https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/series/homelab-journey/Recent content in Homelab Journey on Joe McCarthyHugoen-gbSun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/homelab-journey-part-7-restic-backups/Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/homelab-journey-part-7-restic-backups/Backups are easy to ignore—until you need them. Here’s how I set up Restic and why I trust it with my data.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/homelab-journey-part-6-paperless-ngx/Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/homelab-journey-part-6-paperless-ngx/How I built a reliable, automated document management system using Paperless-ngx and email ingestion.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/05/homelab-journey-part-5-core-services/Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/05/homelab-journey-part-5-core-services/A breakdown of the services I actually use day-to-day: document management, photo storage, automation, and development tools.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/05/homelab-journey-part-4-networking-traefik-dns/Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/05/homelab-journey-part-4-networking-traefik-dns/Exposing services securely without overcomplicating things—how I use Traefik and dynamic DNS to make my homelab accessible.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/05/homelab-journey-part-3-docker-swarm/Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/05/homelab-journey-part-3-docker-swarm/Kubernetes wasn’t the right fit for my setup. Here’s why Docker Swarm works better for my homelab and how I run it across multiple nodes.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/homelab-journey-part-2-hardware-setup/Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/homelab-journey-part-2-hardware-setup/An overview of my 8-node Raspberry Pi cluster, shared storage setup, and the tradeoffs of running everything on low-power hardware.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/homelab-journey-part-1-why-self-hosting/Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/homelab-journey-part-1-why-self-hosting/I didn’t start a homelab to play with tech—I started it to solve real problems. This is what pushed me toward self-hosting and what I wanted to get out of it.