
• Peak Performance: When TrueNAS isn’t competing for resources with a hypervisor or other VMs, it can dedicate 100% of the hardware’s power to storage tasks. For heavy-duty file transfers or demanding applications, this can make a noticeable difference.
• Easier Drive Management: This is a big one. For TrueNAS to work its magic (especially with ZFS, its powerful file system), it needs direct, unimpeded access to your hard drives. Running it on bare metal makes this a non-issue.

I lean this way for my most critical data. There’s a certain peace of mind that comes from knowing my storage isn’t tangled up with my other virtual experiments. If my Proxmox host goes down for maintenance (or because I broke something), my storage stays online.

The Case for Running TrueNAS in a Proxmox VM (Virtualized)

Now for the other side: treating TrueNAS as just another guest in your Proxmox hotel. This approach has become incredibly popular, and for good reason.

Why you might like this:

• Ultimate Flexibility: This is the biggest win. Your NAS is no longer just a NAS. It’s a full-fledged hypervisor. You can run TrueNAS in a VM, and right next to it, you can spin up a Docker container, a Plex server, a Linux test environment, or anything else you can dream up. It turns one box into an entire playground.
• Hardware Consolidation: Maybe you don’t want two different machines running 24/7. Consolidating everything onto one powerful server saves space, cuts down on noise, and can lower your electricity bill. It’s efficient.
• Centralized Management: You get to manage everything—your storage, your VMs, your containers—from one place: the Proxmox web interface. It’s tidy. Proxmox also has great backup and snapshot features that can manage your TrueNAS VM just like any other.

The main challenge here is something called “PCI passthrough.” It’s the trick you use to give the TrueNAS VM direct control over the hard drive controller. It can be a bit tricky to set up correctly, but once it’s working, it’s solid. You’re essentially handing the keys to the hardware directly to the VM, bypassing the hypervisor.

So, What’s the Verdict?

Let’s boil it down.

• Go with a dedicated TrueNAS box if: You prioritize stability, top-tier storage performance, and want a simple, set-it-and-forget-it system for your data. Your NAS is a critical service, not an experiment.
• Go with a virtualized TrueNAS VM if: You love to tinker, want maximum flexibility from your hardware, and prefer consolidating everything into one machine. You’re comfortable with a slightly more complex setup to get that all-in-one power.

There’s no wrong choice. I’ve seen people build amazing, rock-solid labs using both methods. Think about your own comfort level and what you want to achieve. Do you want a reliable appliance, or do you want a flexible powerhouse?

My personal advice? If you’re just starting out, the dedicated, bare-metal approach is a little more straightforward. But if you have a powerful server and a sense of adventure, virtualizing TrueNAS on Proxmox is a fantastic way to get the most out of your hardware.

A UDM Pro froze and went into a reboot loop. An RMA and a new device didn’t fix it. Here’s a look at what else could be the problem.

You know that feeling? The excitement of a new piece of tech arriving. You’ve done the research, you’ve clicked “buy,” and now the box is finally in your hands. For me, that was the Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro, or UDM Pro. It’s a beast of a machine and the centerpiece for a lot of home and small business networks. I was ready to get my home lab humming.

But then, my excitement hit a wall. A hard one.

The First Freeze

After getting everything set up, things ran smoothly for a bit. And then, out of nowhere, it happened. The UDM Pro froze. Completely unresponsive. No network, no access to the controller, just… a brick with pretty lights.

I did what any of us would do: I turned it off and on again. It started to boot up, the little screen showing the familiar startup sequence, and then… it got stuck. A reboot loop. It would try to start, fail, and try again. Over and over.

Okay, deep breaths. This is tech. Stuff happens. I went through the standard troubleshooting playbook.

First, a soft reset. Nothing.
Then, the more serious factory reset. I held down that little button, hoping to wipe it clean and start fresh. Still nothing. The same endless boot loop.

At this point, you start to accept that you just got a dud. It’s rare, but it happens. The hardware must be faulty. So, I started the RMA process.

Hope in a Box

If you’ve never done an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization), it’s basically the formal process of sending a faulty product back to the manufacturer. You explain the problem, they verify it, and they send you a replacement.

I sent my UDM Pro on its journey back home, and a few days later, a brand-new one arrived. The box was crisp, the device was flawless. It was a fresh start. All those initial setup frustrations were in the past. This new one would be perfect.

I plugged it in, went through the setup process again, and breathed a sigh of relief as my network came back to life. Everything was working. The problem was solved.

Or so I thought.

When Lightning Strikes Twice

Less than 24 hours later, it happened again.

