This is my first home server... It was a lot of work. I wanted to post this for those looking to take the plunge, but were hesitant. Here is my advice as a greenhorn after the first build.

Design for function:

I was not looking to learn Networking, so I built to what I needed now, built an architecture that is transferable, could repurpose hardware in the future (e.g. with ZimaBoard PCIe I could repurpose for an small AI assistant), and was low cost to operate.

Build Offline:

The build, the tweaking, and the documentation all take time and have their own learning curves. Do not plan to have this replace your home router on day one; it's possible, but not a realistic expectation for a beginner like myself.

Remember you are a beginner:

There are n number of devices to the power of n number of configurations, this isn't a "kit" and your build is personal.…