Self-Hosting for Digital Sovereignty

Taking control of your digital infrastructure, one service at a time

Self-hosting isn't just about technical tinkering — it's about reclaiming ownership of your data, your services, and your digital life.

Why Self-Host?

The Motivations

Driver	What It Means
Privacy	Your data stays on your hardware
Control	You decide what runs, how, and for how long
Education	Learning by doing — containers, networking, systems
Frustration	Escaping enshittification of commercial services
Resilience	Not dependent on any single provider

Common Triggers

Running out of cloud storage for photos
Frustration with "smart" devices that stop working
Wanting to run local AI models
Discovering your data is the product
Simply wanting to understand how things work

The Homelab Journey

Phase 1: Goals and Motivation

Before buying hardware, clarify your "why":

What problem(s) or curiosity sparked the idea?
What do you want to control by self-hosting?
What does success look like?

Common starting points:

Media library with redundancy and backups
Photo storage (replacing Google Photos)
Home automation that actually works
Learning what "just run this in Docker" means

Phase 2: Hardware

Start modest — an old computer works:

Repurpose: Old desktop, laptop, or mini PC
Entry-level: Raspberry Pi, Intel NUC
Dedicated: Used enterprise server, custom build

Consider:

Power efficiency (it runs 24/7)
Noise level (especially if in living space)
Storage capacity and redundancy
Room to grow

Phase 3: Virtualization Layer

Most homelab setups use a hypervisor:

Option	Best For
Proxmox VE	Full-featured, free, great community
TrueNAS Scale	Storage-focused with apps
Docker on Linux	Simpler, direct approach
Unraid	User-friendly, paid license

Key concepts:

VMs vs. containers (LXC, Docker)
Snapshots and backups
Resource isolation

Phase 4: Network Configuration

Your network is the foundation:

Router/Firewall: pfSense, OPNsense, or your ISP router
VLANs: Separate IoT, servers, and personal devices
DNS: Pi-hole or AdGuard for ad-blocking and local DNS
VPN: WireGuard or Tailscale for secure remote access
Reverse Proxy: Nginx Proxy Manager, Traefik, or Caddy

Phase 5: Storage and Backups

The 3-2-1 Rule:

3 copies of data
2 different storage types
1 offsite backup

Options:

ZFS for data integrity
Proxmox Backup Server
rclone to encrypted cloud backup
Regular snapshot schedule

Phase 6: Services

Start with what you need most:

Category	Options
Photos	Immich, PhotoPrism
Files	Nextcloud, Seafile
Media	Jellyfin, Plex
Home Automation	Home Assistant
Password Manager	Vaultwarden
Notes	Obsidian sync, Standard Notes

Three-Tier Approach

Level	Description	Example
Easy	Use managed/hosted options	Nextcloud hosting provider
Medium	Self-host with guides	Docker Compose on a NUC
Advanced	Full control, custom setup	Proxmox cluster with HA

Start where you're comfortable. You can always level up.

Common Mistakes

Starting too big (keep it simple at first)
No backup strategy
Exposing services without security
Over-engineering before understanding basics
Giving up after first failure

The Privacy Connection

Self-hosting directly supports Digital Sovereignty:

Your data stays on your hardware
No corporate surveillance of your photos, files, habits
You control retention, access, and deletion
Independence from platform policy changes

Getting Started

Identify one problem you want to solve (photos, files, media)
Start with one service (Nextcloud, Immich, or Jellyfin)
Use Docker Compose — simplest path to running containers
Document everything — you'll thank yourself later
Join communities — r/selfhosted, r/homelab, forums

Digital Sovereignty — The philosophy
File Storage Solutions — Nextcloud deep dive
Privacy Tools Index — Full tool catalog
Privacy by Design — Why this matters

Self-hosting isn't about perfection. It's about taking the first step toward owning your digital life.