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Designs a home or small-lab network with guidance on gateways, IP ranges, DHCP, DNS, cabling, and common mistakes. Helps plan scalable networks for NAS, servers, VLANs, and VPN access.
npx claudepluginhub aaione/everything-claude-code-zh --plugin everything-claude-codeHow this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/ecc:homelab-network-setupThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Use this skill to design a home or small-lab network that can grow without
Reviews homelab network readiness before changing VLANs, DNS filtering, or WireGuard-style remote access. Use to plan staged migrations and avoid lockout.
Designs VLAN architectures and configures managed switches like Cisco Catalyst for network segmentation, isolating zones (corporate, servers, DMZ, IoT) to limit lateral movement and meet compliance.
Manages UniFi network infrastructure including devices, clients, firewall, VPN, routing, WLANs, and statistics via 91 MCP server tools with lazy loading, safety gates, and confirmations.
Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
Use this skill to design a home or small-lab network that can grow without needing a full rebuild.
Start by separating device roles:
Internet
|
Modem or ONT
|
Gateway or router NAT, firewall, DHCP, DNS, inter-VLAN routing
|
Managed switch wired clients, AP uplinks, optional VLAN trunks
|
Access points Wi-Fi only; ideally wired backhaul
Servers and NAS stable addresses, DNS names, monitoring
Clients and IoT DHCP pools, isolated later if VLANs are available
Pick a gateway that matches the operator, not just the feature checklist:
| Option | Best fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ISP router | Basic internet only | Limited control and often poor VLAN support |
| UniFi gateway | Managed home network | Good UI, ecosystem lock-in |
| OPNsense or pfSense | Flexible homelab | Strong VLAN, firewall, VPN, and DNS control |
| MikroTik | Advanced network users | Powerful, but easy to misconfigure |
| Linux router | Tinkerers | Document rollback before using as primary gateway |
Avoid the most common default, 192.168.1.0/24, when you expect to use VPNs.
It often conflicts with hotels, offices, and ISP routers.
Example small homelab plan:
192.168.10.0/24 trusted clients
192.168.20.0/24 IoT and media devices
192.168.30.0/24 servers and NAS
192.168.40.0/24 guest Wi-Fi
192.168.99.0/24 network management
Gateway convention: .1
Infrastructure reservations: .2 through .49
Dynamic DHCP pool: .50 through .240
Spare room: .241 through .254
Use home.arpa for local names. It is reserved for home networks and avoids the
leakage/conflict problems of ad hoc names like home.lan.
nas.home.arpa
pihole.home.arpa
gateway.home.arpa
switch-01.home.arpa
Goal: Keep the ISP router but stabilize a small lab.
home.arpa.Goal: Prepare for future segmentation without enabling it immediately.
192.168.1.0/24 when VPN access is planned.network-interface-healthnetwork-config-validation