Field Notes

Small notes on self-hosting and home networks.

Renew certificates before you need them

A renewal job that runs on time can still fail every time. Watching the expiry date from outside is the only check that tells you the truth.

Split DNS at home

If a service lives on the same network as you, the request has no reason to leave the building. Answer those names locally and pages open at once.

IPv6 has no accidental firewall

NAT hides inbound IPv4 as a side effect. Global IPv6 addresses get no such favour, so check what your router actually blocks.