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Over time I've tried to whittle down my homelab and move more of it to Microsoft 365/Google Suite/iTunes Store with mixed results. Currently my must haves are:

Over time I've tried to whittle down my homelab and move more of it to Microsoft 365/Google Suite/iTunes Store with mixed results. Currently my must haves are: * Router - pfSense - https://www.pfsense.org/ https://www.pfsense.org/ * Movies/TV/Home Videos - Plex * Minecraft Server - AMP - https://cubecoders.com/AMPInstall https://cubecoders.com/AMPInstall * Music - Roon - https://roonlabs.com/ https://roonlabs.com/ * Automation - HomeAssistant - https://www.home-assistant.io/ https://www.home-assistant.io/ * Unifi Controller * Email - Zimbra - https://www.zimbra.com/downloads/ https://www.zimbra.com/downloads/ * Files - Synology My experience: * I can't recommend AMP enough for gamers * Roon is £££ but if you like music it's such a unique piece of software * Zimbra isn't what it used to be alas and I've been moving this to Microsoft 365 * HomeAssistant is fantastic and allows me to use pretty much any IoT device whether it has HomeBridge capability or not * Synology - again expensive but after years of using Debian with my own custom setup, then OMV, then Unraid (briefly) then FreeNAS - Synology's DSM offers a level of capability and zero touch that none of the home rolled solutions match * Plex - I really hope they never mess with this product, I find it super good although I need to check out Jellyfin * pfSense - again, a top quality product - I'd love to use Unifi's offering but nothing I've seen (apart from OPNSense) competes feature wise

TavsiE9s 4y ago
Something to be aware of w/r/t pfSense: https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/ https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/
- BLKNSLVR 4y ago
  I only just migrated to OPNSense from pfSense. I feel cleaner. It was a relatively smooth and painless migration.
colordrops 4y ago
Is Amp closed source and/or require a license or payment?
- leonroy 4y ago
  AFAIK it's closed source, it's a perpetual license for $10. You can run it on 5 servers and it offers unlimited updates. I was wary initially but it's a solid, very well made and reliable product. Surprising how much functionality and configurability it offers via a Web UI and it's all written by one person. They did a Q&A last year to discuss the product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThigYganx1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThigYganx1Y
  - Fogest 4y ago
    They also used to be called McMyAdmin for anyone who remembers them from the older days. Was a pretty popular admin panel for Minecraft servers and is where they started. Then they eventually expanded into other server types as well and basically put McMyAdmin under the AMP umbrella. AMP is definitely a good option for a Minecraft server, but is also a good option for many types of servers out there. It's still actively developed and they add support for new types of servers all the time! Personally I've always been happy with the McMyAdmin license I had, and ended up also getting an AMP license later.
fudgefactorfive 4y ago
I really really loved Plex, then suddenly my networks internet connection went down, no biggie I thought, I have my collection on Plex. Plex no longer worked offline at all. Not sure if that’s fixed, but I always saw it as a file server with a UI and webplayer. Plex also doesn’t let me pay for one premium subscription for the server so my family can watch old family guy episodes longer than 30 seconds on a phone. They each have to buy a subscription. I still use Plex because so much infrastructure investment to get my parents to use it but honesty I’m not sure I’d recommend it anymore. It seems someone at Plex decided they wanted the project to finally make some serious cash and started removing functions and moved them behind a paywall (like basic analytics of if someone is currently using it or what they have watched) while shoehorning in bizarre not even B-Movies.
- unspecified 4y ago
  For offline access, you just need to configure that once with the CIDR of your local network(s), and then the next time you're offline the server will allow auth-less use: you'll still be you, but the server itself won't attempt to authenticate you through the internet. Settings -> <server name> -> Network -> Show Advanced -> List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth You can also toggle off some of the extra crap they are pushing: Settings -> <your username> -> Online Media Sources
- some-human 4y ago
  > Plex no longer worked offline at all. In Plex settings you need to the IP addresses of devices you will allow to connect to your server without authentication. The setting is listed as "List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth". That way, if Plex or your internet is down, those devices will bypass a check for credentials and have access. >Plex also doesn’t let me pay for one premium subscription for the server so my family can watch old family guy episodes Set them up as managed accounts. You can have 15 users on one Plex pass subscription.
- JimBlackwood 4y ago
  I had a somewhat similar experience. I moved to a new server, installed plex, tried to set everything up under my existing account. It was impossible to move my account to a new server, it seemed to just expect my old one to still be there. After creating new accounts, removing the old server, etcetc. I just gave up and moved to Jellyfin. It’s been mostly equally good. Better in the sense that it stutters less on my TV (Could be TV app too). Worse in the sense that my parent cannot figure it out.
livinginfear 4y ago
I second the recommendation for Synology DSM. The setup process is remarkably painless.
- colordrops 4y ago
  It's the only proprietary equipment I've got in my homelab, and I concur, it's great.
feitingen 4y ago
I'm also on self-hosted Zimbra and looking to move away from it, but I just can't bring myself to go to google or microsoft for something like that. I'll probably end up with Roundcube or something similar.
- mgbmtl 4y ago
  Have a look at mailcow (https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized). Basically Docker images for Sogo and everything else (postfix, dspam, dovecot, etc). I'm also stuck on Zimbra, but planning a move for me and my dozen users. I really like Zimbra's calendar sharing features, but Sogo seems to have a good implementation too.
jasonm23 4y ago
I used Plex a number of years ago. In comparison with (whenever it was) they messed it up trying to monetize it. Unfortunately it's the better option in that space. Jellyfin is ok. Plex several years ago was much better.

