Home lab & networking

Storage, bandwidth, sizing: the numbers behind a self-hosted setup that actually holds up.

• CCTV storage calculator: how many terabytes do you need?

  Work out the terabytes your cameras need from bitrate, recorded hours and retention — plus the network throughput to plan for.

• In how many months will your NAS be full?

  Work out your runway before the NAS fills up: usable capacity after RAID, snapshot reserve, fill threshold and real monthly growth.

• PoE budget: can your switch power all your devices?

  Add up your cameras’ and access points’ real PoE draw and compare it with your switch budget — before ports start dropping at random.