# Latest **URL:** https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/latest.md [Latest](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/latest.md) · [Categories](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/categories.md) · [Tags](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/tags.md) --- ## [Welcome to Homelab Brisbane! 👋](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/welcome-to-homelab-brisbane/5)
**Author:** [@system](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/system)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 24, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/welcome-to-homelab-brisbane/5 "2024-08-24T21:22:21Z")
We are so glad you joined us. Homelab Brisbane The meeting place of Brisbane’s homelab community. Here are some things you can do to get started: :speaking\_head: Introduce yourself by adding your picture and informa… --- ## [TrueNAS, Unraid, or other?](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/truenas-unraid-or-other/552)
**Author:** [@Belfry](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/Belfry)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 8, 2026, 3:13am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/truenas-unraid-or-other/552 "2026-10-08T03:13:27Z")
I’ve got an ancient MicroServer N36L running TrueNAS CORE which I’ve copied the data off today and pulled the (HDD) drives from. It was always functional, but quite slow. This machine has been happily running in the line… --- ## [Thinking fast and slow with AI](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/thinking-fast-and-slow-with-ai/549)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2026, 3:13am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/thinking-fast-and-slow-with-ai/549 "2026-10-03T03:13:48Z")
Ooohhh. Has anyone got Jev working? It might be a great tool for those of us who are resource constrained. --- ## [Self Hosted Open Router](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/self-hosted-open-router/535)
**Author:** [@jdownie](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/jdownie)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/self-hosted-open-router/535 "2026-10-03T02:59:07Z")
I’m sure i’m going to embarrass myself with this pie-in-the-sky idea, but here goes… On the drive home last night, @Bryan and i got talking about collaborative projects that members of HLB could work on together. For ex… --- ## [Jitsi this coming Thursday](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/jitsi-this-coming-thursday/548)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/jitsi-this-coming-thursday/548 "2026-10-03T02:57:15Z")
@GregY is talking this Thursday on Monitoring Weather & AIS Marine Traffic but we have an empty slot. Anybody want to talk about their latest AI revelation? --- ## [Pi + Codemode: cutting the context tax of local MCP tools](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/pi-codemode-cutting-the-context-tax-of-local-mcp-tools/547)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2026, 11:49pm UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/pi-codemode-cutting-the-context-tax-of-local-mcp-tools/547 "2026-10-01T23:49:06Z")
Pi + Codemode: cutting the context tax of local MCP tools Setup: Qwen3.8-27B-Q4\_K\_M (dense) on 2× RTX 3060 — 24 GB total — with a 32,000-token context, served by llama-server and driven by Pi 1.0.0 with the new MCP fac… --- ## [IoT Wifi - Traps for Young Players](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/iot-wifi-traps-for-young-players/545)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2026, 6:53am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/iot-wifi-traps-for-young-players/545 "2026-10-01T06:53:47Z")
This may be well known but IoT wifi can be “particular” about connecting to the local LAN. My iHomeManager which is part of my Sungrow solar system drops out from time to time. It often reattaches after an hour or two b… --- ## [HSBNE - Hack Space Brisbane](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/hsbne-hack-space-brisbane/536)
**Author:** [@jdownie](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/jdownie)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2026, 6:28am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/hsbne-hack-space-brisbane/536 "2026-10-01T06:28:59Z")
On Tuesday 29, @Bryan and i are going to visit HSBNE. The tour starts at 6:30, but we’ll get there closer to 5:30. I used to go there quite a bit when they were in Hamilton, and they were very chill nights where new peop… --- ## [Open Home Foundation inaugural Brisbane meet-up - 7 November, 2026](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/open-home-foundation-inaugural-brisbane-meet-up-7-november-2026/546)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/open-home-foundation-inaugural-brisbane-meet-up-7-november-2026/546 "2026-10-01T04:34:04Z")
The Open Home Foundation is holding an Australian Community Day Meetup on Saturday 7 November 2026 from 3.30 to 6.00 pm. Places are limited so book early if you wish to go. Further information is available from the orga… --- ## [Notification services](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/notification-services/544)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2026, 6:36am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/notification-services/544 "2026-09-29T06:36:45Z")
