The Network Core: ASUS Router + Access Point
My main router is an ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 I bought in 2022. It's a Wi-Fi 6E tri-band router that's been rock solid for years. Here's why I still love it:
- Merlin firmware — This is the real reason to buy ASUS. I run Asuswrt-Merlin on it, which gives me proper VPN client/server, advanced QoS, VLAN-like guest network isolation, and way more control than stock firmware. If you have an ASUS router and aren't running Merlin, you're leaving performance on the table.
- Multiple SSID support — I run separate networks for my main devices, IoT gear, and guest access.
- Built-in VPN — I route one of my NAS boxes through NordVPN directly from the router, so I don't need to mess with per-device VPN configs.
Then in my living room, I have an ASUS ZenWiFi XD6 running as a dedicated wireless access point. It connects back to the main router over Wi-Fi, and all my living room media devices plug into it via Ethernet. The result is a much more stable connection than those devices would get running Wi-Fi direct through walls — and I didn't have to run Ethernet drops across the house to make it happen. It's a simple trick that punches way above its weight.
I also have a 12-port gigabit switch somewhere in the mix — honestly can't remember the brand, but it's a dumb switch that just works. You don't need a fancy managed switch for most home setups.
The Two Laptop Setup
Laptop 1: The Workhorse (Lenovo on Linux Mint)
This is a Lenovo business laptop I've been using for about 8 years now. It's technically owned by my company — they've offered to replace it multiple times, but I keep declining. I run Linux Mint on it, it handles my day job perfectly, and the time it would take to migrate everything to a new system (plus the unknown headaches of trying to wipe Windows off whatever corporate-issue laptop they'd give me instead) just isn't worth it. It works. I'm not fixing what isn't broken.
It lives on a docking station with the screen closed, connected to my Samsung 34-inch curved monitor (bought in 2016) and one of the LG monitors mounted above. It does its job quietly and I don't think about it.
Laptop 2: The Personal Machine (MSI Creator 15 on Pop!_OS)
This is an MSI Creator 15 I bought in 2021. I upgraded it to 64GB of RAM and it runs Pop!_OS. This isn't a gaming machine or a server — it's my daily driver for personal stuff. Browsing, shopping on Amazon, managing the NAS boxes, using Hermes, and general tinkering. That said, it's got enough muscle (Intel i7-10870H, RTX 3070) that I can spin up a Chatterbox server when I need it, or edit video without breaking a sweat.
It sits on a stand to the left of my desk with the screen open. The Acer Nitro XZ342CK 34-inch monitor (bought in 2021) connects directly to it.
The other LG monitor isn't connected to either laptop — it's on a small Android TV box that plays YouTube and music while I work. A dedicated media screen that doesn't touch my workflow.
The Storage: Two Synology DS923+ NAS Boxes
Here's where I've invested most of my budget. I run two Synology DS923+ units, and for good reason:
NAS #1 — Behind NordVPN (Jellyfin + Media): This box routes through NordVPN at the router level. It runs Jellyfin for media streaming to my TV and devices. Being behind the VPN means my streaming activity doesn't trace back to my home IP, and remote access traffic goes through the tunnel.
NAS #2 — Private Infrastructure (Headscale, Immich, Joplin): This one stays on my regular network. It runs:
- Headscale — My private Tailscale control server. All my devices connect through my own coordination server instead of Tailscale's hosted service. Total control, no third-party dependency.
- Immich — Self-hosted photo backup. All my family's photos organized without paying Google storage fees.
- Joplin Server — My note-taking backend. My notes never touch anyone else's cloud.
Two NAS boxes instead of one big one means separation of concerns. The media box lives behind a VPN and has tighter firewall rules. The infrastructure box stays clean and predictable. If one needs a reboot, the other keeps running.
The Desk: Pieced Together Over Years
My desk is four monitors and a tablet, none of which were bought at the same time:
- Samsung 34-inch curved (S34E790C, 2016) — Connected to the Lenovo dock. Main display for work.
- LG 24-inch — Mounted above the Samsung, also on the Lenovo dock. Secondary work screen.
- Acer Nitro XZ342CK 34-inch (1440p 144Hz, 2021) — Connected to the MSI laptop. My personal machine's main display.