TavsiE9s 4y ago

Something to be aware of w/r/t pfSense: https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/ https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/

BLKNSLVR 4y ago
I only just migrated to OPNSense from pfSense. I feel cleaner. It was a relatively smooth and painless migration.

colordrops 4y ago

Is Amp closed source and/or require a license or payment?

leonroy 4y ago
AFAIK it's closed source, it's a perpetual license for $10. You can run it on 5 servers and it offers unlimited updates. I was wary initially but it's a solid, very well made and reliable product. Surprising how much functionality and configurability it offers via a Web UI and it's all written by one person. They did a Q&A last year to discuss the product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThigYganx1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThigYganx1Y
- Fogest 4y ago
  They also used to be called McMyAdmin for anyone who remembers them from the older days. Was a pretty popular admin panel for Minecraft servers and is where they started. Then they eventually expanded into other server types as well and basically put McMyAdmin under the AMP umbrella. AMP is definitely a good option for a Minecraft server, but is also a good option for many types of servers out there. It's still actively developed and they add support for new types of servers all the time! Personally I've always been happy with the McMyAdmin license I had, and ended up also getting an AMP license later.

fudgefactorfive 4y ago

I really really loved Plex, then suddenly my networks internet connection went down, no biggie I thought, I have my collection on Plex. Plex no longer worked offline at all. Not sure if that’s fixed, but I always saw it as a file server with a UI and webplayer. Plex also doesn’t let me pay for one premium subscription for the server so my family can watch old family guy episodes longer than 30 seconds on a phone. They each have to buy a subscription. I still use Plex because so much infrastructure investment to get my parents to use it but honesty I’m not sure I’d recommend it anymore. It seems someone at Plex decided they wanted the project to finally make some serious cash and started removing functions and moved them behind a paywall (like basic analytics of if someone is currently using it or what they have watched) while shoehorning in bizarre not even B-Movies.

unspecified 4y ago
For offline access, you just need to configure that once with the CIDR of your local network(s), and then the next time you're offline the server will allow auth-less use: you'll still be you, but the server itself won't attempt to authenticate you through the internet. Settings -> <server name> -> Network -> Show Advanced -> List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth You can also toggle off some of the extra crap they are pushing: Settings -> <your username> -> Online Media Sources
some-human 4y ago
> Plex no longer worked offline at all. In Plex settings you need to the IP addresses of devices you will allow to connect to your server without authentication. The setting is listed as "List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth". That way, if Plex or your internet is down, those devices will bypass a check for credentials and have access. >Plex also doesn’t let me pay for one premium subscription for the server so my family can watch old family guy episodes Set them up as managed accounts. You can have 15 users on one Plex pass subscription.
JimBlackwood 4y ago
I had a somewhat similar experience. I moved to a new server, installed plex, tried to set everything up under my existing account. It was impossible to move my account to a new server, it seemed to just expect my old one to still be there. After creating new accounts, removing the old server, etcetc. I just gave up and moved to Jellyfin. It’s been mostly equally good. Better in the sense that it stutters less on my TV (Could be TV app too). Worse in the sense that my parent cannot figure it out.

livinginfear 4y ago

I second the recommendation for Synology DSM. The setup process is remarkably painless.

colordrops 4y ago
It's the only proprietary equipment I've got in my homelab, and I concur, it's great.

feitingen 4y ago

I'm also on self-hosted Zimbra and looking to move away from it, but I just can't bring myself to go to google or microsoft for something like that. I'll probably end up with Roundcube or something similar.

mgbmtl 4y ago
Have a look at mailcow (https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized). Basically Docker images for Sogo and everything else (postfix, dspam, dovecot, etc). I'm also stuck on Zimbra, but planning a move for me and my dozen users. I really like Zimbra's calendar sharing features, but Sogo seems to have a good implementation too.

jasonm23 4y ago

I used Plex a number of years ago. In comparison with (whenever it was) they messed it up trying to monetize it. Unfortunately it's the better option in that space. Jellyfin is ok. Plex several years ago was much better.