Updated
Updated · Hackaday · Jul 5
Justin Garrison Builds 8-Node Homelab in Old Linksys Router Cases
Updated
Updated · Hackaday · Jul 5

Justin Garrison Builds 8-Node Homelab in Old Linksys Router Cases

1 articles · Updated · Hackaday · Jul 5

Summary

  • Eight machines — including two Raspberry Pi 5s, two Pi 4s and an HP Z4 G4 mini PC — were repackaged into old Linksys router shells for a retro early-2000s homelab look.
  • The setup is tied together by a TP-Link LS108GB PoE switch, with the mini PC handling control-plane duties while the cluster runs Talos and Kubernetes workloads.
  • A GMKtec NucBox M6 Mini with an ASUS GeForce RT 2060 GPU, a LattePanda IOTA and an Nvidia DGX Spark round out the hardware, showing the build is functional as well as decorative.
  • Garrison also modified the cases so status LEDs still flicker and power buttons remain accessible, turning discarded router enclosures into usable custom housings.

Insights

Can a stylish homelab from old routers truly handle modern AI and Kubernetes workloads without overheating?
Could creative hardware repurposing become a mainstream solution to our massive e-waste problem?
As users seek data sovereignty, are personalized homelabs the future of computing beyond the corporate cloud?