Zed Lab-Hardware
ZedLab started as a simple idea. I wanted a space where I could build, break, and learn without limits.
I’ve always been into tech. Building computers, messing with networks, and figuring out how things actually work behind the scenes. At some point, I realized reading about systems wasn’t enough. I wanted to run them. Not just one machine, but something that actually felt like real infrastructure.
That’s where ZedLab came in.
The Hardware Behind It
ZedLab is built on a cluster of six Intel NUC-style mini PCs. Each one acts as its own node, and together they form the foundation of the entire lab.
They are all connected through a Ubiquiti 48-port switch on my local network, which ties everything together. Instead of relying on one large server, I built a system where multiple smaller machines work together.
Each node has a purpose.
Some are lighter and handle management or smaller workloads. Others are more powerful and take on heavier tasks like running full virtual machines and larger services. One node is dedicated to testing environments, while another is set up to run Windows Server for more enterprise-style scenarios.
Storage and media are handled through a Synology DS220+ NAS. It connects over the network and acts as centralized storage for media, backups, and shared data across the lab.
This setup gives me flexibility. If I need more power, I can add another node instead of replacing everything. If one machine goes down, the rest continue running. It is efficient, scalable, and much closer to how real systems are designed.
Discovering Proxmox
The real turning point for ZedLab was finding Proxmox.
Before this, I thought in terms of one machine doing one job. A server for this, another for that. It works, but it limits what you can do.
Proxmox changed that mindset.
Now, each physical machine can run multiple systems at once. Full operating systems, lightweight services, and test environments can all exist on the same hardware.
Instead of six computers, it feels like I have dozens of systems available whenever I need them.
Turning Machines Into a System
Once everything was connected into a cluster, ZedLab stopped feeling like a group of separate devices and started feeling like one system.
I can spin up a new server in minutes. Move workloads between machines. Test something risky without worrying about breaking everything.
That freedom is the whole point.
It allows me to experiment, learn, and build things in a way that actually reflects how modern infrastructure works.
Why I Built It
ZedLab came from a shift in mindset.
For a long time, I relied on other people’s hardware and infrastructure. Whether it was cloud platforms, shared systems, or services someone else controlled, I was always building on top of something I didn’t fully own.
It worked, but there were always limits. Restrictions on what I could run, how things were configured, or how far I could push an idea before hitting a wall.
At some point, that stopped being enough.
I wanted full control. Not just over the software, but over everything. The hardware, the network, the way systems are built and interact with each other.
ZedLab is that solution.
It gives me the freedom to build exactly what I want, test without restrictions, and understand every layer of the system from the ground up. Nothing is abstracted away unless I choose it to be.
That level of control changes how you approach technology. You stop adapting to systems, and start designing your own.
-Zed