Personal Home Server - Self-Hosted Infrastructure & Services

Completed: July 2025

Solo Project

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🎯 Project Overview

What: Built and deployed a headless Ubuntu Server running multiple containerized services accessible from the internet
Why: Create a self-hosted infrastructure for media streaming, gaming, and web hosting while learning enterprise-level server management
Impact: Eliminated subscription costs for multiple services while gaining hands-on experience with production server administration

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🔧 Technical Implementation

Key Technologies & Tools

• Primary Stack: Ubuntu Server, Docker, SSH, CloudFlare
• New Skills/Tools: Headless server management, reverse proxy configuration, DNS management
• Notable Features:
  • Remote SSH access and administration
  • Containerized service deployment via Docker
  • External web access through reverse proxy
  • SSL/HTTPS certificate management
  • Custom dashboard for service monitoring

Architecture Highlights

Implemented a containerized microservices architecture using Docker for service isolation and management. Configured reverse proxy to route external traffic to appropriate internal services while maintaining security through CloudFlare’s DNS and traffic management.

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🚧 Challenges & Problem-Solving

Challenge: Secure external access to internal services

Solution: Implemented reverse proxy configuration with CloudFlare DNS management to safely expose services to the internet while maintaining security protocols
Skills Demonstrated: Network security, DNS configuration, traffic routing

Challenge: Managing multiple services on single server

Solution: Utilized Docker containerization for service isolation, resource management, and easy deployment/updates
Skills Demonstrated: Container orchestration, system resource optimization, service management

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📊 Results & Impact

• Services Deployed: Media streaming server, game server, static website hosting, monitoring dashboard
• Cost Savings: Eliminated monthly subscription fees for equivalent cloud services
• Uptime: Maintaining consistent availability through proper configuration and monitoring

What’s Next

Planning to implement automated backup solutions and explore distributed systems architecture by adding additional nodes for load balancing, fault tolerance, and horizontal scaling across multiple machines.

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💡 Key Takeaways

Technical Skills Developed:

• Remote server administration (Ubuntu Server)
• Docker containerization and management
• Network configuration and reverse proxy setup
• DNS management and SSL/HTTPS implementation

Professional Skills Strengthened:

• Infrastructure planning and implementation
• Problem-solving in production environments
• Self-directed learning and documentation