r/HomeServer • u/javirs-3 • 14d ago
**Home server over WiFi — is it really that bad?**
Hey everyone, sorry if my English isn't great — it's not my first language and I used AI to help me write this post!
I want to repurpose a Lenovo IdeaPad (Ryzen 5, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD + 2 TB external) as a home server to run **Immich** (self-hosted Google Photos replacement) and a **game server** (e.g. Minecraft) for playing with friends occasionally.
The problem: no Ethernet port, so it has to run over WiFi.
My questions:
- Am I crazy for running a home server over WiFi, or is it actually fine for this kind of use?
- Do you see any hardware bottlenecks with these specs for what I want to do?
- What Linux distro would you recommend for someone without much server experience?
Open to any opinions!
[ EDITED ]
My laptop's specifications are:
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega Mobile GFX (2.10 GHz)
Graphics card: AMD Radeon(TM) Vega 8
RAM: 12.0 GB
Storage: 512 GB SSD + 2 TB external HDD
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u/wensul 14d ago edited 14d ago
You'll be limited by the slowest component, which might be your wireless access point, or the adapter on the server.
The intended laptop seems to use a wireless Wi-Fi 6 2x2 AX adapter, so the access point should ideally match or exceed that wireless standard.
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u/justinhunt1223 14d ago
You use what you got, no issue with that. Wifi is usually slower and less reliable than wired, but it's good enough for most things. For OS, don't use proxmox with wifi in case anyone recommends that for you. Just install something like Debian/Ubuntu and then docker. Ubuntu has a huge following so you will easily find help online. After you get some experience you could nice to another distro. I have decades of experience and use Debian for everything.
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u/javirs-3 14d ago
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind! I was also wondering: do I have to use Ubuntu Server specifically, or does it matter if I use a standard desktop distribution?
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u/justinhunt1223 14d ago
The standard Ubuntu desktop version is bloated with things than will slow down your server. You can use it, but some of the resources will be used to basically unnecessary things. Ubuntu server is preferred for that reason
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u/PermanentLiminality 14d ago
If there is wired ethernet available, get a USB wired ethernet adapter. They are cheap.
Wifi can work well. The issue is possible drops or spikes in latency. Usually not an issue with most homelab services, but a game server needs a good solid connection.
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u/javirs-3 14d ago
First I’ll see how the Wi-Fi works,if I notice a lot of drops, I’ll go for the adapter.
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u/redlightsaber 14d ago
WIfi can definitely work. I'd personally get a cheap usb ethernet adapter, though.
For OS, I'd do straight debian or ubuntu server, and do your apps (immich will bejust the beginning, I'm sure), on docker.
The external drives can be connected via USB no problem.
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u/Kyvalmaezar 14d ago
Wifi can work but my experience is most people do not have a good wifi network. There are so many factors that can affect wifi that advising anyone to use wifi gets mixed results at best. Weak singal, old wifi version capped with slow speeds, crowded specturm due to high density of neighbors, thick interior walls, bad/under-powered router, etc can all affect your wifi experience. If your network is stable, a fairly recent wifi version, and the signal is strong, it's probably fine for your selfhosed applications.
I'd say try it on wifi and if preformance isnt good enough, get a usb to ethernet adapter. You dont really have anything to lose by just trying it and seeing how it goes.
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u/javirs-3 14d ago
That’s what I plan to do check it out anyway. If I place the server (the laptop) near the Wi-Fi, there wouldn’t be as much risk from the walls and such, right? .
Thanks for the response.
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u/Kyvalmaezar 14d ago
In theory, yes. Placing the laptop right next to the router might not eliminate all of the possible sources of performance degradation but will give you the best case scenario with wifi. If that isnt good enough, then usb ethernet adapter is the way to go.
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u/javirs-3 14d ago
Mainly to host immich, since, as I mentioned in the post, I'm going to use a 2 TB hard drive to store photos and videos and back them up, and occasionally, if possible, host a server for example, a Minecraft server.
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u/capetaSafadinho 14d ago edited 14d ago
Take a look if your WiFi is 5Ghz. If it is, try to put your device next to it, without anything between them. Take care about other devices connected at this route using huge amounts of band and also about lot of devices in the same route. I would suggest you using Ubuntu server and following tutorials about how to manage your project. Try not copy & paste any command from AI before being sure how this command works.
Good luck and have fun...
Edit. Forgot to say that if you device inst 5ghz, you could use a Android device as a slave instead. Put it on your best USB and turn on thetering USB.(Make this android lighter as possible only for this purpose or it will drain your battery eventually.)
