---
title: General
description: General homelab knowledge, networking, storage, and hardware fundamentals that apply beyond any single self-hosted app.
navigation:
  icon: i-lucide-bookmark
---


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## Homelab Fundamentals

This section covers the general knowledge that [Serveex](/serveex/introduction) itself relies on but doesn't re-explain every time: how networking actually works at home, how to choose and set up storage, and what hardware to run it all on. Read it once, then link back to it from any app-specific guide.

### Networking

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::card-group
::card{icon="i-lucide-router" title="NAT & DHCP" to="/general/networking/nat"}
Port forwarding and fixed DHCP leases on your router
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-globe" title="DNS Zone" to="/general/networking/dns"}
Reading and editing a domain's DNS zone
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-folder-sync" title="Samba" to="/general/networking/samba"}
Share folders over the local network
::
::

### Storage

:::div{class="relative"}
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::card-group
::card{icon="i-lucide-database" title="RAID" to="/general/storage/raid"}
Redundant disk arrays, hardware vs software
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-layers" title="ZFS" to="/general/storage/zfs"}
Snapshots, checksums, and built-in redundancy
::
::

### Hardware

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:::

::card-group
::card{icon="i-lucide-cpu" title="The Basics" to="/general/hardware/basics"}
CPUs, RAM, storage, and form factors
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-network" title="Network" to="/general/hardware/network"}
Switches, NICs, and cabling
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-hard-drive" title="The ProloNAS" to="/general/hardware/prolonas"}
A budget N100 home server build
::
::

### Linux tips for dummies

:::div{class="relative"}
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:::

::card-group
::card{icon="i-lucide-terminal" title="Command Line Basics" to="/general/linux/cli-basics"}
How a command is built, and the ones you'll actually use
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-folder-tree" title="Folders and Partitions" to="/general/linux/filesystem"}
What lives where on Debian, and the habits that keep it tidy
::

::card{icon="i-lucide-wrench" title="Handy CLI Tools" to="/general/linux/handy-tools"}
Terminal tools worth installing, and how to set them up
::
::
