Patrick Campanale
- Founder, Created Workshop
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Christian founder, SaaS and app dev, senior author @howtogeek. Previously @9to5toys. PR/Media pitches patrick@patrickcampanale.com.
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Articles by Patrick Campanale
I blamed my ISP for random Wi-Fi drops until I changed this single router setting
Most routers will encourage you to use one Wi-Fi name for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Sure, why not. In theory, your devices should work together to pick the best band automatically. But in my home, they didn't always make the right choices. Surprisingly, hiding the faster, better 5GHz network was the solution I was looking for. My devices were choosing the wrong Wi-Fi band Credit: Goran Damnjanovic / How-To Geek Credit: Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek Credit: Monica J.
3 useful homelab maintenance projects worth tackling (July 24 - 26)
Are you ready for another batch of fun (and useful) homelab projects to try out this weekend? From building your own speed test server to some media server maintenance, here are three projects for you to finish before Monday rolls around. Build your own speed test server with OpenSpeedTest Credit: Nick Lewis / How-To Geek If you've ever wondered what the network speed between devices on your LAN is, or how fast your connection is from outside of your home network, then OpenSpeedTest is for you.
Your router might have a hidden backdoor password, and the manufacturer isn't fixing it
Five router firmware builds have just been deemed majorly unsafe, and it isn't the usual patch-it-and-move-on situation. The web interface on these routers has a hidden backdoor password that hands over full admin access, and the username you type doesn't even matter. That sounds grim enough, but it gets worse: The fix isn't coming.
3 surprisingly useful Raspberry Pi projects you can finish before Monday morning (July 24 - 26)
Do you have Raspberry Pis sitting around not being used for anything? By the end of this weekend, you shouldn't! Here are three fun projects to do with your Raspberry Pis to keep them from rotting away in a drawer. Brand Raspberry Pi CPU Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) Memory 2 GB With the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, you can create all kinds of fun projects, and upgrade gadgets around your home. Alternatively, install a full desktop OS and use it like a regular computer.
Your next laptop might not need Intel anymore, and that's the real story here
I'll admit, I had a preconceived notion in my mind about what the results of this comparison would look like. The Core Ultra 9 would be superior to everything but maybe the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, right? Absolutely, unequivocally wrong.
I couldn't afford mesh Wi-Fi, so I built one from spare parts
I wanted a new mesh Wi-Fi system badly a few years ago, but simply couldn't afford one. Instead of spending money I didn't have on Wi-Fi networking gear that I didn't really need, I repurposed my old router and it gave me almost everything I was looking for without costing me a dime. My Wi-Fi coverage was spotty Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek Many years ago, I had an eero Pro mesh Wi-Fi system and enjoyed it. I had three nodes and it provided whole-home coverage no problem.
This powerful Raspberry Pi alternative is basically a mini PC with GPIO pins
Are you looking at building your homelab on a Raspberry Pi foundation? This Raspberry Pi alternative actually competes with mini PCs more than the Raspberry Pi, but it still might not be the best choice for your homelab.
I wasn't expecting results like this from a $299 budget 3D printer
You no longer have to spend a fortune to get a quality, automated, hands-off 3D printer. This is a sentence I didn't expect to write just a few years ago, but it's reality today. Here's how I used an off-the-shelf, untuned cheap 3D printer to print something that even my more expensive printers would have struggled with.
3 Raspberry Pi projects that make Home Assistant more useful this weekend (July 17 - 19)
It's time for more Raspberry Pi projects! This weekend, however, I'm going to be showing you three unique ways to use your Raspberry Pi with Home Assistant. Brand Raspberry Pi CPU Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) Memory 2 GB With the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, you can create all kinds of fun projects, and upgrade gadgets around your home. Alternatively, install a full desktop OS and use it like a regular computer.
3 overlooked homelab tools that solve problems you didn't know you had (July 17 - 19)
Are you ready for another round of weekend homelab projects to try out? This weekend, I'm showing you a unique note-taking app, how to add third-party cameras to HomeKit, and also how to keep track of your Jellyfin server's stats. Ditch your old-fashioned notes app for Memos If you're still using Apple Notes or Google Keep to store your notes, it's time to move to a more modern and private solution. Memos is designed to become your personal wiki through quick capture of your ideas.
