Begin Your Homelab Journey: Self-Hosting Apps on a Mini PC with Proxmox

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to get started on your homelab journey using a mini PC to self-host applications such as Nextcloud (as a Google Drive alternative), Immich App (as a Google Photos replacement), and Jellyfin (for streaming your own movie collection)—all managed by Proxmox, utilizing LXC and Docker containers.

Why Build a Homelab?

• Privacy & Control: Host your data at home, your data stays within your home LAN.
• Customization: Tailor your setup to match your exact storage, app, and streaming needs.
• Learning Opportunity: Deepen your understanding of networking, security, containers, and virtualization.

Hardware: The Mini PC – Efficient & Capable

A mini PC is ideal for beginners in homelab. It’s compact, energy-efficient, and can pack a serious punch. Here are some considerations:

• Low Power CPU: Mini PCs often come with low TDP (Thermal Design Power) CPUs. This helps keep your power bill low—even while running multiple services 24/7.
• 16GB RAM Minimum: While some lighter setups might survive on 8GB, you’ll thank yourself for starting with 16GB. It gives you ample headroom to run containers and future-proof as you add services.
• Dual 2.5G LAN Ports: Not a must, but with dual 2.5G LAN you’ll get better speed when transferring data between Proxmox clusters. You can split the network traffic between the VMs & Containers use and for Proxmox itself to manage backups and migrate VMs/Containers between clusters.

Some Mini PC I’d recommend:

Beelink Mini PC EQ14, Intel Twin Lake-N150 Prozessor (up to 3.6GHz), 16GB DDR4 500GB M.2 SSD, 4K Office Mini Computer, Dual 2.5G LAN/Dual HDMI/WiFi 6/BT5.2

Beelink ME Mini PC, Intel N150 up to 3.6GHz, 12GB LPDDR5, 64GB eMMC, M.2 SSD 2TB, 6 M.2 NVMe Slots, Dual LAN 2.5Gbps, HDMI, WiFi 6, BT 5.2, USB-C

Getting Started: The Quick Steps

1. Choose and purchase your Mini PC
2. Install a reliable NVMe drive.
3. Flash Proxmox VE onto a USB stick, install on Mini PC.
4. Login to Proxmox Web UI from any browser.
5. Deploy LXC containers and Docker for each app:
   • Nextcloud (LXC or Docker)
   • Immich App (Docker)
   • Jellyfin (Docker)
6. Configure backups, secure your setup, and enjoy private, local control!

Why Power and RAM Matter

• Low Power = Lower electricity bills and quieter operation (fanless, often!).
• 16GB+ RAM = Smooth operation, ability to run multiple apps simultaneously, future service expansion.
• Dual 2.5G LAN = Next-level networking, ready for link aggregation, VLANs, or even clustering mini PCs as your lab grows!