vps - ByteGuard — Self-Hosting, Privacy & Open Source

Self-Hosting

Pangolin vs Nginx Proxy Manager (2026)

TL;DR: Choose Nginx Proxy Manager for the simplest way to publish ordinary web apps; choose Pangolin when

enim · Jul 27, 2026

password managers

Vaultwarden vs Bitwarden vs Passbolt (2026)

TL;DR: Vaultwarden is my pick for individuals and small teams, official Bitwarden is the safer supported choice

enim · Jul 25, 2026

nginx-proxy-manager

How to Set Up Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker

TL;DR: Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) is a free, open-source web GUI for Nginx that gives every

enim · Jun 23, 2026

vpn

I Self-Host My Own VPN — Do I Still Need Mullvad?

TL;DR: "VPN" is really two different products that happen to share a name. A self-

enim · Jun 18, 2026

vpn

WireGuard vs OpenVPN vs Tailscale: Self-Host in 2026

TL;DR: For most self-hosters in 2026, pick WireGuard if you want raw speed and full control,

enim · Jun 11, 2026

self-hosting

Self-Host Immich on a VPS: Your Own Private Google Photos

TL;DR: Immich is an open-source, self-hosted photo and video platform that genuinely replaces Google Photos

enim · Jun 8, 2026

self-hosting

The 3-2-1 Backup Setup for Self-Hosters: restic + Backblaze B2

TL;DR: A real backup is encrypted, off-site, and restore-tested. The fastest way to get all

enim · Jun 5, 2026

self-hosting

Self-Host n8n on a VPS with Docker

TL;DR: You can self-host n8n on any 2 GB VPS with Docker Compose in about fifteen

enim · Jun 2, 2026

privacy

The 2026 Self-Hoster's Privacy Stack: every tool I actually pay for, configured end-to-end

TL;DR: A working privacy stack in 2026 is not a single tool. It's seven decisions

enim · May 29, 2026

email

Private Email Showdown 2026: Proton Mail vs Tutanota vs Mailbox.org — I ran all three for 90 days

TL;DR: - Proton Mail — best default for most people. Custom domain works, the apps are polished, deliverability is

enim · May 26, 2026

vpn

Proton VPN in 2026: I ran it for 60 days on my self-hosted stack — here's what works and what doesn't

TL;DR: Proton VPN is the right default for most self-hosters who want a privacy-respecting VPN

enim · May 23, 2026

security

15 Best Free Security Tools in 2026

I spend a lot of time testing security tools — for my own infrastructure, for CTF challenges, and for

enim · May 13, 2026

vps

Hetzner vs Contabo vs Vultr vs Linode vs DO: 30-Day VPS Data

TL;DR 33 days of real Uptime Kuma data from a Hetzner CPX22 in Helsinki: 99.98% uptime

enim · May 10, 2026

self-hosting

How to Self-Host Gitea with Docker Compose

GitHub is free, reliable, and deeply integrated into every developer's workflow. So why would anyone self-

enim · Apr 30, 2026

Docker

Advanced Docker Container Security Guide

If you followed my earlier post on Docker security best practices, you already know the fundamentals: non-root

enim · Apr 29, 2026

CTF

HackTheBox Lame Walkthrough — Step by Step

Spoiler Warning: This post contains a full walkthrough of the retired HackTheBox machine "Lame," including both

enim · Apr 28, 2026

Proxmox

How to Build a Home Lab with Proxmox VE

A VPS is great for running production services, but for learning, testing, and breaking things on purpose, nothing

enim · Apr 27, 2026

Nmap

How to Use Nmap Like a Pro — Beginner's Guide

Every time I set up a new server, the first thing I do before hardening anything is figure

enim · Apr 25, 2026

Self-Hosting

Self-Hosting Nextcloud with Docker Compose

Google Drive gives you 15 GB for free and sells you convenience. In exchange, it scans your files,

enim · Apr 24, 2026

Security

OWASP Top 10 Explained with Real Examples

If you build anything for the web -- APIs, SPAs, server-rendered apps, microservices -- the OWASP Top 10 is

enim · Apr 23, 2026

Security

How to Check Your Website's Security Headers

Every HTTP response your server sends includes headers that browsers use to decide how to handle your content.

enim · Apr 22, 2026

hetzner

Hetzner Review 2026: My Honest Experience

I've been running the entire ByteGuard stack on a Hetzner CPX22 in Helsinki for months. Ghost

enim · Apr 21, 2026

fail2ban

How to Set Up Fail2Ban on Your Server

TL;DR Install and configure Fail2Ban to automatically block IPs that brute-force your SSH, Nginx, or other

enim · Apr 20, 2026

uptime-kuma

How to Monitor Your Server with Uptime Kuma

TL;DR Deploy Uptime Kuma with Docker Compose and monitor your websites, APIs, and Docker containers in minutes.

enim · Apr 19, 2026

ssh

SSH Hardening — The Ultimate Guide for 2026

TL;DR Go beyond basic SSH setup: disable password auth, lock down sshd_config with strong modern ciphers,

enim · Apr 18, 2026

ctf

HackTheBox Cap Walkthrough — Step by Step

Spoiler Warning: This is a full walkthrough of the retired HackTheBox machine "Cap." If you haven&

enim · Apr 17, 2026

self-hosting

Top 10 Self-Hosted Alternatives to SaaS Tools

The average person pays for 5-10 SaaS subscriptions. Notion, Google Drive, LastPass, Slack, Trello — the monthly total

enim · Apr 16, 2026

vaultwarden

How to Self-Host Vaultwarden with Docker

TL;DR Self-host Bitwarden’s open-source backend (Vaultwarden) on your VPS using Docker Compose. Get a

enim · Apr 15, 2026

reverse-proxy

Nginx Proxy Manager vs Traefik vs Caddy

TL;DR Nginx Proxy Manager, Traefik, and Caddy all handle reverse proxying and SSL — but for different use

enim · Apr 14, 2026

vpn

Setting Up WireGuard VPN on Your Own Server

TL;DR Deploy a self-hosted WireGuard VPN server using Docker Compose in under 15 minutes. Generate client

enim · Apr 13, 2026

ghost

Ghost vs WordPress in 2026: Which Is Better for Technical Blogs?

Every technical blogger eventually faces this decision: Ghost or WordPress? WordPress powers 43% of the internet and has

enim · Apr 12, 2026

docker

Docker Security Best Practices for Self-Hosters in 2026

TL;DR: The Docker security practices that reduce the most risk are running applications as non-root, publishing

enim · Apr 12, 2026

vps

Hetzner vs Contabo vs Vultr: Best VPS for Self-Hosting in 2026

Hetzner vs Contabo vs Vultr: Best VPS for Self-Hosting in 2026 Affiliate disclosure. This post contains affiliate

enim · Apr 11, 2026

linux

How to Harden Your Linux VPS in 10 Minutes

TL;DR Lock down a fresh Linux VPS in 10 minutes: disable root SSH login, set up SSH

enim · Apr 10, 2026

vps

How I Built byte-guard.net from Scratch on a Hetzner VPS

I wanted a security blog that I fully controlled — no managed platforms, no vendor lock-in, just a

enim · Apr 8, 2026