I thought these 4 self-hosted projects would pay for themselves—they didn't
Have you seen Reddit threads telling you that self-hosting will save you money? Here are four self-hosting projects the community raves about that actually cost more than what they're meant to replace.
I tested all three Snapdragon X2 processors, and the cheapest one surprised me most
I recently spent some time with Snapdragon's latest lineup of laptop processors, putting the X2 Plus, X2 Elite, and X2 Elite Extreme head-to-head to see which one is better. The results definitely surprised me, and I think they'll surprise you, too. Everyday CPU performance is closer than you'd expect Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek Something that I was very surprised about when testing the Snapdragon X2 Plus, Elite, and Elite Extreme back-to-back was the CPU performance.
These 4 open source Docker containers prove you don’t need powerful hardware to run a next-level homelab
If you think that you have to have expensive or powerful hardware to run your homelab, then you're sorely mistaken. Here are four open-source Docker containers that will turn your beginner homelab into a powerhouse, even without expensive hardware.
HP's $530 Snapdragon laptop impressed me in ways I didn't expect
HP's OmniBook 3 might not pack the latest-and-greatest processor, but it still delivers solid performance for the price. I was actually quite impressed by the IPS display and performance of this mid-range laptop, and I think you will be, too. Operating System Windows 11 Home CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon X GPU Qualcomm Adreno RAM 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB HP's latest OmniBook 3 with the Snapdragon X processor is a record-breaking system.
Stop buying mechanical keyboards—my membrane keyboard is better
Published Jul 14, 2026, 2:41 PM EDT I clearly remember how happy I was when we finally got rid of the clacky keyboard that came with our original IBM PC clone in the early 90s and switched over to a quiet modern membrane keyboard. To me, this felt like the future, but then mechanical keyboards have made a massive comeback, and now carry the reputation that they're simply better than the alternatives.
Your Plex server is inaccessible right now, even on your home network
While it hasn't had the best reputation lately, Plex is still one of the biggest platforms around for streaming your own media — and it's down right now. Plex has become a stalwart in the homelabbing industry for many, many years. It started out as a self-hosted media platform where you could basically create your own Netflix on your local network. Eventually, Plex opened things up so you could access that information outside of your network.
I powered my desktop PC with a phone charger, and I'm never going back
I have hated using barrel jacks as power sources for years, but never realized that I wanted a USB-C-powered mini PC until I tried out GEEKOM's latest IT13 Max system. While you can power other mini PCs with barrel jacks, GEEKOM went the extra mile and built in a Power Delivery port just for that purpose. Barrel jacks have no place on modern computers Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek Many years ago, barrel jacks were the solution to the problem of DC power in devices.
I ditched my enterprise homelab server for a simple NAS, and I wish I'd done it sooner
I've been running my homelab with an enterprise-grade rack-mount server for nearly six years. However, it's finally time to change that. Here's why I'm switching to an off-the-shelf NAS, and why I wish I would have done it sooner.
This is what AI coding actually excels at—and it's not what you think
AI programming tools are super neat and interesting, but how useful are they, really? I found a completely new use for Codex the other day, and it's changing how I see AI programming platforms entirely.
I set up a VLAN for my smart home and you should too
Are you looking for a way to secure your smart home against potential bad actors or intruders? A VLAN is the perfect tool for the job. Here’s how I have my VLAN set up, and how I plan to use it to secure my smart home’s network. Few smart devices value cybersecurity Credit: Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek Did you know that your IoT (internet of things) devices could be a major hole in your smart home’s security strategy? Most people don’t realize this.
Half of failed hard drives die in year one—here is the one thing you must do before trusting yours
HDDs are often seen as highly reliable, and it's true: they mostly are. But just as external HDDs can die on you at any time, so can regular, internal hard drives, and this is still true even if the HDD is new. A recent study found that 49.8% of failed HDDs died within their first year of operation. Here's what that means for you if you just bought a new HDD or are in the market for one.
