Resources
Curated tools and gear for building, securing, and owning your home infrastructure. Organized by category — start anywhere.
Trusted Partners
Tools we recommend by name — not because they pay us to, but because they're what we'd install for a family member.
Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
iDrive
The offsite piece of a proper backup strategy.
Cloud backup for computers, NAS devices, and mobile. One plan covers multiple devices — designed for households that take their data seriously.
Why we recommend it: We advocate owning your data on a NAS first. But the 3-2-1 rule exists for a reason: one offsite copy protects against fire, theft, and catastrophic failure. A second NAS at a family member's house is the ideal — iDrive is the practical alternative when that's not an option. It's not a replacement for local ownership. It's the insurance policy behind it.
Learn more →Proton
The privacy suite that actually lives up to its promises.
Swiss-based, end-to-end encrypted email, VPN, cloud storage, and password manager. Zero-knowledge architecture, audited code, no ad business model.
Why we recommend it: When we tell clients to stop using Gmail for sensitive communication, this is what we point them to. The whole suite, not just the VPN.
Learn more →1Password
The fix for password reuse in your household.
Password manager for individuals and families. Stores passwords, passkeys, and sensitive documents with a strong security model and an interface non-technical family members will actually use.
Why we recommend it: Password reuse is the most common and most preventable attack vector for regular people. This is the tool we recommend when someone asks what to do about it.
Learn more →Home Networking
Professional-grade mesh networking — the gold standard for serious home and small-business use.
→ Visit siteAffordable managed networking with a solid controller app. Great bang for the buck.
→ Visit siteOpen-source firewall and router OS. Runs on dedicated hardware or a small PC.
→ Visit siteFeature-rich pfSense alternative with a cleaner UI and more frequent updates.
→ Visit siteInstall on many consumer routers to unlock advanced features including VLANs and QoS.
→ Visit siteThe industry-standard tool for analyzing what's actually happening on your network.
→ Visit siteNAS & Storage
The most user-friendly NAS hardware. Excellent mobile apps, polished OS, great for beginners and pros alike.
→ Visit siteMore powerful and flexible than Synology, with better virtualization support. Steeper learning curve.
→ Visit siteEnterprise-grade NAS OS built on FreeBSD. Run it on your own hardware for free.
→ Visit siteSelf-hosted Dropbox/Google Drive replacement. Runs on a NAS, Raspberry Pi, or VPS.
→ Visit siteSelf-hosted Google Photos alternative. Facial recognition, auto-albums, mobile backup.
→ Visit siteS3-compatible object storage for NAS offsite backup. The technical solution for satisfying the offsite requirement of a 3-2-1 strategy without surrendering primary ownership.
→ Visit siteSmart Home
The definitive open-source home automation hub. Runs locally, supports 3,000+ integrations. Your data never leaves your home.
→ Visit siteConnect Zigbee devices directly to Home Assistant without proprietary bridges or manufacturer clouds.
→ Visit siteLocal-first smart home hub out of the box. Good choice if Home Assistant feels overwhelming.
→ Visit siteOpen-source Z-Wave controller that integrates with Home Assistant for reliable local automation.
→ Visit siteFlash cheap ESP32/ESP8266 chips to create your own local smart home sensors and switches.
→ Visit siteCameras & Surveillance
Ubiquiti's camera management platform. Runs on UniFi hardware, records locally, no subscription. The professional standard for local IP camera systems.
→ Visit siteOpen-source NVR with real-time AI object detection. Runs locally on your own hardware, integrates directly with Home Assistant. The most capable self-hosted camera platform available.
→ Visit siteSelf-hosted NVR software for Windows and Linux. Supports hundreds of IP camera models via ONVIF. Good choice for mixed camera setups.
→ Visit siteLocal smart home camera hub with HomeKit Secure Video support. Bridges IP cameras into Apple Home without any cloud.
→ Visit siteVeteran open-source NVR. Battle-tested, runs on Linux, handles large camera counts. Steeper setup curve but rock solid once running.
→ Visit siteLocal management app for Reolink cameras. Supports direct LAN access without cloud — enable this in settings to keep your footage fully local.
→ Visit siteAccess Control
Ubiquiti's enterprise door access platform. Manages readers, door strikes, and schedules from the UniFi dashboard. Right-sized for small offices, multi-unit properties, and serious home installs.
→ Visit siteModernize existing wired alarm systems without replacing them. Connects hardwired door/window sensors to Home Assistant or SmartThings. Keep the reliable infrastructure, ditch the monitoring contract.
→ Visit siteHome Assistant's lock integration hub — supports Z-Wave, Zigbee, and WiFi deadbolts from Schlage, Yale, Kwikset, and others. Full local control, no manufacturer cloud required.
→ Visit siteHardwired keypad controller for scene and access management. Popular in structured installations where a physical panel is required.
→ Visit siteSmart lock bridge that adds HomeKit, Home Assistant, and API access to compatible Nuki locks. Local API available — no cloud dependency.
→ Visit siteSecurity & Privacy
Free, open-source password manager. Self-host it or use their cloud. The best option for most people.
→ Visit siteNetwork-wide DNS sinkhole. Blocks ads, trackers, and malicious domains for every device on your network.
→ Visit sitePi-hole alternative with a cleaner interface. Runs on NAS, Raspberry Pi, or any Linux machine.
→ Visit siteTrustworthy VPN with a genuine no-logs policy. Free tier available. Swiss-based privacy laws.
→ Visit siteEnd-to-end encrypted email. The best option for private communications short of running your own server.
→ Visit siteGold standard for encrypted messaging. Uses the Signal Protocol, which even iMessage is based on.
→ Visit siteMonitoring & Diagnostics
Check if your email or password has appeared in a known data breach. Run this for every account.
→ Visit siteScan suspicious files and URLs against 70+ antivirus engines before opening them.
→ Visit siteThe industry-standard network scanner. Discover every device on your network and what ports they expose.
→ Visit siteSelf-hosted uptime monitoring for your home services. Alerts when something goes down.
→ Visit siteReal-time performance monitoring for your network, NAS, and servers.
→ Visit siteVideo Library
Coming SoonWalkthroughs, installation guides, gear reviews, and how-to content for home networking, NAS setup, smart home integration, and more. Linked from the YouTube channel as it grows.
Gear Picks
Curated hardware recommendations organized by category — routers, NAS devices, access points, switches, cabling tools, and smart home gear. Vetted by infrastructure professionals, not marketing departments.
Browse gear picks →