Dhruv Bhutani-Author

Dhruv Bhutani

Author

October, 2024
NAS, wifi, Smart Home
  • 107
    articles
  • 71
    Features
  • 28
    Lists
  • 6
    Guides
  • 2
    Reviews

About Dhruv Bhutani

Dhruv Bhutani has been writing about consumer technology since 2008, offering deep insights into the personal technology landscape through features and opinion pieces. He writes for XDA-Developers, where he focuses on topics like productivity, networking, self-hosting, and more. Over the years, his work has also appeared in leading publications such as Android Police, Android Authority, CNET, PCMag, and more. Outside of his professional work, Dhruv is an avid fan of horror media spanning films and literature, enjoys fitness activities, collects vinyl records, and plays the guitar.

How long have you been interested in technology?

I started building radios when I was five, fixing consoles for pocket money when I was ten, and hacking iPod firmwares when I was fifteen. Suffice it to say that technology has been a part of my life for practically as long as I've been born. However, it took smartphones for me to realize the sheer unrealized potential of democratizing mobile computing to the masses.

What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?

Networking hardware, smart home equipment, and backup, storage solutions intrigue me the most. 

Latest

yaak running on a mac
I moved from Postman to Yaak, and testing my APIs has never been easier
API

This lightweight alternative to Postman offers faster, more secure API testing.

Beszel dashboard on a phone
This Docker utility is a must have for every self-hosted stack

This container monitoring tool offers simplicity and powerful multi-server monitoring.

3
Kopia backing up to Garage on a Mac
Stop using MinIO, and use this free, user-friendly tool instead

With MinIO paring back its features, this alternative might be the way to go for all your object storage needs.

simple workflows with n8n
This open-source automation tool made me forget about Zapier entirely

Say goodbye to Zapier's constraints with this game-changing self-hosted solution.

Raycast running on a Mac
Combining Raycast with my local LLM was the best productivity change I could have made

Raycast lets you upgrade your workflow with AI-powered productivity

hassl automation on a mac
This self-hosted app writes your Home Assistant automations for you

Release the full potential of your smart home with this time-saving automation solution.

4
ViniPlay on a Mac
I’ve found the best looking IPTV app you can self-host on your NAS

This self-hosted IPTV app might just be the best I've ever used.

11
A TerraMaster F4-424 Max NAS
ZFS deduplication is the best way to save space on your NAS, but there's a downside nobody talks about

ZFS deduplication might not be worth the performance trade-off for most home labbers.

5
Termix File Manager
This Docker app gives you a full-fledged file manager over SSH

This self-hosted app gives you full-fledged file controls over SSH.

3
Synology Beestation vs NAS drive showing drive tray placed on a table
You should rethink your NAS backup strategy before it’s too late

These are the essential steps to protect your data before it's too late.

12
Loggifly running on a Mac
This self-hosted app lets you get real time alerts from Docker container logs

Stay one step ahead of potential issues with your Docker stack using this real-time alert system.

GetScreen running on a Mac
This self-hosted, clientless remote desktop application is even better than RustDesk

Effortlessly connect to your home computer from anywhere with this simple app.

13
calendar automation home assistant
These Home Assistant automations can control your entire home through Google Calendar

Experience a new level of personalization as your smart home adapts to your Google Calendar events in real-time.

7
Docker over cloudflare tunnel
Cloudflare Tunnels are the best way to get around CGNAT

Say goodbye to CGNAT woes and hello to seamless remote access.

15
virtualtabletop running on a mac
I turned my NAS into a board game server and its amazing

Turn your NAS into a simple but effective entertainment center.

colanode running on mac
This self-hosted app combines the best of Notion and Slack

Unify your workspace with this open-source solution.

zyxel-stack-of-prosumer-network-appliances
4 questions to ask before you expose any service to the internet

Ask yourself these questions to protect your self-hosted stack from the dangers lurking online.

Portainer on a Mac
I replaced my NAS' management interface with Portainer, and it's so much better

Portainer makes container management so easy, I don't even need to log in to my NAS interface.

2
homehub running on a mac
This self-hosted dashboard is the perfect hub for your family’s daily needs

Experience the power of centralized control over your home life with this must-have dashboard.

4
immich running on a Mac
I migrated my cloud photos to my self-hosted Immich, here's how

Switching from cloud photos to a self-hosted setup isn't rocket science.

11
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