Home Sweet Home...Network

For most households, a home network setup usually includes a basic modem and router combo. Maybe a few extra cables or a mesh extender tossed in. But when you’re David Trifiro, owner of Layer 2 Computers, “basic” isn’t really part of the vocabulary.

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As part of finishing his basement, David set aside space for a dedicated network rack. The goal? Upgrade the tech and clean up the clutter. The “before” photo speaks for itself—cables everywhere, devices loosely stacked, and a shelf doing more hosting than it was designed for. The “after”? A compact, organized setup that balances form and function.

Here’s what powers David’s home now:

🔒 Firewall – A Netgate unit that adds enterprise-grade security, traffic filtering, and VLAN separation. It’s the digital gatekeeper keeping everything inside safe.

📁 Two Synology File Servers – One primary, one for backups. These store everything from business files and family photos to personal projects. Fully redundant and humming along smoothly.

🔄 Managed Network Switch – Handles traffic routing between all devices with clean, efficient cable management. Performance meets structure.

🌐 Remote Server – Enables secure remote access and background processing. Think of it as a sandbox and a silent workhorse rolled into one.

🔋 CyberPower UPS – Keeps things running through brief outages and ensures a graceful shutdown if the power goes out. Bonus: it also sends alerts, because yes, that matters at home too.

The drywall isn’t painted yet, and there’s still some cosmetic work ahead—but for David, real beauty lies in tidy cabling, smart layouts, and clean airflow paths. This setup not only functions better—it feels better. And compared to the tangled chaos of the original shelf, it’s a massive improvement.

Whether at a client site or at home, a good network deserves thoughtful design—and a little pride.