Lessons Learned

A few key takeaways from running and maintaining a homelab.

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RAID Rebuild Experience

• Learned that patience is key – array rebuilds can take days.
• Always test backups before making changes.

GPU Passthrough Troubles

• First attempts failed due to BIOS/UEFI settings.
• Proper IOMMU grouping is essential for stability.

Cloudflare Tunnel vs Port Forward

• Cloudflare Tunnel is safer, avoids exposing real IP.
• DDoS protection comes “for free” with the proxy.

Automation Benefits

• Small scripts saved hours of manual maintenance.
• Consistency and repeatability improved reliability.

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