--- title: Blog description: Notes on infrastructure, hosting, security and software for people who have to make decisions about them. url: "https://joshdargie.com/blog" site: Josh Dargie author: Josh Dargie --- Blog # Notes from the field. Short, practical pieces on the decisions I get asked about most. No news, no trends, no AI takes. [Sep 12, 2026 5 min read ### Setting Up Your First NAS the Right Way (Synology DSM) A NAS done right on day one: drive choice, real redundancy, per-person accounts, remote access without port forwarding, and a backup for the NAS itself. how-to nas backups storage](/blog/setting-up-your-first-nas) [Sep 11, 2026 4 min read ### Choosing a NAS: Synology, UniFi, or TrueNAS? Synology, UniFi's UNAS line, or a home-built TrueNAS box: an honest look at licensing, lock-in, and upkeep for business and home buyers. how-to unifi nas storage](/blog/choosing-a-nas-synology-unifi-truenas) [Sep 9, 2026 5 min read ### Is Home Assistant Worth It for a Normal House? Local control fixes the cloud outage problem, but it comes with a maintenance tail. Here is where a hub earns its keep and where it does not. smart home decision framework](/blog/is-home-assistant-worth-it) [Sep 8, 2026 4 min read ### Will Your Smart Home Still Work in Five Years? Cloud shutdowns turn working smart home hardware into plastic. Here is the question to ask before you buy, and what to do with the gear you already own. smart home buying advice](/blog/smart-home-cloud-shutdown-risk) [Sep 7, 2026 5 min read ### What to keep running when the power goes out Storm season is a good time to decide on paper what actually has to stay on when the hydro goes out, what can wait, and what that costs. planning small business](/blog/what-to-keep-running-in-an-outage) [Sep 4, 2026 5 min read ### Fixing UniFi Device Adoption Failures A methodical way to fix a UniFi access point or switch that will not adopt: IP checks, VLAN gotchas, factory resets and SSH set-inform. how-to unifi networking](/blog/fixing-unifi-adoption-failures) [Sep 2, 2026 4 min read ### UniFi's Whole-Home WiFi: my first take Ubiquiti announced a WiFi 7 mesh aimed at regular houses today: the UniFi Express 7. Who it's actually for, how it stacks up against the pro setup and against eero and Orbi, and the catches. UniFi WiFi networking how-to](/blog/unifi-whole-home-wifi-first-take) [Sep 2, 2026 4 min read ### Who Actually Owns Your Domain and Accounts? A plain look at who really controls your domain, DNS, hosting and cloud accounts, why that matters more than most owners expect, and how to fix it. vendor management business](/blog/who-owns-your-business-accounts) [Sep 1, 2026 4 min read ### What should a small business budget for IT? Percentage-of-revenue benchmarks fall apart under 50 staff. Here is a simpler way to build a technology budget you can actually defend to your board. budgeting small business](/blog/it-budget-small-business) [Aug 31, 2026 4 min read ### What your support queue says about your platform Support tickets are the cheapest telemetry a hosting or SaaS team owns, and most teams read them as a cost line instead of an engineering signal. hosting platform engineering](/blog/support-queue-signals) [Aug 28, 2026 4 min read ### How to set up VLANs on a UniFi network A practical walkthrough of VLANs on UniFi: planning the segments, creating the networks, tagging Wi-Fi and switch ports, and firewalling between them. how-to unifi networking](/blog/unifi-vlan-setup-guide) [Aug 26, 2026 4 min read ### Windows 10 Just Got Another Year. Now What? Microsoft quietly pushed free consumer security updates for Windows 10 out to October 2027, but the reprieve does not cover every machine in your office. windows planning](/blog/windows-10-another-year) [Aug 21, 2026 4 min read ### Setting up guest Wi-Fi on UniFi properly How to build a guest network on UniFi that gives visitors internet and nothing else: isolation, bandwidth limits, and the portal question. how-to unifi networking](/blog/unifi-guest-wifi-setup) [Aug 19, 2026 3 min read ### How to tell a project is too big for your vendor The warning signs that a project has outgrown your vendor, how to check before you sign, and what to do if you are already mid-project. decision frameworks vendors](/blog/project-too-big-for-your-vendor) [Aug 15, 2026 1 min read ### How to read a camera-system quote before you sign it Five things that are usually missing from a security camera quote, and the one line item that is almost always padded. security buying advice](/blog/how-to-read-a-camera-quote) [Aug 14, 2026 3 min read ### What to do the moment you suspect malware The first hour after 'something is wrong with this computer': what to do, what not to touch, and how to tell an infection from a slow PC. how-to security windows](/blog/suspect-malware-first-steps) [Jul 27, 2026 4 min read ### What SaaS teams get wrong about infrastructure Patterns from years inside hosting: single-region assumptions, backup theatre, surprise cloud bills, and why boring infrastructure wins. saas hosting](/blog/saas-infrastructure-mistakes) [Jul 20, 2026 4 min read ### Choosing a web developer without getting burned How to vet a web developer: verify the portfolio, keep ownership of domain and hosting, pin down maintenance, and start with a small scope. web small-business](/blog/choosing-a-web-developer) [Jul 13, 2026 4 min read ### Does smart home tech help resale