Concepts

AI on the Edge

What edge AI inference is, why it keeps your data on your own network, and why it matters for self hosted home automation.

Community Integrations

Extensions to Home Assistant created by its user and developer community, covering devices and services beyond the official integration library.

Containerisation

A method of packaging software so each application runs in its own isolated environment, making self hosted software easy to deploy and manage.

DNS

The system that translates domain names into IP addresses. Running your own DNS resolver keeps your browsing private and enables network wide ad blocking.

HATs

Hardware Attached on Top: add on boards that connect to a Raspberry Pi to extend its capabilities with additional compute, storage, or interfaces.

Home Lab

A personal always on server running in your home that hosts services locally, keeping your data private and under your control.

Message Brokers

What a message broker is, how the publish and subscribe pattern works, and why it is the glue that connects services in a self hosted home lab.

Network Video Recording

How IP cameras stream video over a local network using RTSP, and how an NVR captures and stores that footage on your own hardware.

RTSP

The open streaming protocol that lets IP cameras share their video feed over a local network with any compatible software.

SSH

A protocol for securely accessing and controlling a remote computer over a network, used to manage headless home lab servers from any machine.