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u/Latter-Progress-9317 14d ago
USB-C ethernet adapters are $10. Full USB-C docks that include ethernet are $20.
WiFi is pretty crap for servers because it's half duplex and subject to collisions and if you're trying to host a bunch of people sending and receiving game data plus other applications it gets slower with every connection.
Even if you just have a client machine doing one file transfer, the world's best and most expensive wireless connection is almost as good as a wire.
For OS I still recommend Proxmox or another hypervisor for a new user because you will make awful mistakes and it's trivial to destroy and rebuild/snapshot a VM or LXC that's acting weird as opposed to recovering bare metal. If you don't want that then Debian stable is the most fuss- and bloat-free.
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u/Necessary_Cow_5772 13d ago
For Immich it’s probably fine. For game server stuff I’d still prefer wired.
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u/LetterheadClassic306 13d ago
i feel you on the wifi struggle. honestly for immich and a small game server it's fine unless you need perfect latency. what helped me before was grabbing a usb ethernet adapter for like $15 when i wanted stability. your specs are solid for those tasks. for distro try ubuntu server or casaos if you want something simpler. the adapter makes a bigger difference than you'd think.
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u/javirs-3 12d ago
The distribution I’m using at the moment is Ubuntu Server; so far, so good I haven’t had any problems. As for the adapter, the Wi-Fi is working relatively better than I expected at the moment, but obviously I’ll connect it to the USB adapter in the future.
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u/lazyhustlermusic 11d ago
WiFi to WiFi transfers will be terrible unless you have them on different bands or APs/frequencies.
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u/curious_4207 4d ago
You're not crazy at all. People on homelab forums sometimes make WiFi sound like a crime, but for your use case it's probably fine.
Immich is mostly moving photos around in the background, and a small Minecraft server for friends doesn't require huge bandwidth. The bigger concern with WiFi isn't speed—it's reliability. If the laptop has a decent signal and isn't constantly disconnecting, you'll probably have a perfectly acceptable experience.
The hardware also looks reasonable. Immich will run fine, and that Ryzen 5 3500U is more than capable of handling a small Minecraft server and a few self-hosted services. The 12GB RAM is the one thing I'd keep an eye on. It's enough to get started, but Minecraft plus Immich plus the OS can eat through memory faster than people expect.
As for Linux, I'd recommend Debian. It's stable, well documented, and you'll find tutorials for almost every self-hosted application. Ubuntu Server is also fine, but if you're already leaning toward learning Linux and don't need Ubuntu-specific features, Debian is a great choice.
One thing I would consider: if the laptop has USB 3.0 ports, you could always add a cheap USB-to-Gigabit-Ethernet adapter later. That gives you an easy upgrade path if WiFi ends up bothering you.
Honestly, I'd start with the hardware you already own before spending any money. A surprising number of people discover that their "temporary" laptop server handles everything they need for months or even years.
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u/nesnalica 14d ago
bad depends on point of view
from a technical spandpoint. it works.
the downsides is just horrible transfer performance and if the wifi doesnt work for any reason you will lose access
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u/javirs-3 14d ago
That makes sense! For the transfer performance, I guess it won't be a huge deal since Immich can resume uploads. And for losing access if WiFi drops — the laptop will be at home so I can always access it physically if needed. By the way, what Linux distro would you recommend for this kind of setup?
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u/nesnalica 14d ago
depends on the hardware. i always use virtualization to get more out of your hardware.
lets say if you have a laptop with 32GB of RAM. then its recommended to use proxmox, vmware or any other virtualization host so you can split it into multiple VMs running whatever you need.
if its low spec i would just go with a single OS for performance reasons.
in your situation i would definitely try to virtualize it first and then create VMs on whatever you may need.
some gameservers run better on different linux distros, others are easier to handle by getting a windows VM.
in my homelab i have an i7 8700K, 64GB of RAM and a lot of SSDs and Harddrives.
running multiple VMs for different purposes.
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u/JCarlide 14d ago
For your setup, I'd look into learning what I am working with at this time, ProxmoxVE.
Install ProxmoxVE, and then you can run a VM or two, as well as LXCs for most of your needs.
And since look into a decent USB dock with Ethernet to connect to it. Keep it charged and connected to your network. Countless others power their smart home/hub access this way.
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u/Mercurysteam04 14d ago edited 14d ago
A USB ethernet adapter could easily solve this. Issue with wifi is reliability, latency spikes and interference are your biggest problems.