Your dusty old laptop is actually the ideal Plex server, and here's why
If you think you have to go out and buy a brand-new system to run Plex on, you're sorely mistaken. Here are seven devices that you might have lying around the house that you can turn into a Plex server without spending a single cent. Old desktop computer Credit: Jason Fitzpatrick / How-To Geek If you've been using computers for any length of time, you probably have an old desktop stashed away in a closet somewhere.
Stop buying hard drives for Plex: How I reclaimed 7TB for free
I have a lot of storage for my Plex server—over 60TB, actually. However, even I sometimes run into space issues and have to find ways to free up hard drive storage without deleting things. That’s where Tdarr comes in, and here’s how I used it to free up over 7TB of space on my server.
Orange Pi 6 gives homelabbers what Raspberry Pi 5 doesn’t
Are you getting ready to purchase a new Raspberry Pi for your homelab? I'd seriously hold that purchase and consider the Orange Pi 6 instead. With dual 2.5Gb/s Ethernet ports and way more I/O than Raspberry Pi, the Orange Pi 6 is the better choice for homelabbers. What is the Orange Pi 6? Credit: OrangePi Credit: OrangePi Credit: OrangePi Credit: OrangePi Credit: OrangePi If you've never heard of Orange Pi, it's effectively another version of the RaspberryPi, just made by a different company.
4 E-Ink projects you can build this weekend with a Raspberry Pi and $30 (or less)
If you have a Raspberry Pi and E-Ink display sitting unused, it's time to pull them out of the drawer. There is so much you can do with just those two pieces of tech, but I boiled it down to four projects that you can build this weekend for fun. Before we dive into the projects, I do want to say that the $30 or less portion of the title is going to relate only to accessories you need in addition to already having a Raspberry Pi and E-Ink display.
I treated my home server like a spare PC, and it cost me my entire homelab Original
Are you just using your home server as if it was a spare desktop? If so, you're using it wrong. Your home server is capable of so much more, so here are three things to help you change how you think about your home server. Your home server is not just another computer Credit: Nick Lewis / How-To Geek Credit: Adam Davidson / How-To Geek A portable SSD atop a desktop PC. Credit: Monica J.
Stop wasting homelab resources—these 3 self-hosted apps simplify your life (July 10 - 12)
Are you looking for some fun homelab projects to tackle this weekend? Today, I'm going to show you the pros of setting up a notification server, homelab inventory platform, and even a way to organize your kitchen and pantry. Set up your own notification server with Gotify Have you ever wanted your homelab to be able to send notifications directly to your phone? Well, with Gotify, that's possible. The way that Gotify works is by connecting to another device via its REST API and websocket setup.
4 free (and private) Dropbox alternatives you can host yourself
Are you tired of spending money on Dropbox every month when you have a perfectly good NAS sitting at home? Or, maybe you're just tired of Dropbox being able to see all your data whenever you upload something. Regardless of why you want to leave Dropbox, here are four self-hosted replacements that are completely free and keep your data private.
Your drawer is full of Raspberry Pis that could be doing this instead (July 10 - 12)
Those Raspberry Pis you have sitting in a drawer aren't doing you any good there. That's why I have three fun and simple Raspberry Pi projects for you to try this weekend. Brand Raspberry Pi CPU Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) With the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, you can create all kinds of fun projects, and upgrade gadgets around your home. Alternatively, install a full desktop OS and use it like a regular computer.
This is the only operating system I'll ever use on my Ugreen NAS
When I first got my Ugreen NAS, I thought about replacing its operating system. Tinkering is in my blood, and replacing the operating system couldn't be that hard, right? Well, it's not, but it's also not necessarily worth replacing. After extensive testing, I've decided that I'm going to only stick with UGOS on my Ugreen NAS systems—here's why.