The exact same problem. The network went down. The UDM Pro was frozen solid. And after a reboot, it was right back in that same cursed boot loop.

I was stunned. I mean, what are the odds? Getting one faulty device is unlucky. But two in a row, with the exact same failure? That’s not bad luck. That’s a pattern.

This is the point where troubleshooting takes a hard turn. The problem wasn’t the UDM Pro. It couldn’t be. The chances of two separate devices having the identical, rare hardware flaw were just too slim.

The problem was something else. Something in my setup. The UDM Pro wasn’t the cause; it was the victim.

Looking Beyond the Box

When a brand-new replacement device fails, you have to start looking at the environment. What is this device connected to?

So, I started a new investigation, and this is where I think the real lesson is. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, here are the things to check:

• The Power Source: This is a big one. Is the outlet it’s plugged into clean? Is there a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) that might be failing or providing “dirty” power? I took the original power cord that came with the UDM Pro and tried a different one. I also plugged it into a different outlet in a different room, bypassing my power strip and UPS entirely.
• Connected Peripherals: The UDM Pro isn’t an island. It’s connected to a dozen other things. Could one of them be the culprit? A faulty SFP module, for example, could potentially cause the whole system to crash. A bad Ethernet cable with a short in it? Maybe even a downstream switch that was sending bad packets? I began unplugging everything except the bare essentials.
• The Configuration: This was a sneaky one I almost missed. When I set up the second UDM Pro, I restored it from a backup I made of the first one. It’s convenient, right? But what if that backup file was corrupted? What if there was some weird setting I enabled that was causing this specific crash? For my next attempt, I decided not to restore from a backup and to set everything up manually, from scratch.

It’s a frustrating process. It turns a simple hardware swap into a full-blown detective story. But it’s a critical shift in thinking for anyone who runs their own tech. Sometimes, the shiny new box isn’t the problem. You have to look at all the messy, boring cables and configurations around it.

It’s a humbling reminder that in a complex system, the point of failure isn’t always the most obvious one.

Learn how a simple tool called DockerWakeUp can automatically start and stop your Docker containers on demand, saving homelab resources without sacrificing convenience.

I have a confession to make. I love my homelab, but I have a bad habit of leaving things running.

You know how it goes. You spin up a new service because it looks cool, play with it for a day, and then forget about it. A Nextcloud instance for file sharing, an Immich server for photo backups, maybe a game server for a weekend of fun with friends.

They’re all great, but they’re not all needed all the time.

Each one of those idle containers sits there, quietly sipping away at my server’s RAM and CPU cycles. It’s not a huge deal, but it feels… wasteful. I’ve always wanted a way to automatically shut down services when they aren’t being used, but without the hassle of manually starting them again. Logging into a terminal to type docker start every time I want to access a dashboard feels like a chore.

What if your services just woke up when you needed them?

I stumbled upon a neat little open-source project that does exactly this, and it’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” ideas. It’s called DockerWakeUp, and it’s a clever tool that works with Nginx to automatically start your Docker containers the moment they get a web request.

And the best part? It can also shut them down for you after a period of inactivity.

So, that Immich instance your family uses only occasionally? It stays asleep until someone opens the app on their phone. The moment they do, DockerWakeUp senses the traffic, wakes the container up, and a few seconds later, they’re browsing photos as if it were running all along. Once they’re done, the container can go back to sleep, saving you resources.

It’s a simple, lightweight solution to a common homelab problem.

How It Works (Without Getting Too Technical)

The magic is in the combination of a smart Nginx configuration and a small background service.

1. A Request Comes In: When you try to visit one of your self-hosted services, the request first hits Nginx, which acts as a reverse proxy.
2. Nginx Checks In: Instead of immediately trying to send the traffic to the container (which might be offline), Nginx asks DockerWakeUp, “Hey, is this service running?”
3. DockerWakeUp Does Its Thing: If the container is stopped, DockerWakeUp starts it. You’ll see a temporary loading page for a few seconds. Once the container is up and running, you’re automatically redirected.
4. Idle Timer: If you want, you can configure the tool to automatically stop the container after a set amount of idle time. No traffic for 30 minutes? It shuts the service down gracefully, ready for the next time it’s needed.

This makes it perfect for managing those services that you want available, but don’t need running 24/7.

A Few Ideas Where This Is Super Useful

After playing around with it, a few use cases immediately came to mind:

• Infrequently Used Apps: Perfect for self-hosted applications like Nextcloud, Immich, or wiki platforms that you or your family might only access a few times a week.
• Game Servers: This is a big one. Why keep a resource-hungry Minecraft or Valheim server running all week for a session that only happens on Friday night? Friends can just try to connect, and the server will spin up on demand.
• Utility & Dev Tools: We all have those dashboards and admin panels we only check once in a while. Things like Portainer, Uptime Kuma, or a documentation generator don’t need to be always-on.

