What runs where, why it is split up, and what still needs a proper test.
Remote access to Home Assistant sounded simple. Then came domains, HTTPS, Caddy, split DNS, AdGuard Home and the important question of who is actually in charge of the network.
A fallback internet path that keeps the router in charge, now proven through a live fibre-to-mobile failover and automatic failback test.
What I bought, what I reused and the ordinary hardware that still runs a surprisingly large part of the house.
Home Assistant is the front door to the system, not the place every service has to live.
The backups are real. A full disaster restore test is still not.
A small host keeps home services separate enough to fix without turning the house into a data centre.
