OpenWrt / Homelab Network Administration
Router administration, internal service support, and careful network change management.
OpenWrtDNSDHCPRoutingSSHMonitoring
Project Goal
Maintain a reliable small-lab network while improving visibility and reducing avoidable downtime.
This work centered on administering an OpenWrt-based homelab network and the services that depend on it. The public write-up is intentionally sanitized: it focuses on process, tooling, and troubleshooting approach rather than private internal addresses, sensitive hostnames, or firewall specifics.
Key Responsibilities
High-level tasks involved in the environment.
- Maintained router software and verified service health after updates
- Worked with LAN-side services such as DNS, DHCP, and remote administration workflows
- Used SSH-based management and documentation to reduce configuration mistakes
- Coordinated network monitoring and log visibility with the rest of the homelab stack
High-Level Steps
Workflow used to manage router and network changes safely.
- Reviewed router health and current service state before making changes.
- Applied updates and configuration changes using repeatable administration steps.
- Validated DNS, DHCP, and internal service reachability after the maintenance window.
- Used monitoring and centralized logs to catch regressions or connectivity problems quickly.
- Documented the workflow so future network maintenance would be safer and easier to repeat.
Skills Demonstrated
Concepts shown by the project.
- Router administration and change validation
- DNS, DHCP, and internal service troubleshooting
- Operational documentation for repeatable maintenance
- Network-aware troubleshooting across router, host, and service layers
Future Improvements
Possible next steps.
- Add a sanitized network diagram to the public documentation
- Document backup and rollback procedures in more detail
- Expand alerting around service reachability and admin-surface changes