TECH DECODE
To explain tech concepts the easy way
Our latest posts
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Unlocking the Power of UmbrelOS on a Raspberry Pi
We have a few articles on idea for your home lab, like Proxmox and FreedomBox, with most of them being able to be run on a Raspberry Pi. Today we look at another OS for your home lab server, again being able to run on a Raspberry Pi. It is obviously possible to run this…
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Understanding SAN (Storage Area Network): A Non-Technical Guide
It feels like not too long ago where users would see a NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution as a complete waste and unnecessary for home use (even if your home lab is all awe inspiring). However, nowadays it almost feels like it is a necessity to have at least some sort of network storage solution.…
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TP-Link Deco X50-5G vs. Deco X50-4G: A Comprehensive Comparison
Having a backup internet connectivity option over and above a normal WAN can be an appealing prospect or some people. There are a few options when one wants to have a secondary internet line, but the most popular (in our opinion) is having a wireless internet connection. This way your secondary connection doubles up as…
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Grafana Cloud and Prometheus Monitoring: A Non-Technical Guide
As an alternative to running Grafana locally, you can also use Grafana Cloud (free tier is available) where no installation is necessary, only setup. However, this comes with it’s own challenges and pitfalls, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons. Why Grafana Cloud Isn’t Ideal for Home Networks To use Grafana Cloud…
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Grafana with Prometheus: The Amazing Visual Dashboard
We have looked into Prometheus and how to install both the probes as well as the monitoring “gateway” on both Windows and Linux. But for anyone that has looked at the Prometheus monitoring portal http://<ip address>:9100 will know that is is a but “undercooked” and not as user friendly. So today we solve that with…
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Prometheus Monitoring Software: The Gateway To All The Monitored Servers
After installing the relevant monitoring exporter software on each machine you want monitored, it is time to bring all that metrics together. This will enable you to see all machines’ status in one central location. Today we have a look at installing the monitoring dashboard for Prometheus, so let’s dive right in. What Is Prometheus?…
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Prometheus Monitoring: A Simple Guide To Monitoring Your Machines
So you have a fantastic NAS set up, or even a NUC PC on your network. Maybe you are running Home Assistant on your Raspberry Pi of have Plex running on an old machine. Of course having a SmartOS machine to complement your home lab is amazing, but in all of those cases: How do…
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A Non-Technical Guide to SmartOS: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Stands Out
If you have a spare old machine just lying around and are looking at creating a NAS or server for your home or office setup, today’s post might just be what you were looking for. Cost will always be a factor when deciding on how to build your home server/NAS, so if you can re-use…
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A Beginner’s Guide to the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5
What is the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 and how does it differ from the normal Raspberry Pi?
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Exploring the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W
A while back we looked at the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 as part of the offerings from the Raspberry Pi foundation after the launch of the Raspberry Pi 5. But did you know that there is another, slightly more feature rich, version called the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W? This version brings a fantastic feature…
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Accessing Home Assistant Outside Your Home Network
We have now looked at what Home Assistant is, how it works, how to set it up on both a Raspberry Pi and a Network machine. We also had a quick look at the Home Assistant Green all-in-one solution. However, getting Home Assistant set up is the core of home assistant, but if you can’t…
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Plex Media Server for Your Home Network
We have looked at some NAS options as well as some (personal favourite) media and sync solutions like Nextcloud. When looking at items like Rockstor or Unraid, we looked at storing and syncing all types of files. They are all amazing for storing and managing all your work, play and media files. Today we look…
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The KRACK Attack On WPA2 – What It Is, How It Works, and How to Protect Yourself
One of the most important articles we have includes the reason why WPA3 is an important feature to look for when installing or upgrading your home/office network. (Read the article Why is WPA3 Important). We have also touched on how a man-in-the-middle attack works and what it is. Today we are going to delve a…
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Understanding Bluetooth: A Non-Technical Guide
Wireless communication has transformed the way we connect devices, simplifying everything from streaming music to transferring files. Bluetooth is one of the most widely used technologies enabling this magic. In this guide, we’ll break down how Bluetooth works, how it compares to Wi-Fi, and explore the differences between the various Bluetooth versions. What Is Wireless…
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Home Assistant Green: Simplifying Smart Home Management
Recently we looked at installing Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi as well as installing it on (pretty much) all hardware via a Docker Container. Today we look at an option for those that do not have a Raspberry Pi or another machine “on ice” to run Home Assistant from. The Home Assistant Green is…
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Setting Up Home Assistant After Installation
Over the last couple of days we looked at installing Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi, as well as via a Docker Container. Once it is installed, it still needs to be set up and configured. Today we will look at setting up Home Assistant after successfully installing it. If you have trouble installing Home…
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How to Run Home Assistant Inside a Docker Container: A Simple Guide
Home Assistant is a fantastic tool for managing smart home devices, and running it in a Docker container can make it even more flexible and efficient. We already looked at installing the Home Assistant OS directly on a Raspberry Pi, today we look at installing it via a Docker container. Installing it via a Docker…
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Home Assistant On Raspberry Pi: Full Installation Instructions
Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that allows you to control and automate devices in your smart home. Running Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi is an affordable and flexible way to set up a smart home hub. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or a beginner, this guide will walk you through the…
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Understanding Home Assistant: Your Gateway to a Smarter Home
Today we start a series on Home Assistant to help one and all get their home set up and controlled remotely, easily and affordably.
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Understanding Rockstor: Your Open-Source NAS Solution
We have some articles on solution when looking at ways to secure and store your data, from storing your data in the cloud to ways of getting a single board computer (like a Raspberry Pi) to store your data automatically. Although the easiest and most feature rich in our opinion is NextCloud, there are a…
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openmediavault Introduction: The Open-Source NAS Solution
We have a few previous articles on NAS solutions and today we will look at one more. The open-source solution openmediavault can transform your home or small business storage into a secure and efficient storage hub. Let’s look at it’s uses, pros and cons and dive into how it works. But first, let’s refresh our…
