Mobile Homelab Architecture¶

Note: RPi 5 has been migrated to the fixed homelab. The mobile kit is now MacBook + Beryl AX + phones.

Portable infrastructure for dev, self-hosting, and travel.

Key principle: Mobile kit operates on-demand (7AM-7PM or travel). Headscale runs on VPS for 24/7 mesh availability. Mobile kit can be off without breaking the mesh.

Operating Model¶

Mode	Schedule	Notes
On-demand	7AM-7PM	Daily use
Travel	As needed	Full kit portable
Off	Night/hot days	Saves energy, reduces heat

Why on-demand?¶

Paraguay heat: reduce active equipment
Energy savings: Beryl AX off when not needed
Fire safety: fewer devices running 24/7
Mesh still works: Headscale on VPS handles coordination

Hardware¶

Device	Role	Power	Status
Beryl AX (GL-MT3000)	Network gateway, DHCP, Tailscale	USB-C	Configured
Samsung A13	Dedicated tethering (Claro prepaid)	USB-C (always plugged)	Ready
MacBook Air M1	Workstation, Docker dev	Battery	Active
Samsung A16 (mombeu)	Personal phone, Tailscale client	Battery	Active

Phone Roles¶

Phone	Role	Carrier	Connection
Samsung A13	Homelab internet	Claro prepaid (data only)	USB tethered to Beryl AX
Samsung A16 (mombeu)	Personal	Tigo	WiFi to mbohapy, Tailscale mesh

A13 stays plugged in and tethered when mobile kit is running. A16 is personal phone, not part of homelab infrastructure.

Claro Prepaid Data (Samsung A13)¶

SIM: PYG 10,000 prepaid from local store

Pack	Duration	Notes
2 GB	7 days	Good for testing
6 GB	30 days	Monthly usage

Features¶

WhatsApp free (1GB daily limit, no calls/video)
Data doesn't roll over
Prices include IVA
Dial *123# to see available packs

To verify¶

Tethering allowed (test before buying big pack)
Check simple.claro.com.py for current prices

References¶

Network Topology¶

            [Internet]
                 |
          [Samsung A13]
           USB Tether
                 |
         [Beryl AX Router]
          192.168.8.1
                |
          [MacBook Air]
          192.168.8.10
                |
        [Tailscale Mesh]
          100.x.x.x
              |
         [VPS - Headscale]
          100.77.172.46

Services¶

Beryl AX (Always-On When Kit Running)¶

Service	Port	Purpose
AdGuard Home	53, 3000	DNS ad-blocking (primary)
Tailscale	-	Mesh client
DHCP	67	LAN IP assignment

AdGuard Home is built into GL.iNet firmware - lightweight (~30MB), perfect for router.

MacBook Air M1 (Workstation)¶

Service	Port	Purpose
Docker workloads	Various	Dev containers

DNS Strategy¶

[Devices] → [Beryl AX AdGuard Home] → [Upstream DNS]

Scenario	Primary DNS	Fallback
Normal operation	Beryl AX (AdGuard)	Public DNS
Beryl AX issues	Public DNS	—

Beryl AX AdGuard Home is the sole DNS ad-blocker for the mobile kit.

IP Addressing¶

Local Network (Beryl AX)¶

Device	IP	MAC Reservation
Beryl AX	192.168.8.1	-
MacBook Air	192.168.8.10	Yes

Tailscale Network (Headscale Mesh)¶

Device	Tailscale IP	Hostname	Role
VPS	100.77.172.46	vps-vultr	Exit node, Headscale
MacBook Air	100.86.220.9	augustos-macbook-air	Workstation
Samsung A16	100.110.253.126	mombeu	Personal phone
Beryl AX	(assigned)	beryl-ax	Travel router

Headscale on VPS assigns and coordinates all IPs. Run tailscale status to see current mesh.

Scenarios¶

Traveling (Primary Use Case)¶

[Hotel Wifi/Tethering] → [Beryl AX] → [MacBook]
                                           ↓
                                    [Tailscale Mesh]
                                           ↓
                                    [VPS - Headscale]
                                           ↓
                                  [Home devices: connected]

Mobile kit provides local DNS (AdGuard on Beryl AX)
Tailscale mesh connects to home via VPS

At Home¶

[Home Router] → [Beryl AX optional] → [MacBook]
                         ↓
                 [All devices on Tailscale]
                         ↓
                   [VPS coordinates]

MacBook connects directly to home network or via Tailscale
Beryl AX optional at home (Fixed homelab Pi-hole available)

Mobile Kit Off¶

[MacBook only on home WiFi]
         ↓
   [Tailscale Mesh]
         ↓
  [VPS - Headscale] ← Still running 24/7
         ↓
  [Home devices: connected]

Beryl AX powered off
Mesh still works (VPS handles coordination)
MacBook connects via home network + Tailscale

Deployment Order¶

Phase	Task	Status
1	Configure Beryl AX (WiFi, admin)	Done
2	Join Beryl AX to Tailscale mesh	Done
3	Test USB tethering	Done
4	Test repeater mode	Done

RPi 5 (Moved to Fixed Homelab)¶

RPi 5 has been migrated from the mobile kit to the fixed homelab, running OpenClaw directly (not Docker). See ../plans/rpi5-deployment-plan.md.

Backup Strategy¶

Source	Destination	Method	Frequency
Beryl AX config	Manual export	On change	—

Headscale backup handled by VPS (see docker/vps/networking/headscale/backup.sh).

Security Considerations¶

Beryl AX admin password: change from default
Enable Beryl AX firewall, disable WAN access to admin

Power Management¶

Daily Operation (7AM-7PM)¶

# Morning: Power on
# - Power on Beryl AX
# - Wait ~1 minute for boot

# Evening: Power off
# - Safe to unplug
# - Mesh continues via VPS

Hot Days¶

On extremely hot days, keep mobile kit off entirely:

MacBook uses home WiFi + Tailscale
Mesh works via VPS
No impact on homelab operation

Future Enhancements¶

[ ] Ansible playbooks for declarative deployment