Uses

This page is a snapshot of the hardware, workstation tools, lab platforms, and infrastructure devices I rely on for sysadmin work, client projects, and homelab operations.

automation operations reliability infrastructure self-hosting Artificial Intelligence

The orbit follows the same three areas I spend time in every day: workstation and coding in the inner ring, the lab and platform stack in the middle, and infrastructure plus devices on the outside.

Hardware

Workstation & Peripherals

• Workstations:
  • Custom build Gaming PC
  • Dell XPS 14 - My daily driver for work
  • Dell XPS 13
  • Dell XPS 15
• Operating Systems: Windows 10 (ESU), Windows 11 and Debian depending on the machine and task.
• Keyboards:
  • Two (black and white) ZSA Moonlander Mark I - My split ergonomic daily drivers.
  • Logitech G19 - My keyboard for all things gaming.
• Mice:
  • Logitech G502 X
  • Two Logitech MX Master 3S
  • Logitech MX Ergo
• Desk:
  • Inwerk Masterlift 3 corner desk

Home Lab & Server

• NAS: Synology DS418play (running DSM 7.3). The heart of my home storage and backup strategy.
• Micro-Controller: Multiple Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. Currently hosting experiments.
• Tonieboxes: Modified CC3200 and ESP32 Tonieboxes, reverse-engineered for custom content.

Networking

• Ecosystem: Ubiquiti Unifi for a robust home network.

Software & Tools

Workstation & Coding

• VS Code: My primary editor.
  • Theme: Solarized (modified).
• Python: My go-to language for automation, scripting, and tooling.
• Git: For version control, usually backed by self-hosted GitLab.
• Warp: My preferred terminal for day-to-day work.

Lab & Platform Stack

• Proxmox & VMware: My main virtualization platforms for lab work, testing, and service hosting.
• Docker: Used extensively for containerizing applications and services in my home lab and for clients.
• Portainer: A lightweight control surface for day-to-day container management.
• Traefik: My reverse proxy of choice, handling routing, SSL/TLS, and security headers.
• Terraform: For Infrastructure as Code (IaC) provisioning.
• Rancher: For managing container orchestration.
• n8n: For workflow automation where scripting is not the best fit.
• Prometheus & Grafana: For metrics, monitoring, and operational visibility.

Infra & Devices

• Synology DSM: The center of my storage, media, and backup setup.
• Veeam: For backup workflows where I want a dedicated backup tool in the stack.
• Ubiquiti Unifi: For switching, wireless, and general network management.
• Sophos: For network security and firewalling.