VERY Low Budget HomeLab - Best Config?

[Oneiros42]

I'm relatively new to self hosting. I don't have alot of hardware to use, but I use what I can. I assume I could configure Proxmox better then I have it now, but don't know enough to know exactly what I would need to change. Any ideas or tips?

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Hardware:

• PVE - Lenovo Ideapad 110-15ISK
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-6100U @ 2.30GHz
  • RAM: DDR4 - 12GB
    • 4GB built-in + 8GB additional
  • HDD: 500GB 2.5" HDD
    • Swapped with OG 1TB w/ Win 10. Been needing to sort through the data
  • NIC: RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller 10/100
• Win10 - Lenovo ThinkPad T420
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-2520M @ 3.20GHz
  • RAM: DDR3 - 4GB + additional slot
  • HDD: 320GB 2.5" HDD
  • NIC: 100/1000
• Buffalo TS5200D NAS:
  • CPU: Intel Atom D2550 @ 1.86GHz
  • 2 x 3.5" HDD Bays
  • 2 x 1GB NICs
  • RAM: DDR3 - 4GB (Removable)
    • Currently using latest supported BuffaloOS (old).
    • Boots off USB. Ive gotten Debian 12 to run. Tried running Proxmox but ended up being very slow and could only support maybe 2 LXC's, no VM's would boot.
• D-Link DGS-1100-08: Managed 8 port 100/1000 switch
• D-Link DGS-2205: Unmanaged 5 port 100/1000 switch
• 3.5" 2TB HDD (used in NAS)
• External Desktop 2 bay 2.5"/3.5" SSD/HDD dock to USB 3.0 port
• RPI 3B

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CPU Comparison: HP-15 (Personal), ThinkPad T420 (Old), IdeaPad 110 (PVE), Buffalo NAS

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/compare.html?productIds=217185,52229,88180,65470

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[esi_y]

You do not really ask anything. You are using 12GB RAM machine for PVE install, which is fine. If you have all that to test and spare around, you can put another PVE install on the T420. The NAS is fine for especially backups as it is. The RPI should be able to run a Q device in case you wanted to experiment with a 2 node setup. The managed switch presumably is already between the NAS and the Lenovos.

 

[Anotheruser]

One way of using that hardware
- Lenovo Laptop - Proxmox Node One - Main Server for Most of your Stuff
- Lenovo T420 - Proxmox Node Two - Server Used for HA / Failover of the most important Services
- Buffalo Nas - ether Keep the default OS and add the storage via NFS to the other nodes, or install ProxmoxVE on it and run Proxmox Backup Server on it inside a LXC
- The 8 port DLink Switch Would be your Main / Core Switch, Port 1 - Uplink to Router, Port 2 - Lenovo Laptop, Port 3 - Lenovo T420, Port 4 - Buffalo NAS, Port 5,6,7 used to connect end devices like your PC or the Pi3, Port 8 Downstream Connection to the other 5 port switch,
- 5 Port Switch - Used to connect other end devices Maybe in another Room and it is uplinked to Port 8 of the Main Switch

Additionally you could Add the 2 Bay enclosure to the Proxmox Node 1 (Lenovo Laptop) and expand storage that way in the future

The way i would set it up

 

[Oneiros42]

One way of using that hardware
- Lenovo Laptop - Proxmox Node One - Main Server for Most of your Stuff
- Lenovo T420 - Proxmox Node Two - Server Used for HA / Failover of the most important Services
- Buffalo Nas - ether Keep the default OS and add the storage via NFS to the other nodes, or install ProxmoxVE on it and run Proxmox Backup Server on it inside a LXC
- The 8 port DLink Switch Would be your Main / Core Switch, Port 1 - Uplink to Router, Port 2 - Lenovo Laptop, Port 3 - Lenovo T420, Port 4 - Buffalo NAS, Port 5,6,7 used to connect end devices like your PC or the Pi3, Port 8 Downstream Connection to the other 5 port switch,
- 5 Port Switch - Used to connect other end devices Maybe in another Room and it is uplinked to Port 8 of the Main Switch

Additionally you could Add the 2 Bay enclosure to the Proxmox Node 1 (Lenovo Laptop) and expand storage that way in the future

The way i would set it up

I really like this idea. I would have to get another drive to install in the T420 since I would prefer to keep the original drive untouched, at least until I can sort through and backup all the old data. I also thought about maybe removing the NAS from my setup, installing the NAS' 4GB DDR3 RAM in the T420 giving it total 8GB RAM and using the 2TB HDD in the 2 bay enclosure with one of the Nodes (like you said). But should I virtualize my NAS or keep it baremetal? The NAS only supports 4GB RAM so if I migrated to a VM it would get better performance(?)

 

[Anotheruser]

Additional stuff that i noticed, if you run a proxmox cluster with both Lenovo Systems you will need the Pi3 as third Quroum / Voting Device to avoid issues.
Regarding moving the ram, are you sure that it is even possible? Most Small NAS boxes have ether sodimm memory or it is soldered all together. The Lenovo Tower will probably use fullsized memory, besides that DDR3 ram is incredibly cheap so it might be worth it going on a second hand market place and get 16g or sth for like less than 10$.
With that little resources dont virtualize your NAS, ether keep the stock buffalo os or what i would do is install Proxmox and run two LXC containers on it, first with Proxmox Backup Server to backup all your vms to, second LXC as normal Network Storage.
There is a great video on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu3t8pcq8O0&
I am actually using a similar approach (All networkshares inside LXCs on Proxmox) on my Setup and it is even better than Stuff like Truenas in therms of scalability...

 

[Oneiros42]

Additional stuff that i noticed, if you run a proxmox cluster with both Lenovo Systems you will need the Pi3 as third Quroum / Voting Device to avoid issues.
Regarding moving the ram, are you sure that it is even possible? Most Small NAS boxes have ether sodimm memory or it is soldered all together. The Lenovo Tower will probably use fullsized memory, besides that DDR3 ram is incredibly cheap so it might be worth it going on a second hand market place and get 16g or sth for like less than 10$.
With that little resources dont virtualize your NAS, ether keep the stock buffalo os or what i would do is install Proxmox and run two LXC containers on it, first with Proxmox Backup Server to backup all your vms to, second LXC as normal Network Storage.
There is a great video on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu3t8pcq8O0&
I am actually using a similar approach (All networkshares inside LXCs on Proxmox) on my Setup and it is even better than Stuff like Truenas in therms of scalability...

I tried moving the RAM a while ago. The NAS has one DDR3 slot and doesn't work without RAM installed there. Installing Proxmox on the NAS was initially quite difficult. The NAS has a VGA port, but, of course, I don't have a display with a VGA input (which I found rather surprising) to install with the GUI. I ended up having to install PVE on a USB and boot the NAS off that, which worked, but isn't ideal at all. Doing that also renders theNAS' LCD, buttons, LEDs, etc. useless (specific drivers, old firmware). Eventually I'll get better hardware.