- LG 24-inch → Android TV box — Plays YouTube and music independently while I work. No computer resources used.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ (B0BBBGZPKT) — Dedicated to Zoom and Teams calls. Keeping video calls off my main machines freed up way more desk space and mental bandwidth than I expected.
If I Were Building This in 2026
My setup works great for me, but tech moves fast. Here's what I'd buy if I were starting from scratch today — honest picks, not affiliate-bait.
Router: ASUS RT-BE96U (Wi-Fi 7)
The ASUS RT-BE96U is the natural successor to my GT-AXE11000. It's a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router pushing 19 Gbps with dual 10G WAN ports. More importantly, it runs Merlin firmware — same as my current router, same rock-solid stability, but with Wi-Fi 7 and 10GbE for future-proofing. It's around $609 right now on Amazon with 246 ratings at 3.8 stars. If your ISP offers multi-gig speeds or you're running a 10GbE home network, this is the upgrade path.
Monitors: LG Has Great Options
LG makes excellent monitors across the board. For an ultrawide like my Acer and Samsung, the LG 34U650A-B is a strong pick — 34-inch WQHD (3440x1440) IPS curved panel, 100Hz, USB-C with 96W PD, built-in speakers. Around $391 with 4.3 stars and 500+ bought last month. If you want a 27-inch for a secondary setup, the LG 27U411A-B is a solid 1080p IPS at $110 with 4.6 stars from 870 ratings, or step up to the LG 27G61ZB-B Ultragear for QHD 1440p at 200Hz for $180 — overkill for most home labs, but the price is right.
Switch: You Really Don't Need to Spend Much
A simple unmanaged switch is all most people need. The NETGEAR GS308 is the #1 best-seller for a reason — 8-port gigabit, silent, metal case, plug-and-play. $18.99 with 54,000+ ratings at 4.8 stars. The TP-Link TL-SG108 is essentially the same thing for $19.99 with 43,000+ ratings at 4.7 stars. You can't go wrong with either. If you need more ports, both brands offer 16 and 24-port versions for well under $100.
Tablet: OnePlus Pad Go 2
If I were replacing my Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ today, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 would be at the top of my list. It's a 12.1-inch tablet at $399 with a 4.8 star rating. That's a $400 savings over a comparable Samsung or iPad, and for a desk tablet that lives in Zoom and Teams calls, it's more than enough. The screen is sharp, the battery lasts all day, and OnePlus has been delivering solid Android tablets that punch above their price.
Laptops: Lenovo With Linux Pre-Installed
There are actually solid options on Amazon that ship with Linux out of the box. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 comes with Ubuntu pre-installed — 15.6-inch FHD touchscreen, AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $820. That's a lot of machine for the money, and you don't have to fight with wiping Windows and hunting for drivers. There's also a version with 1TB storage for $920. And if you prefer Linux Mint specifically, there's Lenovo business laptops shipping with Mint at $800 (Intel i5, 16GB RAM). These aren't niche boutique builds — Lenovo has been good about Linux support for years, and it shows.
NAS: UGREEN Over Synology
I've been very happy with my Synology DS923+ units, but if I were buying today, I'd go with UGREEN. Their NASync line offers better hardware for the price and their UGOS Pro software has matured quickly. The UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro (6-bay, Intel i5-1235U, 8GB DDR5) or the DXP8800 Plus (8-bay, Intel i5-1235U, 8GB DDR5) are both excellent mid-range options.
And if money were no concern? I'd get UGREEN's new AI NAS — the iDX6011 Pro. It has an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor with an Arc GPU and AI Boost NPU, pushing 96 TOPS of local AI compute. That's enough to run local LLMs, semantic photo search, AI file organization, and voice transcription — all on-device, no cloud subscription. It has dual 10GbE networking, dual Thunderbolt 4, OCuLink for external GPU expansion, up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and an 8K HDMI output. The days of NAS boxes being just storage are over — they're small home servers now, and the UGREEN AI NAS is the first one that fully embraces that reality. Synology makes great software, but they don't have anything with this kind of GPU power or AI capability yet.
Nothing here was bought all at once. The Samsung monitor is from 2016. The ASUS router is from 2022. The MSI laptop is from 2021. The NAS boxes came later. The Android TV box was probably $40. A home lab isn't a shopping list — it's what you end up with after years of making decisions that each made sense at the time.