{"repo":"01iamysf/HomeLab","free":true,"listed":false,"github":"https://github.com/01iamysf/HomeLab","clone":"git clone https://github.com/01iamysf/HomeLab.git","description":"A self-hosted home server built on a repurposed laptop — running Debian, Nginx, PM2, and Tailscale to securely host real web projects for free.","language":null,"stars":13,"topics":[],"license":null,"category":"self-hosted-apps","readme_excerpt":"        This project documents how I built a complete self-hosted infrastructure using repurposed hardware, open-source tools, and zero cloud costs, the configurations. --- 📋 Table of Contents - The Problem - System Architecture - Tech Stack - How I Built It - Testing & Results - Challenges I Faced - Skills Gained - Projects Hosted on This Server - What's Next --- 💡 The Problem As a student and developer, I was constantly deploying projects to free hosting platforms like Render , Vercel , and others. They work — but they all come with the same frustrations: - Free tiers are limited. Storage, bandwidth, build minutes — you hit the ceiling fast. - Paying isn't an option. As a student, I simply can't afford monthly subscriptions for every project. - Free services go to sleep. Platforms like Render spin down your server after inactivity. So when someone visits your project for the first time in a while, they wait 30–60 seconds for it to \"wake up.\" That's not a good experience. - You don't control the infrastructure. You're always at the mercy of someone else's platform, rules, and limits. I had an old Samsung laptop collecting dust. So I asked: what if that becomes my server? My own server runs all the time , responds instantly , costs nothing per month , and I have full control over everything running on it. These were the goals I set: Goal Details ------ --------- Zero recurring cost No monthly bills, no free tier limits Always on, always fast No sleep mod","default_branch":null,"files":null,"tree":[],"storefront":"/r/01iamysf","claimed":false,"request_supported":{"post":"https://gitbuyer.com/r/01iamysf/HomeLab/request-supported","requests":0},"note":"indexed from public GitHub; nothing is for sale on this page. Clone it from GitHub. Paid listings live at /search."}