It’s a simple, practical way to keep your homelab lean without sacrificing convenience. You get the resource savings of shutting things down with the always-on feel of leaving them running.

If you’re like me and have a collection of idle Docker containers, you might want to give it a look. It’s a small change that makes a real difference. The project is open source and available on GitHub if you want to check it out. It’s one of those little homelab upgrades that just makes sense.

Upgrading to a 10Gbps or 25Gbps network? Learn the real-world pros and cons of DAC vs. fiber optic cables to make the right choice for your home lab.

So, you’re leveling up your home lab. You’ve got the servers, you’ve picked out the new 10Gbps or even 25Gbps network cards, and you’re ready for some serious speed. But then you hit a surprisingly tricky question: how do you actually connect everything together?

You start looking at your switch’s SFP+ ports and realize you have two main choices: Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables or SFP+ transceivers with fiber optic cables.

If you’re feeling a little stuck, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. It seems like a technical decision, but it’s actually pretty simple once you break it down. Let’s walk through the real-world pros and cons, so you can figure out what’s best for your setup.

The Plug-and-Play Option: DAC Cables

First up, let’s talk about DACs. Think of a DAC as a super-simple, all-in-one solution. It’s a thick copper cable with the SFP+ connectors permanently attached to both ends. You just buy the cable length you need and plug it in. Done.

So, when should you use them?

DACs are perfect for short-distance connections. I’m talking about connecting a server to a switch that’s in the same rack.

Here’s why they shine in that role:

• They’re cheap. A DAC is almost always the most cost-effective way to get a 10G or 25G link up and running. You buy one item—the cable—and that’s it. No need to buy two separate transceivers plus a cable to go between them.
• They’re simple. There’s no guesswork. You just plug it in, and it works. You don’t have to worry about matching transceiver types to fiber cable types.
• They run cool. This is a big one. DACs are passive, meaning they don’t draw any real power, and as a result, they don’t produce heat. In a crowded server rack where every degree matters, using DACs can genuinely help with your overall cooling.

But they have one major limitation: distance.

Most DACs top out at around 7 meters (about 23 feet), and they can get a bit finicky at the longer end of that range. They’re also thicker and less flexible than fiber, which can make cable management in a tight space a bit more challenging.

The verdict on DACs: Use them whenever you can for short, in-rack connections. They’re the simple, cool-running, and budget-friendly choice.

The Flexible Powerhouse: Fiber Optic Cables

Now for the other option: fiber. This setup involves three pieces: two SFP+ transceivers (one for your server, one for your switch) and a fiber optic cable that connects them. The transceivers are the little modules that do the work of converting electrical signals to light, and the cable is just the glass pathway.

So, when does fiber make sense?

Anytime distance is a factor. If you need to connect a computer in your office to a switch in a closet down the hall, fiber is your only real answer.

Here’s where fiber excels:

• Incredible distance. Even the most common type of “short-range” multimode fiber (like OM3 or OM4) can run for hundreds of meters without breaking a sweat. If you use single-mode fiber, you can go for kilometers.
• Amazing flexibility. The cables themselves are thin, lightweight, and easy to snake around corners or through conduits. This makes routing them much easier than wrestling with a stiff DAC cable.
• It’s modular. Need to change something later? Just swap the parts. You can use the same fiber cable and just upgrade the transceivers on each end if a new standard comes out.

But there are a few trade-offs:

• It costs more. You have to buy two transceivers and a cable, which adds up. For a single short link, it can be two or three times the price of a DAC.
• It’s slightly more complex. You have to make sure your parts match. For example, if you buy “SR” or Short Range transceivers, you need to pair them with a multimode fiber cable (like an aqua-colored OM3/OM4). It’s not hard, but it’s one more thing to think about.
• They generate some heat. This was a key point in the original question that inspired this post. While fiber transceivers run much cooler than the notoriously hot 10GBASE-T Ethernet SFPs, they still use power and create heat. A rack full of them will be warmer than a rack full of passive DACs.

My Rule of Thumb: In the Rack vs. Between Rooms

So, here’s how I decide. It’s a simple, two-part rule:

1. If I’m connecting two devices in the same rack, I always use a DAC. It’s cheaper, simpler, and runs cooler. No-brainer.
2. If I need to connect to another rack or another room, I use fiber. It’s the only practical way to cover the distance, and the flexibility is a huge bonus.