I’ve been exploring alternatives to Portainer following @matthew919’s endorsement of Arcane. However, I finished up on Komodo. It got a good rap recently from Brandon Lee. It can do container auto updates but I thought … --- ## [US Food Price Monitor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/us-food-price-monitor/540)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2026, 5:22am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/us-food-price-monitor/540 "2026-09-29T05:22:12Z")
No use to us in Australia I know, but maybe we can build something similar ? --- ## [Christmas Break Up Brekky](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/christmas-break-up-brekky/543)
**Author:** [@jdownie](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/jdownie)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 11:09am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/christmas-break-up-brekky/543 "2026-09-26T11:09:58Z")
I’m not getting much action on my survey, which either means that not many people can make it, or that they just haven’t seen it. I’m probably mostly bummed because i thought that survey feature was a perfect fit for thi… --- ## [Mac Mega Thread](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/mac-mega-thread/245)
**Author:** [@Belfry](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/Belfry)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2026, 9:22am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/mac-mega-thread/245 "2026-09-23T09:22:22Z")
I know there are a few Mac users in the group, so I thought it was time for a Mac thread (paging @skalyan and @Kangie :grin:) Firstly, a brief shoutout to UTM which is an excellent emulation/virtualisation project bas… --- ## [The MCP server, pros and cons](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/the-mcp-server-pros-and-cons/539)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/the-mcp-server-pros-and-cons/539 "2026-09-20T22:18:48Z")
The problem Local LLM’s are useless for real work because they hallucinate when they have no source of truth. The Solution Bind the local LLM tightly with MCP servers But not everyone agrees So I asked Deepseek Flash… --- ## [Frontier Labs Are Selling Garbage to Fools in Washington](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/frontier-labs-are-selling-garbage-to-fools-in-washington/538)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/frontier-labs-are-selling-garbage-to-fools-in-washington/538 "2026-09-20T21:58:27Z")
By DEAD NEURONS SEP 21, 2026 Selling snake oil to the United States Congress is an ancient American craft, and the frontier artificial intelligence industry is currently attempting the most audacious hustle in modern c… --- ## [A Hermes Agent with Soul](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/a-hermes-agent-with-soul/537)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 11:03am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/a-hermes-agent-with-soul/537 "2026-09-20T11:03:24Z")
At @matthew919’s presentation last Thursday on Hermes Agent I found I was struggling with a whole new set of jargon. Today I have installed Hermes Agent under docker with a web UI, a Telegram bot and, eventually, Claude… --- ## [Friday Book-a-thon](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/friday-book-a-thon/534)
**Author:** [@jdownie](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/jdownie)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2026, 10:27am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/friday-book-a-thon/534 "2026-09-19T10:27:34Z")
I took some notes last night at our meetup at Chermside, and had a lot of homework to take away. Believe it or not, i’ve actually done some of it. I started by laying out a plan… I’ve submitted requests for our Cherm… --- ## [Everything Open 2027](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/everything-open-2027/533)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/everything-open-2027/533 "2026-09-19T02:05:06Z")
At the August meeting Arjen Lentz mentioned Everything Open 27 is coming to QUT January 20 to 22 January 2027. The program only really comes together in the last few weeks but I have listed some of the talks from last y… --- ## [Recycling, e-waste, repair, etc. resources and discussion](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/recycling-e-waste-repair-etc-resources-and-discussion/365)
**Author:** [@Belfry](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/Belfry)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 17, 2026, 6:25am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/recycling-e-waste-repair-etc-resources-and-discussion/365 "2026-09-17T06:25:45Z")
I tend to be given/collect/repair/play with a lot of “junk”, and I suspect many others in the HLB group are in the same boat. Over the past 12 months, there’s been a bit of discussion about: donations (e.g., Resources… --- ## [HLB Meshtastic (and MeshCore) Discussion](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/hlb-meshtastic-and-meshcore-discussion/166)
**Author:** [@Belfry](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/Belfry)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [September 17, 2026, 5:57am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/hlb-meshtastic-and-meshcore-discussion/166 "2026-09-17T05:57:15Z")
Hi all, We had some discussion at the meeting earlier this week on Meshtastic. I’ve started this thread to document a few of the talking points from a local South East Queensland perspective, and also hopefully continue… --- ## [Serverrack ideas](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/serverrack-ideas/467)
