In this special Saturday Live stream from Lawrence Systems, titled “TrueNAS, and Other Self Hosted Homelab Q&A,” host Tom Lawrence dives deep into the world of self-hosting, offering an engaging and practical look at TrueNAS and other home lab setups. Whether you're a seasoned sysadmin or just starting your homelab journey, the episode dishes out expert advice, live audience questions, and a casual breakdown of real-world deployments. From ZFS file systems to DIY firewall setups and storage scalability, there's no shortage of geeky gold. Tom keeps it fun, fast, and full of useful nuggets—like why he says, “TrueNAS Scale is the better choice for most people today unless you have a specific reason to go with Core.”

Key Points:

• TrueNAS Scale vs. Core: Tom recommends TrueNAS Scale for most users, citing its Linux base, KVM virtual machines, and Docker support, saying it’s “more flexible for the average homelab enthusiast.”
• ZFS Discussion: In-depth explanation of ZFS, including benefits like data integrity, snapshots, and RAID-Z for home storage reliability.
• Hardware Choices: Tips on reliable homelab hardware. Common choices include older Dell PowerEdge servers and Supermicro boards. Tom emphasizes ECC memory and Intel NICs for network stability.
• Self-Hosting Apps: Viewers ask about favorite self-hosted apps—Tom highlights Nextcloud for file syncing, Pihole for DNS filtering, and Proxmox for virtual machine management.
• Backups & Disaster Recovery: Smart strategies are offered for offsite backups and snapshots. TrueNAS with replication is suggested for secondary backup locations.
• Networking Tools: pfSense and OPNsense are mentioned frequently, with Tom leaning toward pfSense for its maturity, but saying OPNsense is a growing contender.
• Community Q&A: Live audience questions range from network segmentation with VLANs to when to scale up home IT infrastructure.
• Recommendation Highlights:
  • TrueNAS Scale for general home use
  • Nextcloud for DIY cloud storage
  • Proxmox VE for virtual environment management
  • pfSense or OPNsense for router/firewall needs

Overall, it’s a goldmine for anyone building—or thinking about building—a DIY home server or self-hosted lab. With hands-on tips and real user questions, it's like getting a crash course in homelabbing from a seasoned pro.

Additional Context:
Tom Lawrence is known in the IT and MSP community for his practical and open-source-focused tutorials. Lawrence Systems is a reputable source for network design, cybersecurity, and self-hosted infrastructure. His advice aligns with broader trends in the homelab community, putting reliability and flexibility front and center.
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