value? An honest look at smart home tech and resale: wiring and network infrastructure add value, gadgets mostly do not, and documentation matters. smart-home home-tech](/blog/smart-home-resale) [Jul 6, 2026 4 min read ### A backup strategy an owner can actually audit Three plain questions (what, where, restored when?) that let a business owner audit backups without technical knowledge, plus a checklist. backups small-business](/blog/backup-strategy-owners) [Jun 29, 2026 3 min read ### DIY, handyman or specialist: picking the right level A simple triage for home and small business tech jobs: what to do yourself, what to hand to a generalist, and when to pay a specialist. home-tech small-business](/blog/diy-or-hire) [Jun 15, 2026 3 min read ### When the cheapest quote is the expensive one A quote that comes in far below the others is telling you something. What gets cut to hit a low number, and how to compare quotes honestly. quotes vendors](/blog/too-cheap-quote) [Jun 8, 2026 3 min read ### In-house, outsourced or hybrid IT How to decide between in-house IT, an outsourced provider, or a hybrid, based on company size, risk, and the hidden costs of each. it-strategy small-business](/blog/when-to-outsource-it) [Jun 1, 2026 4 min read ### Capacity planning lessons from hosting at scale What running large hosting fleets taught me about capacity: plan on percentiles, watch for growth cliffs, and price headroom against outages. hosting practitioner](/blog/capacity-planning-hosting) [May 19, 2026 4 min read ### Technical debt, explained for owners What developers mean by technical debt, how to budget for paying it down, and when carrying some debt is the right business call. software small-business](/blog/technical-debt-plain-terms) [May 11, 2026 3 min read ### The support fine print nobody reads Response time is not resolution time. What support contracts actually promise, what voids coverage, and who owns your configurations. vendors contracts](/blog/warranty-and-support-fine-print) [May 4, 2026 4 min read ### The conduit rule: cheap now, priceless later Why running empty conduit during a renovation is the cheapest insurance you can buy, and where those pull strings pay off years later. renovation wiring](/blog/renovation-conduit-rule) [Apr 20, 2026 3 min read ### Managing IT vendors when you're not technical You don't need to understand the technology to manage IT vendors well. You need written scope, one accountable name, and exit terms. vendors small business](/blog/vendor-management-basics) [Apr 13, 2026 3 min read ### Running cPanel at scale: what I learned Lessons from years of running large cPanel fleets: staged updates, noisy neighbours, backup windows, and alerts worth waking up for. hosting operations](/blog/cpanel-at-scale) [Apr 6, 2026 3 min read ### Eight questions to ask before signing a hosting contract The questions that separate a good hosting deal from an expensive one: tested backups, real support, renewal pricing, and the exit. hosting buying advice](/blog/hosting-quote-questions) [Mar 23, 2026 3 min read ### Build vs buy for small-business software What custom software really costs over five years, when a spreadsheet is honestly fine, and the narrow cases where building wins. software small business](/blog/build-vs-buy-small-business) [Mar 16, 2026 3 min read ### Why good Wi-Fi starts with wires Wireless is the last metre, not the whole network. Why access points need cables, what mesh can't fix, and where the wires should go. networking home](/blog/wiring-for-wifi) [Mar 9, 2026 4 min read ### Why hosting migrations go wrong (and how mine don't) Fifteen years inside hosting companies taught me that failed migrations are predictable: DNS TTLs, email cutover, and untested restores. hosting migrations](/blog/migrations-go-wrong) [Feb 23, 2026 4 min read ### When a growing business needs its first IT person The signals that a growing business is ready for its first IT hire, why a generalist should come first, and the alternatives worth weighing. hiring small-business](/blog/first-it-hire) [Feb 16, 2026 3 min read ### Scoping a technology project before calling vendors How to scope a technology project before calling vendors: describe the problem, be honest about budget, and define success so quotes compare. consulting quotes](/blog/project-scoping) [Feb 9, 2026 4 min read ### Decide these five things before the drywall goes on Five low-voltage decisions to lock in before drywall: cable drops, conduit, camera positions, access point locations, and the network closet. renovation networking](/blog/before-drywall-decisions) [Jan 26, 2026 3 min read ### The case for keeping the technology you have Why I often tell clients to keep the equipment they already own, and the questions I ask before recommending any new technology spend. consulting budgeting](/blog/keep-what-you-have) [Jan 19, 2026 3 min read ### What a second opinion on a quote actually catches What an independent review of a vendor quote actually finds: padding, missing scope, and oversized solutions, and what that review is worth. quotes consulting](/blog/second-opinion-value) [Jan 12, 2026 4 min read ### Five red flags in a network cabling quote How I read network cabling quotes: the five omissions that predict change orders, poor workmanship, and gear you can't maintain later. networking quotes](/blog/network-quote-red-flags) Nothing matched. Try a different word.