networking

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.

Discover how I enhanced the reliability of my Tailscale setup by deploying a backup node in Azure after my Raspberry Pi failed during a home office refurbishment. I walk through spinning up a secure Ubuntu virtual machine with Defender for Cloud and installing Tailscale to ensure continuous access to my on-premises devices.

I examine whether a dedicated NAS remains essential in 2020 by weighing the performance limitations of my aging Synology unit against its reliability, ease of management, and long-term affordability. Despite the hardware struggling with large files and multiple concurrent services, I explore why the robust ecosystem of features and low maintenance requirements might still justify keeping it as my primary storage solution.