​Hi everyone!

​I’m planning my first real homelab and I’ve put together a topology based on some second-hand hardware I found. My goal is to learn cybersecurity, networking, and self-hosting.

​The Hardware:

​Router: Dell Optiplex 5050 SFF (Intel i5-7500, 8GB RAM) running OPNsense. I chose the SFF model so I can add a 10Gbps PCIe card later when my ISP upgrades to 5Gbps.

​Switch: A managed switch with VLAN support (looking at MikroTik or TP-Link).

​Server: A laptop running Ubuntu Server + Docker/Portainer for my daily apps (Nginx, Home Assistant, etc.).

​Hacking Lab (Sandbox): A dedicated laptop running Proxmox to host a Kali Linux VM and some vulnerable test machines.

​Honeypot: A separate small machine (NUC/Tiny) in the Sandbox VLAN to monitor and log "attacker" activity.

​Main PC: My daily driver running Linux.
​The Setup & Security:

​VLAN Segmentation: I’m using VLAN 10 for Trusted/Management, VLAN 20 for Docker Services, and VLAN 66 (The Red Zone) for the Hacking Lab and Honeypot.

​Management: I've included a "Management" role (VLAN 10) to ensure I can only access the OPNsense and Switch UI from a trusted device, keeping it isolated from the hacking sandbox.

​The Goal: Using the Proxmox/Kali setup to "attack" the Honeypot and practice monitoring traffic in OPNsense/Suricata.

​Questions:
​Is the 7th Gen i5 in the Dell SFF sufficient for OPNsense with IDS/IPS (Suricata) enabled at 1Gbps?

​Is a dedicated Honeypot on a separate physical machine overkill, or a good learning step?

​Any bottlenecks I should be aware of before I start buying the hardware?

​I'm trying to keep the total budget around €350. Looking forward to your roast/advice!

​First Homelab Build Plan (€350 Budget) - Feedback on Topology & Hardware?

First Homelab Build Plan (€350 Budget) - Feedback on Topology & Hardware?