# Best Smart Plugs with Energy Monitoring — 6 Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer After six months of daily use in my basement, the **Kasa EP25 Smart Plug** remains the most reliable choice for energy monitoring, […]

# Apple HomeKit Ecosystem Review — 6 Months in a Portland Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer After six months of daily use in my Portland basement, the **Apple HomeKit ecosystem** remains the only choice if you want a speaker that actually

# How to Choose Between TrueNAS SCALE vs TrueNAS CORE — The Real Network Engineer’s Guide *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer If you are trying to build a smart home gateway using Linux, you are looking at the wrong product category entirely. TrueNAS

# 2N IP Solo Review — Six Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer The **2N IP Solo** is a solid entry-level video intercom for multi-unit buildings, but it struggles to compete with enterprise-grade alternatives like the **Siedle

# Vilfo Router Review — Six Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer The Vilfo Router earns my recommendation for users who prioritize local control and privacy over raw Wi-Fi speed, though it lacks the native Zigbee and

# Netgear CM1200 DOCSIS 3.1 vs Motorola MB8611 — The Portland Cable Modem Showdown *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer In my testing within the Portland basement lab, the **Netgear CM1200 DOCSIS 3.1** takes the win for DIY enthusiasts, offering superior upstream stability and