Checking out the previous effort at a File Server on Proxmox

The LXC #101 was created some time ago (debian 12, turnkey fileserver, 18.0-1).  The last time it was used was in July and I am not sure if I had tried to integrate it with #106 NextCloud; I may have.  So from here it looks like there was a try, but I need to review what steps were taken to set it up.  Also what is the current setup of the Proxmox drives: 2@1TB and 2@4TB drives in the case.

Update: I was able to get it working again and this time as well as connect LXC #101 to Tailscale.  I was then able to pull up a Z drive on my laptop.  Now I can access this Z drive from anywhere.

Project #37 - Setup a File Server on Proxmox

 This is a case of the cart before the horse.  It occurs to me that I need a files server in the network.  I would buy a NAS to integrate, but short of that I am going to utilize my Proxmox server to create a File Server.  Fortunately, there is a Turnkey file server that I can utilize for this purpose.  So this project is to setup a file server using the Turnkey File Server template.  Of course, I need to get the drives setup correctly on Proxmox before I can begin this.

Moved the xPod connections back to my main switch

After thinking about it for a while, I was convinced that I needed to add the other Edgerouter-12p that I have which has a POE capability.  In order to do that, I will need to remove the 8 port switch and 2 ER-X routers which are on the shelf that I need for the ER-12p.  So that means that I will need to rearrange the xPod RPis to connect to the main switch and disconnect the 8 port switch and 2 ER-X routers.

Update: completed

Added Some Collections to the FLINT 2 Router

I decided to add a way to gather statistics on the wireless connection to Connect in my apartment.  I found that luci-app-statistics uses collectd to gather system statistics and uses rrdtool to display them.  I installed luci-app-statistics and collectd on the FLINT2 Router.  Since I have an MQTT server running on port 1883 of the EXP-PiHole RPi, I decided to open up icmp to WAN (port 10) and WAN2 (port 9) on Edgerouter-12.  I then added passthrough of MQTT (1883) to WAN (port 10) on Edgerouter-12 to EXP-PiHole.  I am not sure if WAN2 will pick up the same passthrough message to port 1883; that I will have to test separately. I also installed the following packages on FLINT2: collectd-mod-cpu, collectd-mod-ethstat, collectd-mod-interface, collectd-mod-ipstatistics, collectd-mod-iwinfo, collectd-mod-load, collectd-mod-memory, collectd-mod-mqtt, collectd-mod-network, collectd-mod-rrdtool, collectd-mod-thermal, collectd-mod-uptime, and collectd-mod-wireless.

Update: I have removed the collectd items from FLINT2 because it appeared that it was slowing down the download/upload throughput.

Project #36 - Setup Monitoring of the WiFi Connections

I need to setup a way to monitor the WiFi connections in my HomeLab.  I have been away from the IC Subcommittee for a long time, but now I have sparked an interest in keeping track of what the current system is doing in terms of dropouts and changes of bandwidth.  I need something to characterize what is happening so that I can talk intelligently about it.

Update: I am placing this project on hold until I have more time to devote to it.

State of the Network in June 2025

I just recently changed my connections between the living room and the back bedroom.  Now I have a flat cable going between the FLINT 1 router in the living room to a switch in the back bedroom where I have connected both the PiHole Raspberry Pi and the switch originally in the living room to my rack.  In this way, I now do not have any vlans accessible in the living room.  I basically decided that all of my activities should be done in the back bedroom where I have my rack equipment.  I also now have the TCL TV connected directly to the FLINT 1 router.  I may still try to do a BGP from the FLINT 2 router in the back bedroom to the FLINT 1 router in the living room, but I have plenty of time to tinker before that happens. I do have some thoughts about how I might change things in the future:

• Complete the task of setting up a Certificate Authority in the HomeLab
• Add VLANs to the FLINT2 router
• Arrange the power so that the FLINT2 router can remain on if I shutdown the Rack
• Alter the way that I connect my laptop to the network so that it remains connected at all times on the correct VLAN
• Implement the PiHole to give out DNS and DHCP IPs within the HomeLab
• Work up some 3D printed components to stage the remaining Raspberry Pis external to the Rack, but still be present within the HomeLab
• Work up the use of my STREAM deck to issue MQTT messages for HomeLab control
• Spin up a file server on the HomeLab
• Finish setting up the Raspberry Pi display/controller; connected via Tailscale

Project #34 - Creating a Certificate Authority for the HomeLab Infrastructure

I have been needing for a long time to create a Certificate Authority so that I will not be using self signed certificates and simply avoiding the checks on various equipment.  This needs to change so that it provides a measure of security in the HomeLab that makes sense.

There have been a number of articles about creation of a Certificate Authority, however one in particular seems to be the one that I could use best.  The reason is that it provides intermediate certificate authorities. That article is at https://jamielinux.com/docs/openssl-certificate-authority/index.html.  I have made a pdf of that site to work its magic.

Obviously, this will require me to make some modifications to make it easier to accomplish, such as using some scripts for the process.  I might also make use of an ACME like internal Certificate Authority to automatically update the certificates. Note that this is in addition to the certificates already created in the Tailscale VPN implementation.

Update: I am placing this project on hold until I have more time to devote to it.