That’s really all there is to it. Don’t overthink it. One isn’t “better” than the other; they’re just tools for different jobs. Look at your rack, measure the distance you need to cover, and you’ll have your answer. Happy networking!

Thinking of buying cheap, refurbished enterprise SAS SSDs for your home lab? We break down the risks, rewards, and whether it’s actually worth the bargain.

I spend way too much time browsing for homelab gear. It’s a bit of a habit. Most days, it’s just window shopping. But every now and then, you stumble across a deal that makes you stop and think, “Wait a minute… is that for real?”

That happened to me the other day. I was thinking about building a new all-flash storage array for my server. My goal was simple: get a ton of fast, reliable storage without the watt-sucking hum of spinning hard drives. The problem? Large SSDs are expensive.

But then I saw it: a 7.68TB enterprise-grade SAS SSD. Refurbished, but with a 2-year warranty. The price was under $400.

My first thought was, “That has to be a typo.” My second was, “What’s the catch?”

You can’t just buy five of those, build a nearly 40TB flash array for less than two grand, and call it a day, right? Or can you? This is the kind of question that keeps home lab enthusiasts up at night.

The Allure of Enterprise Gear

First, let’s talk about why these drives are so tempting. Why not just buy regular consumer SSDs?

It comes down to two things: endurance and design.

• Endurance: Enterprise SSDs are built for a completely different workload. They’re designed to be written to, over and over, 24/7, for years. Their endurance is measured in “Drive Writes Per Day” (DWPD). A drive with 1 DWPD rating means you can write its entire capacity—all 7.68TB—every single day for the warranty period (usually 5 years) without it failing. Consumer drives don’t even come close to that.
• Design: These drives are often built with features you don’t find in consumer gear, like power-loss protection (supercapacitors that keep the drive powered long enough to save data in transit during an outage) and more consistent performance under heavy load.

The catch has always been the price. New, these drives cost thousands of dollars. Which brings us back to that “too good to be true” deal on a refurbished one.

So, What’s the Real Catch?

Okay, let’s be real. A massive, cheap enterprise SSD isn’t a magic bullet. It’s a trade-off. You’re giving up some things to get that price. Here’s what I’ve been weighing.

1. “Refurbished” Means “Used.”

For an SSD, “refurbished” doesn’t mean a factory worker polished it up and put it in a new box. It means it was used in a data center, pulled from a server, and resold. The most important question is: how much was it used? All that legendary endurance gets used up over time. You might be buying a drive with 95% of its life left, or you might be getting one with 30%. Without seeing the drive’s SMART data (which is like an odometer for SSDs), you’re flying blind.

2. The SAS Interface Isn’t for Everyone.

This is a big one. These aren’t your typical SATA or NVMe SSDs that plug into any desktop motherboard. SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) is an enterprise standard. To use these drives, you need a special controller card called an HBA (Host Bus Adapter), like one of the popular LSI cards. You also need the right cables. This adds cost (a good HBA can be $50-$150) and a layer of complexity. It’s not hard, but it’s not plug-and-play.

3. The Warranty is a Question Mark.

The listing said “2-year warranty,” which sounds great. But who is providing it? It’s not the original manufacturer (like Samsung or Seagate). It’s the reseller. Will they still be in business in 18 months? How easy is their claims process? A reseller warranty is better than nothing, but it’s not the same as a rock-solid manufacturer’s guarantee. You’re taking a gamble on the seller as much as the drive.

Is It a Smart Move or a Huge Mistake?

After thinking it through, I don’t think there’s a simple “yes” or “no” answer. It depends entirely on who you are.

It’s probably a good idea if:

• You’re a tinkerer who is comfortable with the tech. You know what an HBA is, you’re not afraid to flash it to “IT Mode,” and you know how to immediately check the SMART data on your new drives.
• You understand the risk. You’re buying these for a home lab, not to store critical business data without backups. You’re prepared for one to potentially fail.
• You’re building something that can handle a failure, like a ZFS RAIDz1 or RAIDz2 array, where one drive dying won’t take down your whole pool.

It’s probably a bad idea if:

• You want something that “just works.” The extra steps and potential troubleshooting are not worth the savings to you.
• The data is irreplaceable. For mission-critical storage, the peace of mind that comes with new drives and a manufacturer warranty is worth the premium.
• You’re on a super tight budget where a failed drive and the hassle of a return would be a major setback.

For me, the idea is still incredibly tempting. The project itself—building a massive, power-efficient, and screaming-fast storage server on a budget—is half the fun. It’s the very essence of the homelab spirit. But I’d go in with my eyes wide open, ready to test every drive and fully expecting that the “deal” comes with a few hidden costs—mostly in my own time and risk.