**Author:** [@Bryan](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/Bryan)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2026, 10:20am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/serverrack-ideas/467 "2026-09-15T10:20:16Z")
Made some brackets for a mate. Looks better then the avengers tower. But… the duck tape though. --- ## [Infrared Flood Lights for Cameras](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/infrared-flood-lights-for-cameras/527)
**Author:** [@jdownie](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/jdownie)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2026, 4:50am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/infrared-flood-lights-for-cameras/527 "2026-09-15T04:50:44Z")
Our security cameras are pretty weak at night time. I think i need to install my own infrared flood lights so that my cameras don’t have to light the three meters in front of them. Does anybody have any experience with t… --- ## [Self hosting email](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/self-hosting-email/46)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/self-hosting-email/46 "2026-09-15T02:50:19Z")
There are a number of discussions on the web about self (or more accurately not self) hosting your own mail server. The main reason is that the configuration issues are considerable. The task has got more difficult over… --- ## [HLB in-person meeting, Thursday September 17, 2026 6.30 pm - Chermside Library](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/hlb-in-person-meeting-thursday-september-17-2026-6-30-pm-chermside-library/532)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2026, 1:59am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/hlb-in-person-meeting-thursday-september-17-2026-6-30-pm-chermside-library/532 "2026-09-15T01:59:16Z")
This coming Thursday Homelab Brisbane is meeting at Chermside Library at 6.30 pm. Topics Giving my homelab a brain @matthew919 has integrated Hermes into his daily work flow. Come see how he uses the Hermes harness to i… --- ## [Sunrise / Sunset](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/sunrise-sunset/530)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 12, 2026, 4:22am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/sunrise-sunset/530 "2026-09-12T04:22:00Z")
I’ve been looking at flows (money, electricity, gas) this week and trying to make sense of the data I am receiving. My electricity charges over winter are just under $20 per month. I was surprised it was this high but a… --- ## [The HLB Shopping App - The Spec - Preamble](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/the-hlb-shopping-app-the-spec-preamble/509)
**Author:** [@zeeclor](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/zeeclor)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2026, 7:01am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/the-hlb-shopping-app-the-spec-preamble/509 "2026-09-10T07:01:32Z")
TL;DR - “Doing the groceries” is much more difficult than getting petrol. Any spec should be aimed at the creation of a minimal viable product for a select group of people. Inspired by @Belfry’s links, I reviewed the AC… --- ## [An App to Inform Grocery Shopping](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/an-app-to-inform-grocery-shopping/526)
**Author:** [@jdownie](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/jdownie)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 9, 2026, 8:53am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/an-app-to-inform-grocery-shopping/526 "2026-09-09T08:53:19Z")
After @Belfry’s very inspiring presentation on managing his fuel spend, @zeeclor has been interested in something equivalent for our supermarket spend. @zeeclor has even gone a bit further and made a start on some code … --- ## [There is something special about Qwen3.8-27B-Q4\_K\_M run locally](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/there-is-something-special-about-qwen3-8-27b-q4-k-m-run-locally/528)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 9, 2026, 5:31am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/there-is-something-special-about-qwen3-8-27b-q4-k-m-run-locally/528 "2026-09-09T05:31:42Z")
I had it working with 16K context, and with the support of several MCP servers it was right on the edge of serious development capability for STM32 embedded systems. Imagine my surprise when I had Deepseek… --- ## [MCP server application discussion on Hacker news](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/mcp-server-application-discussion-on-hacker-news/524)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2026, 6:39am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/mcp-server-application-discussion-on-hacker-news/524 "2026-09-05T06:39:53Z")
I have six MCP servers I use with my embedded AI work, they save me time, and money (tokens), so I recommend their use. --- ## [AI Really Can't CAD](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/ai-really-cant-cad/525)
**Author:** [@techman](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/u/techman)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2026, 6:24am UTC](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/t/ai-really-cant-cad/525 "2026-09-05T06:24:54Z")
I’ve been watching claims online that AI can draw schematic diagrams and even create printed circuit boards. My experience has been the total opposite, in other words AI is one BIG FAIL in the areas of Sch… [Next page](https://discourse.homelabbrisbane.com.au/latest.md?page=1)