About MyHomeServerGuide
A beginner-friendly publication about home servers, self-hosting and taking back control of your data.
MyHomeServerGuide exists for one reason: most self-hosting content online assumes you already know what a Docker container is, why you would want a reverse proxy, and how to read a terminal. We write for everyone else — people who have an old laptop in a drawer, a vague interest in "owning their data", and no idea where to start.
Every guide here follows the same philosophy: start from zero, explain the whybefore the how, and never publish a command we have not run ourselves.
Who's behind this site
[MY STORY: write 3–5 sentences about yourself here. Why did you get into self-hosting? What was the first thing you self-hosted? What does your current setup look like at home — hardware, main apps, how long you've been doing this? This is the single most important thing you can add to the site for both readers and AdSense review: real, personal context.]
How we test and write our guides
- Tested on real hardware. [MY TESTING SETUP: describe your hardware — for example, the mini PC or old laptop you use, RAM, storage and the OS you run. Mention that screenshots come from your own installs.]
- Beginner-first, but never dumbed down. We explain the reasoning behind each step so you can adapt it to your own setup instead of copy-pasting blindly.
- Kept up to date. Software changes fast. Guides show a "Last updated" date and we revise them when a major version changes the steps.
- Honest recommendations. We recommend what we actually use. If a popular app is not worth it for most beginners, we say so. [MY OPINION: add a line about how you handle recommendations and whether you accept sponsorships.]
What we cover
- Getting started with your first home server (including reusing old PCs)
- Docker and Docker Compose in plain English
- Self-hosted apps: Jellyfin, Nextcloud, Immich, CasaOS, Pi-hole and more
- Home networking, DNS and safe remote access with Tailscale or WireGuard
- Budget hardware: mini PCs, Raspberry Pis and refurbished machines
- Backups and basic security so you never lose your data
- Honest comparisons against paid services like Google Photos, Netflix and Dropbox
Get in touch
Spotted a mistake, or want a guide on something specific? We read every message — head to the contact page and tell us what you need.