This is the only operating system I'll ever use on my Ugreen NAS
4 hours ago Plus, score new record-low prices on both the Fitbit Charge 6 and the Anker Prime 3-in-1 charging station. Right now, you can score the UGreen FineTrack2 item tracker for a nice 25% off. You can also get the Fitbit Charge 6 for more than half off. Finally, the Anker Prime 3-in-1 charging station is …
This dual-lens security camera's AI notifications and motorized solar panel blew me away
Baseus, the phone charger and cable company, is starting to step out into more fields. I recently went hands-on with their newest security camera, the X1 Pro, and it actually impressed me in quite a few ways. Brand Baseus Resolution 3K+3K Connectivity Wi-Fi App Compatibility Yes The Baseus Security X1 Pro is a unique security camera that offers two independent cameras in one package. The cameras can be viewed separately or combined into one ultra-wide 300° view, depending on your preference.
5 networking devices that are officially too old for anything in 2026
That old Wi-Fi router you've had for 15 years? It's time to replace it. Oh, and that DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem you bought in 2015? Yeah, it's time to replace that, too. Here are five networking devices that are officially too old to be using in 2026. That old 10/100 Fast Ethernet switch in your closet Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek Gigabit Ethernet has been the standard since 1999, and we're now in 2026. That's 27 years.
Stop forwarding ports on your router—here are 2 safer alternatives
Are you port forwarding tons of ports on your home network? Well, you shouldn't be. It's a risk just to have one port forwarded, let alone dozens. Instead, you should use Cloudflare Tunnels or Tailscale—here's why. Port forwarding seems like the simplest solution for external access Credit: Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek If you're trying to host a website or service at home, and want to access it outside of your network, then forwarding a port seems like the simplest solution at first.
This self-hosted Raspberry Pi audio book server syncs progress across every device I own
I was tired of Amazon getting all of my audiobook listening history (and money), so I knew there had to be a better way. Taking an old Raspberry Pi I had lying around and installing Audiobookshelf on it was just the ticket to building the private audiobook server I had always wanted. Audiobookshelf is the Plex of audiobooks In 2025, I really started getting into audiobooks.
Stop wasting money on mesh routers—this enterprise Wi-Fi gear is actually cheaper
I finally got tired of the poor performance of my old standard mesh Wi-Fi network and replaced it with a UniFi setup. I wish I had done this years ago. UniFi might have been brutal to set up, but it was so worth it in the end. Standard mesh networks have too much overhead For quite a while, I ran an eero mesh Wi-Fi network in my house. I had three nodes, and it provided whole-home coverage just fine.
Your old PC already supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet (you just need one cheap upgrade)
Do you have an old computer that you want to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet on? You actually can probably take advantage of the faster networking standard without having to replace your system. Here's why your old PC probably supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet. We've had the ability to move data at 10Gb/s for many years Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek It might surprise you, but we've had the ability to move data at 10Gb/s (or 1.25GB/s) for about 13 years now.
Synology isn't the best NAS anymore—your router should dictate your next buy
Are you in the market for a new NAS? While at one point in time, Synology was a default choice, these days it's not so simple. Sometimes Synology is the right pick, and other times you should go with something else entirely—like UniFi. Synology used to be the king of the castle for network attached storage At one point in time, the automatic recommendation for "I need a NAS" was Synology. I have told countless people to buy Synology units because they're genuinely good.
Make your homelab easier for everyone to use this weekend (July 3 - 5)
As the long weekend approaches, now's the perfect time to make your homelab more accessible to those in your home. From making it easier to download a file from your NAS to adding one-click pre-defined shell commands, here are three simple but effective homelab projects to try this weekend. Spin up File Browser so you can easily browse your files My main server in my homelab runs Unraid, but TrueNAS also falls prey to the same fate—browsing files on the NAS is a pain.
Stop trusting GitHub—your homelab can host Git for free
Are you bothered by how often GitHub has been down lately? Or maybe you've seen how many developers are ditching Microsoft's code hosting platform. Regardless of why you're looking to move away from GitHub, as a homelabber, you have one of the best reasons to leave ever: control. It's no secret that developers are leaving GitHub in droves Credit: Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek Ever since Microsoft purchased GitHub, it's been a downhill slide.
