The technology
Modern, proven tools for running a home server. This is how we build the system.
Why containers?
The cornerstone of running a modern server
What is a container?
Imagine that every app runs in its own sealed "box". The box holds the app and everything it depends on – so it works the same way anywhere, on any server.
Containers (Docker) changed how servers are run: simpler installs, easier updates, and more reliable operation.
An analogy: as if every app lived in its own flat in a block of flats. It has its own front door and its own meters, and it does not bother the neighbours – but they still share one building.
Traditional install
The apps are installed straight onto the operating system. They can clash with each other, and they are hard to remove.
- Dependencies can get tangled
- Hard to reproduce on another server
- Update = risk
- Removing an app leaves "rubbish" behind
Container install
Every app runs on its own. A clean, tidy system that is easy to manage.
- Fully isolated apps
- One command = installed
- Simple updates, and a simple way back
- Reproducible anywhere
The control layer: the Dashboard
The interface of every Felhom box, in English or Hungarian
What does the Dashboard do?
The Dashboard is on every Felhom box: it is the interface, in English or Hungarian, that runs your system on its Proxmox base. It was designed for home servers: you install apps in a few clicks and never touch a command line — Docker and Proxmox do the work in the background.
- A web interface in English or Hungarian – the household chooses, and no command-line knowledge is needed
- App catalog – 56 apps to install in a few clicks
- Resource view – memory and storage use as it happens
- Automatic backups – databases and files, with their status watched
- App updates – only versions we have tried, a fresh backup first, and if the new version does not start, the box goes back to the previous one by itself
- System monitoring – health watched all the time, with alerts
Good for: a home media server, a family cloud, personal projects, a small office.
How a Felhom box is built
The base layer: Proxmox
Every Felhom machine is built on this stable base
What is Proxmox?
Proxmox VE is a free, professional virtualisation platform — the same kind of technology data centres and companies use. It is the base of every Felhom system: we build every machine on it, and the isolated system environment your apps run in sits on top of it.
The base, not an option: Proxmox is on every Felhom box. You do not need to know about it or deal with it — it works quietly in the background, and it is what makes your system safe and able to be backed up.
What does the Proxmox base give you?
- A backup before each update – before an app is updated, a fresh backup is made, and if the new version does not start, the box puts the previous one back by itself
- The whole system is backed up – not only your data: the whole box goes into a backup too, and it can be restored from it
- Clean separation – the control layer and your apps run well apart, which makes the system more stable and safer
- A fast, repeatable install – setting up a new box is quick and predictable, the same way every time
One base, one job: on a Felhom box, Proxmox runs a single isolated system environment — the one your apps work in.
Network and security
How do you reach your server safely, from anywhere?
Reverse Proxy
A reverse proxy is a "doorkeeper" that takes incoming requests and passes them to the right app. It also handles the HTTPS encryption.
- Traefik – every app on its own subdomain, over HTTPS
- Encrypted tunnel – the box itself builds the connection outwards, so no port has to be opened at home
Protection
- No open port – from outside, the box is reached only through the encrypted tunnel
- Own sign-in – every app has its own accounts, and the Dashboard has a password
- Family gate – some apps sit behind each family member's own sign-in, so a stranger never even reaches the app
- Security updates – the box's system gets them by itself
Storage and data safety
Where and how should you keep your data?
SSD (NVMe/SATA)
- Operating system
- Databases
- Apps
HDD
- Media library
- Photo archive
- Backups
Backups on three levels – how we protect your data
Every night a Felhom box makes a backup on the box, a second copy on a second drive, and an encrypted copy on remote storage. The levels protect together: the local one is fast, and the remote one survives even if the box itself is physically harmed.
More disks are not a backup on their own! RAID-like set-ups protect against hardware failure, but not against an accidental delete or ransomware. That is why our backups always sit on a separate level, not in the disks.
Hardware set-ups
Which machine do you need? A few example set-ups
Mini PC + NAS
Compact, quiet and energy-saving.
- CPUIntel N100
- RAM16-32 GB
- SSD256-512 GB
- Power use15-35W
Tower server
More power and more storage.
- CPUIntel i5/i7
- RAM32-64 GB
- Storage4-8 TB
- Power use50-120W
Rack server
Industrial quality, high reliability.
- CPUXeon / EPYC
- RAM64-256 GB ECC
- Storage8-24 bay
- ExtraIPMI, red. PSU
Which one should you choose?
Our advice: start small! A good mini PC is enough for most homes, and you can expand it later. A rack server is a business / on-request set-up — a home rarely needs one.
Not sure which set-up is right for you?
Let's talk through what you need, and we will help you find the right set-up.
Get in touch → Browse the apps →