Network on Pi Stack

vnStat vs nethogs vs iftop: Best Self-Hosted Bandwidth Monitoring Tools 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Every server administrator eventually needs to answer the question: what is consuming my bandwidth? Whether you’re running a home lab, managing a VPS with capped data transfer, or troubleshooting network performance on production infrastructure, having reliable bandwidth monitoring tools is essential.

Suricata vs Snort vs Zeek: Best Self-Hosted IDS/IPS Guide 2026

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When you deploy a server or manage a home lab, a firewall alone isn’t enough. You need visibility into what’s actually happening on your network — who’s scanning your ports, what protocols are being used, and whether any traffic matches known attack patterns. That’s exactly what an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) provide.

pfSense vs OPNsense vs IPFire: Best Self-Hosted Firewall Router 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why You Need a Self-Hosted Firewall Router

A dedicated firewall router is the single most important piece of infrastructure you can deploy for a self-hosted environment. Unlike a software firewall running on a general-purpose server, a purpose-built firewall appliance sits at the edge of your network and controls every packet that enters or leaves.

HAProxy vs Envoy vs Nginx: Best Self-Hosted Load Balancer 2026

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why You Need a Self-Hosted Load Balancer

A load balancer sits in front of your services and distributes incoming traffic across multiple backend instances. For self-hosted infrastructure, this is essential:

AdGuard Home vs Pi-hole: DNS Ad Blocking Comparison 2026

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why Block Ads at the DNS Level?

DNS-level ad blocking protects every device on your network:

Network-wide protection: Phones, smart TVs, IoT devices
No software installation: Works automatically
Privacy: Block trackers and telemetry
Performance: Faster page loads, less bandwidth

Feature Comparison

Feature	adguard home	Pi-hole
Cost	100% Free	100% Free
Open Source	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
DNS-over-HTTPS	✅ Native	⚠️ Cloudflared
DNS-over-TLS	✅ Native	⚠️ Stubby
DNS-over-QUIC	✅ Native	❌ No
DHCP Server	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Client Settings	✅ Per-client	✅ Per-client
Query Log	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Blocklists	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Rewrite Rules	✅ Yes	✅ Local DNS
Parental Control	✅ Safe Search	⚠️ Custom
Setup Complexity	Low	Medium
Web UI	Modern	Functional
Resource Usage	Low	Low

1. AdGuard Home (The Modern Choice)

Best for: Users wanting encrypted DNS and modern features

Nginx Proxy Manager vs Traefik vs Caddy: Reverse Proxy Comparison

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why You Need a Reverse Proxy

A reverse proxy is essential for self-hosting:

SSL/TLS Termination: Automatic HTTPS
Routing: Direct traffic to multiple services
Security: Hide internal ports, add auth
Load Balancing: Distribute traffic

Quick Comparison

Feature	nginx Proxcaddyager	Traefik	Caddy
Type	GUI for Nginx	Cloud-native	Standalone
SSL	Let’s Encrypt	Let’s Encrypt	Let’s Encrypt (Auto)
UI	✅ Web GUI	❌ Dashboard only	❌ CLI
Config	Database/JSON	YAML/docker labels	Caddyfile
Auto Discovery	❌ Manual	✅ Docker labels	⚠️ Limited
HTTP/3	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Performance	High	High	Medium
Learning Curve	Low	Medium	Low
Best For	Beginners	Docker/K8s	Simplicity

1. Nginx Proxy Manager (The Visual Choice)

Best for: Beginners who want a GUI