Stop forcing yourself to use Vim because you learned it years ago
I spent a lot of time learning VIM in my early days of using Linux, but I eventually realized that it wasn't the best text editor for me. I finally settled on using nano and I'm so glad I made the change. I grew up using Vim Credit: Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek Back in the early 2010s when I got into Android ROM development, I did all of my work on remote build servers as I was a teenager at the time and had 3Mb/s download and 0.3Mb/s upload speeds at home.
Make your smart home more useful with these Raspberry Pi projects (July 3 - 5)
If you've got some extra time during this upcoming long weekend, it's the perfect time to sit down and finally work on some Raspberry Pi projects. Today, I'm showing you how to take your Raspberry Pi and know who is in a room, how to detect (and stop) water leaks when they happen, and even how to make your sprinkler system smart. Brand Raspberry Pi CPU Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) With the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, you can create all kinds of fun projects, and upgrade gadgets around your home.
Stop forcing yourself to use Vim because you learned it years ago
Companies Are Throttling Employees’ AI Use Because It’s Too Expensive Sources and leaks from Amazon, Adobe, Atlassian, Citi, and more show what is really happening with AI right now: companies are trying to rein in AI …
TerraMaster's F4-425 Pro is a great media center NAS, if you can justify the price
If you've been looking for an Intel-powered NAS with multiple NVMe drive slots, then TerraMaster's brand-new F4-425 Pro NAS is definitely worth considering. With dual 5GbE networking ports, an easy-to-disassemble design, user-upgradable RAM, and more, this NAS could be the perfect choice for your next media server build.
I didn't realize how slow my NAS was until I bought this $50 UniFi switch
I had no idea that one simple sub-$50 UniFi network switch would completely change how I used my NAS, but it did. Here's how a simple networking upgrade delivered a complete overhaul to my homelab that I didn't expect. UniFi gear doesn't have to be expensive Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek I used to think that all UniFi gear was prohibitively expensive. At one point, that was the truth. These days, you can actually get some pretty affordable UniFi products.
I use Docker for almost everything, and I'm not even a developer
Do you think Docker is only for developers? I’ve heard that saying, but it couldn’t be more wrong. I’m not a developer, and I use Docker to run dozens of services and apps in my homelab. What is Docker anyway? Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek Docker is a containerization platform that allows you to run services, programs, and mini operating systems on your computer or server. It can also be used to run various development environments, tools, and other things needed for building applications.
I'm 3D printing something useful every day for a month—here are the 4 projects I'm starting with
3D printing is an intoxicating hobby, but it's so easy to get caught up in printing useless things. The prints look cool, but they don't actually serve a purpose. So, I've challenged myself to 3D print something useful every day for a month. Here are the first four projects I'm starting with. Trash bag holder My wife and I keep our trash bags in our laundry room on the floor next to the washer.
5 things you never thought to 3D print for a cleaner UniFi setup
Is your UniFi networking setup not as clean as it could be? Whether you have an access point just sitting on your desk or you want to make your Dream Router look more like a decoration than a piece of networking equipment, here are 5 ways to use 3D printing to make your UniFi setup cleaner. Access point stand While access points are definitely designed to be wall- or ceiling-mounted, that’s not always possible. In those instances, the easiest option is often to just set it on a table.
Your Raspberry Pi doesn't have to sit in a drawer—here are 7 ways to use yours every day
Are your Raspberry Pis sitting unused in a drawer? Well, it's time to pull them out, because these are seven Raspberry Pi projects that you'll definitely use every day. Lightweight file server Credit: Nick Lewis / How-To Geek If you've ever wanted to make a few files available throughout your network, but didn't want to go all-in on a NAS (network attached storage), then your Raspberry Pi is the perfect solution. You can set this up quite simply, actually.
I built an ugly home server and saved $300 on parts that actually matter
Are you trying to build a home server on a budget? Well, you're in luck, because building it ugly actually saves you money where it counts. Pretty home servers cost lots of money Credit: Justin Duino / How-To Geek In the world we live in, computers are becoming more and more a luxury-looking item. While PC cases used to have no see-through panels, they then graduated to plastic panels, and now there's so much tempered glass there's almost nothing else.
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