ZeroPoint Lab

Build the lab
you keep thinking about.

Explore a real working homelab, learn how the pieces fit together, use the planning tools, or get help turning your own idea into a build.

Build your own Explore the real Lab

Current physical build

Compact hardware · real workloads

As of 2026-09-22
4UPatch + switching
3UUniFi gateway
2UHP EliteDesk · pve01
1UHP EliteDesk · pve02

A simplified view of the current compute and network stack, updated by hand.

Choose how you want to start

01

I want to learn

Learn it and build it yourself.

Free guides, field notes, planning tools, infrastructure diagrams, and a community that understands the project.

Start learning
02

Help me design it

Turn the idea into a complete plan.

Work through goals, workloads, hardware, storage, networking, remote access, and the services the lab should run.

Plan my lab
03

Help me build it

Get hands-on setup help.

Guided, scoped sessions on the environment, networking, Proxmox, and selected self-hosted services.

Build my lab
01

Running right now

The lab, at a glance.

Real infrastructure behind ZeroPoint—from the network edge to the workloads running on it.

Updated by hand · As of 2026-09-22

Explore the network
2
Nodes
3
Services
3
VLANs
16
Clients
StackUniFiProxmoxCiscoLinuxDockerOPNsense

Inside the build

Real hardware. Real constraints. Real documentation.

The Lab combines compact compute, managed networking, segmented VLANs, self-hosted workloads, remote access, and monitoring. The sanitized diagrams show how it actually fits together.

View all projects

Hardware

Gateway

UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra

Routing, firewall, and the UniFi OS console

Switch

UniFi Flex Mini

Compact managed switch feeding the AP

Access Point

UniFi U7 Lite

Broadcasts the Trusted, IoT & Guest SSIDs

Running in the lab

ZeroPoint Home Network

UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra, a U7 Lite AP, VLAN segmentation across Trusted/IoT/Guest, and the troubleshooting that came with actually running it.

Running in the lab

Proxmox Cluster

Two HP EliteDesk Mini nodes running a Proxmox cluster — multi-node virtualization, VM deployment, and the Linux administration underneath it.

Running in the lab

Enterprise Network Lab

Cisco switching behind OPNsense, its own routing domain and firewall policy, kept deliberately separate from the home network.

Full topology

The whole network, end to end.

Internet edge, gateway, wireless clients, VLANs, switches, hosts, and running workloads in one sanitized view.

Swipe to explore the full diagram

Build your own

From “I want a server” to a lab you understand.

01

Decide what you want to run

Start with outcomes: media, photos, home automation, backups, learning, or private services.

02

Size the hardware

Estimate CPU, memory, storage, and growth before buying a pile of parts.

03

Design the network

Plan addressing, VLANs, Wi-Fi, remote access, and which systems should trust each other.

04

Build the infrastructure

Install compute, storage, switching, power, and the hypervisor foundation.

05

Deploy services

Add VMs, containers, access controls, updates, and a backup approach.

06

Learn and expand

Document what worked, fix what did not, and grow the lab deliberately.

Tools

Plan before you buy.

Use the free planning tools first. If you still want another set of eyes, bring the results into a design session.

AvailableWorkload SizerEstimate resources for common self-hosted workloads with visible assumptions.Size workloadsAvailableHardware DealsBrowse current listings for proven mini PCs, networking gear, and rack parts.Find hardwareAvailableRack PlannerThree fixed 10-inch rack builds with parts, price, and power draw — a full visual designer is still planned.See starter builds

Learn + Community

Free knowledge from builds that actually happened.

Read practical guides and field notes, follow build videos as they are published, and ask the Discord community when your result does not match the tutorial.

Explore Learn Join Discord

homelab-chat

Example conversation

Community
p

pixelrack

finally got VLANs segmented on my UniFi setup 🎉

v

vlan_victor

nice — IoT isolated from trusted, or just tagged?

p

pixelrack

fully isolated, guest too. wish I'd done this years ago

v

vm_hoarder

anyone's Proxmox node lose the gateway after a reboot?

n
net_newbie is typing

Homelab services

Use the free resources—or bring ZeroPoint into the build.

Paid help is focused and scoped — not a managed service or an emergency line.

Homelab Build

Turn a list of goals into a documented, maintainable lab that has room to grow.

  • Workload and hardware plan
  • Rack and network layout
  • Proxmox installation
  • Build documentation

Self-Hosted Apps

Install common self-hosted services with sensible storage, access, update, and backup foundations.

  • Workload sizing
  • Container or VM deployment
  • Access and update plan
  • Backup recommendations
Get a free consult See homelab pricing