Like almost all FOSS and closed source software, they have analytics yes and it is covered in their privacy policy. Guessing you did not make it to that part of the review?
The difference and it's an important one, is that they do not sell your data. No 3rd party data sharing or sales which is actually better than a lot of even FOSS software.
Everything you use collects your usage metrics, google, your phone regardless of vendor, Microsoft, Apple etc... No different except that this dev team does not sell your data, which the others assuredly do.
Thoughts on the JellyWatch privacy policy which seems very clearly stated & cut? Does not alleviate concerns? I mean we all use a LOT of closed source software everyday, who tells you they WILL sell your data vs stating clearly they will not. Like Microsoft & entire family of apps, Google & all it's services, etc etc...
Interesting... I dunno exactly what you mean by that but I am looking to 'revamp' or 'facelift' the site soon so I am open to honest constructive feedback.
Wandering onto a movie set in a 'good way' or you mean it all feels 'staged' which gives you mixed feelings?
The goal of my site (ignoring this single post for a moment) is to provide comprehensive technical info for self-hosting & digital sovereignty. I got so sick of having to sift through 3-5 sources of into to get a little help getting something working, or only finding very basic use cases and topical level info. So, I figured I'd go deep on the things I cover and provide technical info on.
Please take a poke around and let me know via DMs, here or via email to joe@corelab.tech your feedback!
Blocking them locally is one way, but if you're already using cloudflare there's a nice way to do it UPSTREAM so it's not eating any of your resources.
It's literally based off the NAS comparison guide I posted... This is like a text book way to move forward for someone. My solution is like a giant all in one+a NAS, but a lllooottt of people have a decoupled solution.
One of the beautiful things about self-hosting; do what you want.
Welcome to the self-hosting trenches. Don't worry about the "burning yourself" part - in this hobby, we consider those "tactical lessons." Everyone has ah, "re-started" things at least a few times!
Actually, your plan isn't "not very smart"—it’s a classic move we call Decoupling Compute from Storage. It is the most future-proof way to build a Digital Fortress. By separating your "Brain" (HP Mini) from your "Vault" (Asustor), you ensure that if one fails, the other stays standing. This is a great move.
Here's how I see your planned setup:**The Command Center: HP Z2 Mini - Xeon and Proxmox **
The Xeon 1245-v5 is a beast compared to that Celeron. Running Proxmox here is exactly the right call.The Strategy: Use that M.2 drive for your Proxmox "Data" (the LXCs and VM boot drives). Services like Immich and Navidrome rely on fast databases; running them on an SSD on the Xeon node will make them feel lightning-fast.
The Gear: With 32GB of RAM, this is what I'd call an "Elite Node." You have plenty of head-room to grow.**The Vault: Asustor (Celeron N5105) **TrueNAS SCALE is "Heavy Armor." Running it on a 2-bay Celeron is like putting tank treads on a scout bike - it’s overkill and eats up the limited RAM that Celeron has to offer.
The OS Choice: I’d strongly suggest OpenMediaVault 8 (OMV) for the Asustor. In my 2026 NAS OS Comparison Guide, I categorize OMV as the "Lightweight Tactical" choice. It’s built on Debian 13, is incredibly lean, and is the best way to turn low-power hardware into a rock-solid network drive. You’ve already tasted the freedom of a custom OS. Going back to ADM now will feel like a "vendor-lock-in" cage. OMV is the perfect middle ground...
**How they talk to each other **Wipe the Asustor, install OMV, and set up a simple NFS or SMB share. In Proxmox, you "mount" that network share. Your apps on the HP Mini will "see" the Asustor drives as if they were plugged in locally.
Is it a good idea? Yes . If you ever want more drive bays in the future, you just swap out the Asustor "Vault" for something bigger (like a 6-bay DIY build or a UGREEN box), and your HP Mini "Command Center" never even has to go offline.
I recently broke down the "Battle Card" for why OMV is the king of low-power storage nodes in 2026. You might find the comparison table helpful for your specific hardware: NAS OS Comparison
Yeah honestly CBC Gem isn't expensive in the grand scheme of things (Especially if you get the annual sub on sale) and has pretty good Canadian content!
I also had this snippet in about the ethernet:
"😲Warning - The Onn 4K Ethernet Bug & The Fix: The Onn 4K Pro has a known firmware bug with generic USB Ethernet adapters. If you want hardwired Gigabit speeds, you MUST use an adapter with the ASIX AX88179 chipset (like Cable Matters), not the Realtek ones."
I haven't used Kodi since about 2014 so I wouldn't feel comfortable giving advice about it to be honest. That and IMO it became cumbersome to manage with a higher barrier technically, for entry compare to plex at the time, and now we have jellyfin as an option of course.
The last person I know using Kodi switched to jellyfin about 2-3 years ago.
I have a step by step guide on how to deploy the aarrrs and even a docker compose generator =)
Two current methodologies in practice these says, mostly.
Dump your 'smart' devices (Including the spyware TV) into their own "IOT" style VLAN and block it from touching your own network but allow it to reach internet, or NOT.
Network wide adware/spyware/analytics blocking via adguard/pihole/unbound etc...
I'll end up writing a guide for this at some point ;)
Hahaha yes... I agree... I was very hesitant to include this as my header pic but I was like, eehhh, it's realistic at least! The key is it shows certain 'apps' running on that Google TV. 😆
Yes sadly there's a bit of a stranglehold on the market regarding sports. It's the one thing that is held very close to the chest by the large Corps & broadcasters.
Thanks for taking a read through! Lots more to come ;)
I've been using Unifi APs since 2017 and they are fantastic. I control them with the Unifi Network Application via docker compose. Incredibly well priced APs that fit right into the 'prosumer' market for sure and still powerful enough to do SMB no problem.
As for FOSS Networking options - OPNsense FTW !!! It's an open source firewall/router based on FreeBSD and extremely performant, feature rich, stable and secure... Absolutely love it, it's the core of my network.
In regards to ZFS, I've been running a ZFS system of one type or another at home since 2013/2014... Totally valid & usable for home networks, many many do use ZFS storage systems. I'm very preferential to OpenMediaVault which is a NAS OS, but based directly on Debian! Debian is basically the Linux OS you want for reliability but paired with OMV's gui - makes having a custom NAS easy.
Like almost all FOSS and closed source software, they have analytics yes and it is covered in their privacy policy. Guessing you did not make it to that part of the review?
The difference and it's an important one, is that they do not sell your data. No 3rd party data sharing or sales which is actually better than a lot of even FOSS software.
Everything you use collects your usage metrics, google, your phone regardless of vendor, Microsoft, Apple etc... No different except that this dev team does not sell your data, which the others assuredly do.