Hey everyone, Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I am an absolute beginner diving into the world of self-hosting today. I am spinning up a home server using an old laptop (USB-A ports only, internal storage for OS, external SSD for backups) running Ubuntu Server. Old Laptop Config: Intel i5 8th Gen, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD, 1TD HDD and 1TD External SSD. Based on digging through this sub's history. My goal is to build a highly secure, automated setup without exposing any router ports. Here is my planned stack: OS / Engine: Ubuntu Server + Docker and Compose Remote Access: NordVPN Meshnet (I have a subscription active until 2028, will evaluate Tailscale then) Photos: Immich (To replace Google Photos) Files / Docs: Nextcloud AIO Updates: Watchtower (Fully automated) Monitoring / Alerts: Uptime Kuma + ntfy Backup (3-2-1): Restic (via Backrest UI) pushing to a local external USB-A SSD + an offsite encrypted bucket on Backblaze B2 Auth / Proxy (Day 60+ plan): Nginx Proxy Manager + Authelia + 2FAS Mobile App…