Code. Break. Secure. Every project starts on localhost.
Mine stayed there for a long time — not because of lack of ideas, but because hosting is hard.
I wanted my services to be: ⚡ Accessible from anywhere 🌍 ⚡ Secure by design 🔐 ⚡ Cost-effective 💸 ⚡ Something I fully own and control
That’s where the real struggle began.
⚠️ The Hosting Dilemma
When I decided to move beyond localhost, I explored multiple paths:
1️⃣ Static IP from ISP
- 💸 ~₹200/month
- ⚡ Server running 24×7
- 🔋 Not energy efficient, not scalable
2️⃣ AWS Free Tier
- ☁️ Easy to start
- 🧠 Strict CPU, RAM & usage limits
- 📉 Not ideal for long-term learning or self-hosting
3️⃣ RackNerd VPS (My Choice)
- 🚀 Started with $10/year (700MB RAM)
- 📈 Upgraded to 4.5GB RAM for ~$40/year
- 🎯 Affordable, stable & perfect for learning
This became my first real step from localhost to self-hosted.
🛠️ What I Built
Once hosting was solved, I focused on real-world services & best practices: 🔹 Traefik – reverse proxy & TLS automation 🔹 AdGuard Home – DNS over HTTPS (DoH) 🔹 Personal Profile Website 🔹 Self-hosted services secured behind VPN & HTTPS
This wasn’t just about hosting apps — it was about learning infrastructure, security, and deployment the right way.
🎯 Why This Matters
🔹 Localhost is where you learn 🔹 Self-hosting is where you grow 🔹 Security is where you level up
This journey helped me understand: ✔ Networking ✔ Reverse proxies ✔ DNS security ✔ Cloud vs on-prem tradeoffs ✔ Cost-optimized infrastructure
🔗 Links
🌐 Personal Website: https://www.mkcyberlabs.in/ 💻 GitHub: https://github.com/MKCyberLabs
📸 Screenshots of the Setup & Website
Personal Website
Traefik Reverse Proxy Dashboard
AdGuard Home Dashboard
Scan to visit MKCyberLabs
🙏 Learning Credits
Huge thanks to NetworkChuck, Christian Lempa, and A2D (Nandha) — your content played a big role in shaping my self-learning journey.
More services, automation & security experiments coming soon 🚀
Code. Break. Secure.