CrumpNet is my personal technology site for documenting the systems I build, the problems I run into, and the lessons I learn along the way.

At its core, CrumpNet is a homelab, but I do not want it to be just a pile of servers and services. I want it to be a place where I can practice infrastructure design, test tools, improve my documentation habits, and make better long-term technical decisions.

Why I Wanted a Homelab

I work with infrastructure professionally, and I wanted a place where I could safely test ideas outside of production environments.

The goals were simple:

  • Learn by building
  • Break things safely
  • Practice troubleshooting
  • Document decisions
  • Improve my understanding of Windows, Linux, networking, monitoring, security, and cloud services

A homelab gives me a place to slow down and understand how systems fit together.

Why Document It Publicly

Private notes are useful, but public writing forces a different level of clarity.

If I write something for myself, I can leave gaps. If I write something publicly, I have to explain:

  • What I was trying to do
  • Why I chose that approach
  • What tradeoffs I accepted
  • What went wrong
  • What I would do differently

That process makes me better.

What CrumpNet Covers

CrumpNet will focus on practical infrastructure topics, including:

  • Windows Server
  • Active Directory
  • DNS and DHCP
  • PKI and certificate services
  • Monitoring with Zabbix
  • Security visibility with Wazuh
  • Linux administration
  • Docker services
  • Backup and recovery
  • Network segmentation
  • Cloud services
  • Documentation and process improvement

This site is not meant to be a perfect enterprise reference. It is a working record of what I am building and learning.

What I Will Not Publish

Some details do not belong on a public website.

I will avoid publishing:

  • Passwords, tokens, or secrets
  • Private keys
  • Exact firewall rules where they expose too much
  • Sensitive screenshots
  • Complete internal host inventories
  • Security gaps that would make the environment easier to attack

The goal is to share the design and lessons, not expose the environment.

Where This Goes From Here

CrumpNet will grow as the lab grows, with a focus on practical notes, real lessons learned, and decisions that are worth remembering.

The goal is to document the work clearly enough that it is useful later, whether I am rebuilding something, troubleshooting a problem, or explaining why a design decision was made.