Blogs
Blogs
Building a Monitoring Stack with Prometheus, VictoriaMetrics, and Grafana: A Full Setup Guide
Ever found yourself drowning in server logs, wondering why your application crashed again at 3 AM? I’ve been there—more times than I’d like to admit. That’s why I built a robust monitoring stack with Prometheus, VictoriaMetrics, and Grafana to keep an eye on my systems. In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting up this powerful trio to collect, store, and visualize metrics at scale—without losing your sanity. Why This Stack?
Control RGB LEDs with ESP32 and Home Assistant Automations
Ever wanted to add some pizzazz to your smart home with colorful, dynamic lighting? I recently tackled this project myself—using an ESP32 to control addressable RGB LEDs and integrating them seamlessly into Home Assistant. The result? A lighting setup that responds to automations, time of day, and even sensor inputs. Here’s how you can do it too. Why This Project? Addressable RGB LEDs (like WS2812B strips) are incredibly versatile. You can create everything from subtle mood lighting to eye-catching effects.
Log Aggregation Using Grafana Loki: A Beginner’s Guide
Ever stared at a mountain of logs, desperately searching for that one error that crashed your service? I’ve been there—more times than I’d like to admit. That’s why I fell in love with Grafana Loki, a lightweight log aggregation system that pairs perfectly with Grafana for seamless troubleshooting. In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting up Loki to collect logs and correlate them with metrics in Grafana. By the end, you’ll have a powerful observability stack that makes debugging feel less like detective work and more like a well-guided tour.
DIY ESP32-Based Motion Sensor for Home Assistant Security Automations
Ever walked into a dark room and wished the lights would just know to turn on? Or wanted a simple way to alert you when someone’s lurking near your front door? That’s where a DIY ESP32-based PIR motion sensor comes in. I recently built one to integrate with Home Assistant, and it’s been a game-changer for my home security automations. Here’s how you can do it too—no PhD in electrical engineering required.
Monitoring Disk Space Across Servers Using Node Exporter and Prometheus
Ever had that sinking feeling when your server runs out of disk space at 3 AM? I have—more times than I’d like to admit. After one too many midnight emergencies, I decided to automate disk space monitoring using Prometheus, Node Exporter, and Grafana. Here’s how you can set it up too, complete with alerts and pretty dashboards to keep your sanity intact. Why Monitor Disk Space? Disk space is one of those silent killers.
Build a Wi-Fi Presence Detector Using ESP32 and Home Assistant
Ever walked into a room and wished the lights would just know to turn on? Or wanted your smart home to react the moment your phone connects to Wi-Fi? With an ESP32 and Home Assistant, you can build a Wi-Fi presence detector that does exactly that—no fancy sensors or wearables required. In this guide, I’ll walk you through my own journey of setting this up, complete with code snippets, troubleshooting tips, and a few laughs at my own mistakes.
How to Use Recording Rules in Prometheus to Reduce Load and Speed Up Queries
I remember the first time my Prometheus server groaned under the weight of a complex Grafana dashboard—it felt like asking a toddler to solve calculus. Dashboards loaded slower than my morning coffee brewed, and my CPU metrics looked like a stress test. That’s when I discovered recording rules, Prometheus’s secret weapon for taming expensive queries. Here’s how to use them effectively. Why Recording Rules Matter Recording rules let you precompute frequently used or resource-intensive queries and save the results as new time series.
Control Lights Based on Room Occupancy Using PIR and ESP32
Ever walked into a room, arms full of groceries, only to fumble for the light switch? Or worse—left the lights on all day in an empty room? With a PIR motion sensor and an ESP32, you can automate your lights to turn on when someone enters and off when the room is vacant. It’s a simple yet powerful way to save energy and add convenience to your smart home. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through setting up this system step-by-step, including wiring, ESPHome configuration, and troubleshooting tips.
ESP32 + OLED Display: Display Weather from Home Assistant
Ever wanted a sleek, always-on display showing the current weather right from your Home Assistant dashboard? I did—and after some tinkering, I built one using an ESP32 and a tiny OLED screen. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process, sharing pitfalls I encountered (like why my first attempt showed gibberish instead of temperatures) and how to avoid them. Why This Project? I love having ambient displays around my home that show useful info without needing to open an app.
Create an ESP32-Powered Smart Mailbox Notification System with Home Assistant
Ever missed an important piece of mail because you forgot to check your mailbox? I certainly have—more times than I’d like to admit. That’s why I built a smart mailbox notification system using an ESP32 and a simple tilt sensor. Now, I get instant alerts in Home Assistant whenever the mailbox door opens. No more guessing! In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process—from wiring the hardware to configuring ESPHome and setting up automations in Home Assistant.