HomeLab Setup

My Homelab Setup: Compact Power for Cloud and Networking Mastery.

As someone pursuing cloud architecture and hybrid infrastructure roles, I wanted a hands-on environment where I could experiment, break things, and learn by doing. My homelab isn’t massive—but it’s powerful, portable, and purpose-built. Here’s how I built it, what I’m running, and what I’ve learned so far.

MacBook Pro:

A 13.3-inch M1-powered laptop with 8GB RAM and 500GB SSD, running macOS. It serves as my lightweight virtualization and documentation hub. I use UTM to run Windows 11 ARM and Rocky Linux for practicing Linux system administration and network configuration.

Dell XPS 13 9380

A sleek 13-inch ultrabook with a Core i7, 16GB RAM, and 500GB SSD. It runs Windows 11 Pro on bare metal and hosts Oracle VirtualBox for virtualization. Guest OSes include Windows 11 (domain-joined) and Rocky Linux. This device is my go-to for testing Group Policy, Intune-like management, and hybrid identity scenarios.

TP-Link TL-SG108E

An 8-port gigabit switch supporting IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging. It enables traffic segmentation and multi-department simulation. Its web-based interface gives me control over port configurations, QoS, and monitoring.

Dell OptiPlex 3050

The backbone of my lab. Originally equipped with 8GB RAM (2×4GB DDR4 260-pin), now upgraded to a single 16GB module. It runs Windows 11 Pro on bare metal and hosts Hyper-V. The main guest VM is Windows Server 2022, which runs AD DS, DNS, and DHCP. I also use PuTTY to SSH into other devices across the LAN.

GL.iNet GL-MT3000

Acts as both a VLAN router and Wi-Fi repeater. It handles VLAN segmentation for lab isolation and provides access to a graphical management console wirelessly. This allows me to simulate enterprise-grade network separation and monitor traffic across devices.

USB-C to Ethernet Adapters

Essential for wired connectivity on laptops without native Ethernet ports. These adapters ensure reliable LAN access for domain joins, remote management, and virtualization testing—especially on my MacBook and Dell XPS.

RJ45 Ethernet Cables

Wherever possible, I use Cat6 RJ45 Ethernet cables throughout my lab instead of Wi-Fi to ensure low-latency, stable connections. Supporting speeds up to 10 Gbps, these cables are ideal for VLAN segmentation, virtualization traffic, and other bandwidth-intensive tasks. Their reliability and performance make them a key part of my homelab infrastructure.

What I’ve Learned

This homelab is my personal sandbox for learning, experimenting, and growing as a cloud and infrastructure professional. From configuring remote Linux system administration/access, Active Directory, to simulating VLAN routing, every component plays a role in my technical journey, as I continue to learn.

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