Building out a serious network for the home can completely transform how everyone interacts with self-hosted content and other devices on the LAN. It's also a shortcut to losing one's mind attempting to keep up with everything, especially if they're less tech-savvy or aren't familiar with how it's all configured and interconnected. That's where solid documentation can really make a difference. Most of the switch ports are populated, and there are various devices running different services. If I were to ask my spouse or someone else to do something, most of the time spent would be me explaining how everything works.

That's where the idea of using a cheap label maker and Gitea came to be. I had always planned to eventually get around to sorting out the network and home lab. I needed a way to fully document and map everything on the LAN. It was originally going to be some form of internal document or Obsidian vault that could be accessed from within the network, but I also needed some way to do inventory, which led me to consider a label maker. Then I was working on my truck and noticed QR codes everywhere. Suddenly, the thought rushed into my mind: why not use QR codes for inventory and network documentation?

What I created was proof that you don't need expensive racks or asset tracking systems to know what's going on within the home. All you need is a $40 label maker and some QR codes.

The home lab must grow

It's a growing cause for concern

The primary problem with my home lab and wider network is that it all seemed to accumulate faster than documentation could be created. By that, I mean I didn't bother documenting a single thing. I have a dashboard that lists and links to various points on the network, and I'm mostly accessing devices and other services through memory and reference on OPNsense or Proxmox, but there wasn't a single source for all things in my home lab. I always thought I would remember what everything did and how it all came together, but I'm finding myself forgetting more, and that's an issue for the LAN.

There's also a physical and digital disconnect. I have a self-hosted Git repository using the excellent Gitea package, but it's not really connected to my hardware. Time was then wasted troubleshooting problems when they arose. I had hardware that either wasn't optimized or was configured in such a way that it introduced inefficiencies. Doing anything with the LAN sometimes felt like I could inadvertently break something. It's all fun and games when purchasing used enterprise gear, but you likely won't properly use barcode systems and other complexities that come with it.

That's when I decided to give the NIIMBOT B1 a go. It's a cheap and cheerful label maker that uses thermal printing. No ink, no mess, just insert a pack of labels and we're good to go. Everything is handled via the smartphone app, which is fairly decent and allows me to quickly print out QR codes for attaching to various parts of the home lab and network. These QR code labels can also have valuable information on them relating to the device they're attached to, which can save considerable time when glancing at info or needing to troubleshoot something.

It's also portable with an internal battery pack, making it handy for use in the garage, office, or main home.

Printing out interfaces

Making labels smart again

One thing I underestimated labels with is that they are more than mere identifiers. Instead of using just text on a few labels, I could add a QR code, which could then load a URL within the locally hosted Gitea. It's a complete shift in usage, going from the label being a simple name to an actual link to a wealth of knowledge. The newly created Gitea repository would then be populated with documentation on everything that's part of the network. From self-hosted services to smart home devices, I planned a file per entry, which could then be referenced with the printed QR codes.

But it's not just Gitea that's used for this project. QR codes could point to the device's dashboard, an internal wiki page if I ever wish to transfer everything to a self-hosted platform, or somewhere else on the network. The first port of call with any label printer that can do QR codes is guest Wi-Fi access, which was handled in mere seconds. A simple design which would then be attached to a card inside a glass paperweight, making it easy for guests to get connected to the right VLAN without needing any assistance. After this, I started doing labels for the Proxmox servers. It had the node and QR code.

The corresponding Gitea documentation file then had IPs, configurations, credentials, and everything else required for that device. All of this information is locked behind the Gitea account system, and the entire service can only be accessed by clients within the trusted device VLAN, keeping everything secured. But because I wanted to use smaller labels, I needed to keep the information brief and QR codes large enough that they could be easily scanned from a short distance. Gitea was selected because of its lightweight nature, and I was already using it for all my projects. It made sense to bring it into the fold for this initiative.

Creating a central repo database

For the home lab and network repository, I used a standard structure with one folder for servers and infrastructure, another for services, a third for IoT devices, and one more for miscellaneous entries. Within each folder would then be a sub-folder for each entry. This would contain the required files, be it a readme.md, network.md, or even recovery.md for steps on how to recover from failure. This last on ewas particularly useful for the NAS, allowing my spouse or someone else to perform the necessary steps to get the system back up and running, depending on the issue.

Even cables received a QR code. I use a color scheme per route, so it's one color for security cameras, another for access points, one for clients, and fiber for the switch trunk, but it's just a sea of colors for the untrained eye. Scanning the QR code with the right VLAN client and access would unlock all the required information. Everything had a carefully curated purpose written up, consisting of specs, network details, running services, and recovery instructions. I even used them for USB drives, which could then be updated with what's stored on each one, for instance, all the ISOs on a Ventroy drive.

It's all dynamic, meaning the Gitea repository can be refreshed and updated as the home lab and network continue to change. No new labels need to be printed to replace old ones. Everything is handled on the digital side. I initially thought about using spreadsheets, but that seemed a little too fragile for what I required. Using human memory is unreliable, and I most certainly didn't want to have to jump through hoops to get to where I needed to be. I required something simple enough that others could use the system. That's when a label maker and Gitea made the most sense.

It's quick, easy, and convenient

Printing a new label takes around a minute or two, depending on how quickly I can whip up the URL for it to point to. I walked my spouse through the process of scanning one, using the native iPhone camera app, and it all worked seamlessly. She could easily parse through the readme file for that test device and know precisely what it was, what it did, and how to achieve specific tasks. I no longer have a fear of forgetting how something works, and all it took was a cheap device, some spare time, and a little effort to document everything.