I am still very much a novice in the self-hosting space, Linux etc. having fairly recently switched from using macOS as my daily driver and not tinkering much at all.
One of the things that often confuses me is networking and making sure my setup is secure. This is currently holding me back from hosting more stuff locally that I would require access to from outside my home, as I am afraid I am doing something that could severely compromise my data. It can sometimes be difficult to follow explanations from more advanced users due to the many different components of networking and security, and different layers of abstraction, which prevents me from following completely. I might understand one particular case, but then be unable to make connections to another one. So I would want to research this more intensively, and ideally I would end up being able to easily understand the data flows - the paths the data takes (e.g. I make a HTTPS request to some server from my laptop, how is that traffic routed correctly through my local area network and later the wide area network), in what forms (i.e. different protocols, encryption layers etc.).
In communities like this, I see there are a lot of very knowledgeable people who maybe could recommended any resources that cover this from the basics and onto more advanced stuff? Maybe a textbook from a university course on ICT that is considered particularly good? A YouTube channel with great explanations and visualizations? I am looking both at home LAN and internet in general. Enterprise level networks are not very interesting to me (at the moment).
I'll try to remember to DM you when/if I get any answers, but I am currently sick and will be traveling soon, so I am not entirely sure when that will be. The boxes in the cabinet aren't really in the way, so I am fine with the two boxes there. But it would be nice to avoid having to use their WiFi router if possible though. There is in fact a last box that I have packed away in a closet: the decoder for TV signals, which I don't use since I don't have the included in my plan (I could discard TV from my plan in exchange from going fro 100 -> 500 MBit/s internet connection, which for me was a no-brainer). So their standard setting is four boxes, and that is only for TV and internet.
What a great tool! I will definitely make use of this.
Cheers, I appreciate that. I might just send you a question or two in the future if I am stuck in trying to figure out something, but of course, don't ever feel obligated to answer.
Yeah, it is difficult to draw the line. With about 15 years of just going with the flow, signing up for and using all kinds of services, I've lately (the past two years at least) trying to untangle me from the worst of it. It takes so much time, and every time I learn about something new (e.g. fingerprinting has finally just started creeping me out) I fall down yet another rabbit hole. I am trying to work myself towards as complete control over my data as possible, including an elaborate homelab setup (though that is still some time away). Hence trying to understand this stuff better so I can do it properly.
I hope you get through your stuff in your personal life. This interaction has in any case been greatly appreciated by me.
Thanks! No worries if not, It's just a different setup then I'm use to. Safe travels! I think I got sick over the weekend too. hah.
I also have 500 MBit/s symmetrical internet. They tried to upsell me on 1.5GBit/s but my Firewall only supports "up to 700 MBit/s throughput" even though it has gigabit NICs so watch out for that also :) https://shop.netgate.com/products/1100-pfsense is the one I use. I'd love to upgrade but money has been tight for awhile.
No problem! I'll answer when I can, even if it's a "I don't know"
I started doing this in college. Deleted Facebook, started buying cheap Tiny Lenovo PCs to run everything on. It's almost a chore now but I still enjoy it. I think the issue is I also do it all day at work so it kind of feels like more work after work, you know? I'm paying a company to host my email because I tried doing it myself and it was too much work.
All good, I was just giving context. Thanks though!!