Christian Sterneborn
Network, Infrastructure & Cybersecurity Homelab
Welcome to the technical documentation for my current homelab and project portfolio.
The environment is built for hands-on learning across networking, virtualization, Linux, self-hosted services, automation, smart-home infrastructure, and cybersecurity. The documentation records both the current architecture and the earlier systems that shaped it.
Current Homelab
Network
- UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra
- UniFi-managed Wi-Fi and access point
- Trusted, Guest, Lab/Servers, and IoT VLANs
- Zone-based firewall policies
- WireGuard remote access
- Tailscale under evaluation
Virtualization and Services
- Proxmox VE
- Home Assistant
- Docker and Portainer
- AdGuard Home
- Uptime Kuma
Custom Projects
- Knut — a major custom AI and automation project
- Borgen Audio — Raspberry Pi 4 audio appliance with a Raspberry Pi DAC Pro, Shairport Sync, and BlueALSA
- Zigbee2MQTT architecture — planned coordinator, MQTT, and Home Assistant integration
Architecture Evolution
The network began with a Netgear R7800 running OpenWrt. That platform was used to learn VLAN configuration, firewall zones, WireGuard, dynamic DNS, Wi-Fi troubleshooting, and evidence-based network diagnostics.
The current architecture has migrated to UniFi. A UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra now provides gateway and firewall functions, and a UniFi-managed access point provides centrally managed Wi-Fi. OpenWrt remains documented as an earlier architecture rather than being erased from the project history.
Skills Demonstrated
Networking and Security
- UniFi gateway and wireless administration
- VLAN design and segmentation
- Zone-based firewall policy design
- DNS and DHCP integration
- WireGuard deployment and troubleshooting
- Network migration and validation
Linux and Infrastructure
- Proxmox virtualization
- Ubuntu Server administration
- Docker deployment and Portainer operations
- Backup and recovery planning
systemd, ALSA, and BlueZ troubleshooting
Services and Automation
- Home Assistant
- AdGuard Home
- Uptime Kuma
- AI-assisted workflow and automation design through Knut
- Planned Zigbee2MQTT and MQTT integration
Engineering Practice
- Structured troubleshooting
- Technical documentation
- Change tracking and project journaling
- Git and GitHub workflows
- Incremental testing and verification
Current Documentation
Network
- Network Overview
- UniFi Network
- VLAN Segmentation
- WireGuard Remote Access
- Cloudflare DDNS
- OpenWrt — Previous Architecture
Virtualization
Services
- Home Assistant
- Docker
- Portainer
- AdGuard Home
- Uptime Kuma
- Prometheus — Planned
- Grafana — Planned
- Alerting — Planned
Projects
Security and Career
- Security Onion — Planned
- Suricata — Planned
- Log Analysis — Planned
- Career Journey
- Learning Methodology
Learning Philosophy
The best way to learn technology is through practical implementation, structured troubleshooting, validation, and documentation. This repository intentionally records both working systems and the migration history behind them.