🚀 Homelab Build Journey: Building a Virtual Security Lab with Proxmox¶

TL;DR: Plain-English build story of the lab: how I chose hardware, validated images, segmented the network, and added secure remote access. Highlights repeatable steps and risk-thinking that non-technical stakeholders can follow. Outcome: validated Proxmox install with checksums/GPG and network segmentation completed day 1.

This page is a write-up of how I planned, built, and secured my homelab. It complements the Homelab Infrastructure (Summary) by documenting the full journey — from hardware selection to ongoing improvements.

🎯 Purpose¶

This lab serves as my personal testing ground where I can safely: - Experiment with security tools and configurations
- Practice incident response scenarios
- Learn new cybersecurity techniques
- Test solutions before applying them in production

📋 Planning Phase¶

Just like in a professional deployment, I started with careful planning:
- Researched the best hardware for my needs (settled on the Beelink SER5 Mini PC)
- Created a checklist to avoid oversights
- Designed for security-first from day one
- Documented each step for repeatability

Beelink SER5 Mini PC : Chosen as the base system for virtualization and SOC tools deployment.

📝 Step-by-Step Implementation¶

1. Getting Started¶

• Downloaded Proxmox VE from the official site
• Verified SHA256 checksum for integrity
• Validated GPG signatures
• Created bootable media with Balena Etcher

Proxmox Installer : Verified image and bootable media.

2. BIOS Setup¶

• Accessed BIOS (Delete/F2/F10 on startup)
• Enabled virtualization features (AMD-V)
• Adjusted boot sequence for USB install
• Saved hardened configuration

BIOS Settings : Virtualization and security features enabled.

3. Installation & Security¶

• Installed Proxmox VE with strong admin credentials
• Configured secure authentication defaults
• Applied immediate post-install updates

4. Network Setup¶

• Configured pfSense firewall
• Created VLAN segmentation for isolation
• Applied firewall rules for remote access
• Added monitoring for visibility

Homelab Network Diagram : Segmented VLANs for red/blue teams and shared services.

5. Ongoing Hardening¶

• Applied rolling updates and patches
• Introduced backup policies
• Layered extra security controls over time

Proxmox Dashboard : Active SOC, red team, and service VMs.

📈 Project Impact & Growth¶

🧠 Key Learning Outcomes¶

• Infrastructure Management → virtualization, monitoring, and secure administration
• Security Implementation → SOC deployment, vuln scanning, incident response
• Professional Development → documentation, problem-solving, project management

⭐ Ongoing Improvements¶

• Adding advanced SOC integrations (SIEM, IDS tuning)
• Expanding self-hosted services with automation (Ansible, CI/CD)
• Optimizing performance monitoring and backups

💼 Professional Applications¶

This journey demonstrates practical ability to:
- Build secure and scalable infrastructures
- Deploy enterprise-grade SOC tools in a lab setting
- Document and communicate technical processes clearly
- Translate lab work into real-world security operations skills

📌 Key Takeaway¶

What began as a personal experiment matured into a comprehensive homelab platform. This project reflects my ability to plan, secure, and operate complex environments while documenting the journey with a professional, security-first mindset.