homelab

If you have a dead wireless headset that is too expensive to replace, this guide shows you how I successfully revived my Plantronics Voyager Focus UC by swapping out its failed lithium-ion battery. I detail the specific replacement part I used, the challenges of soldering tiny wires without professional tools, and the satisfaction of restoring the device to its original 14-hour battery life.

Discover my step-by-step journey into building a DIY ADS-B receiver with a Raspberry Pi to contribute to the Flightradar24 community. I detail the essential hardware components, such as the 1090 MHz antenna and USB dongle, along with the approximate costs and initial setup process for tracking aircraft in your area.

If you are curious about eliminating ads and telemetry from your entire home network, I share my experience setting up Pi-Hole as a DNS-based solution. I detail the process of deploying it within a Docker container on my Synology NAS, covering installation, configuration, and automated updates.

Curious why modern Wi-Fi networks often break compatibility with older smart home gadgets? I recently encountered this issue when my 2012 Fitbit Aria scale failed to connect to my upgraded Ubiquiti UniFi network, despite my other devices working flawlessly on 5 GHz. This post details my troubleshooting process and the eventual realization that the scale’s reliance on legacy 802.11b standards caused the connectivity failure.

If you are looking to extend your home Wi-Fi to outdoor areas without running new cables, this post details my successful experience using Ubiquiti UniFi Mesh access points on my balconies. I explain how these weather-proof, Power-over-Ethernet enabled devices seamlessly integrated with my existing network, providing reliable 100 Mbps speeds with minimal setup effort.