Blog
News, guides, and product updates from Obelinf.
What Is DHCP? How Devices Get an IP Address Automatically
DHCP explained for beginners: the DORA exchange, lease lifetimes, options, relay agents, reservations, and how DHCP fits next to DNS and IPAM.
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What Is Ethernet? A Plain Explanation of the Wired Standard
Ethernet explained in plain terms: what the standard defines, how frames and MAC addresses work, what an Ethernet port is, and how Ethernet compares with Wi-Fi.
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What Is ICMP? Ping, Traceroute, and the Messages Behind Them
ICMP explained: the control messages behind ping and traceroute, the message types that matter, and how ICMP interacts with firewalls and packet loss.
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What Is PoE? Power Over Ethernet and PoE Switches Explained
PoE explained: how Power over Ethernet powers access points, cameras, and phones over one cable, the 802.3af, at, and bt standards, and how to plan a switch power budget.
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What Is TFTP and When Is It Still Used?
TFTP explained: how the trivial file transfer works over UDP, why switches and provisioning still use it, and where its lack of authentication becomes a risk.
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Introducing Wireless Links to Obelinf
Obelinf now models point to point wireless links between two wireless interfaces, alongside wireless interface types, access point and station roles, and a native SSID to VLAN link. Document the bridges that were living in a spreadsheet.
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Guest WiFi and WiFi Security: SSID Security Models
Choose the right security model for every SSID, from WPA2 and WPA3 to open networks with captive portals, then document it so the wireless network matches what you intended.
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How to Document a Wireless Network: SSIDs and Groups
A practical guide to documenting wireless networks: what to record for every SSID, how to group them by site and purpose, and how to keep the records from drifting.
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Introducing Wireless LANs and SSIDs to Obelinf
Obelinf now documents wireless LANs and wireless LAN groups next to your IPAM. Record every SSID you broadcast and keep the wireless layer in the same source of truth as the rest of your inventory.
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Best Homelab Network Visualization Tools in 2026
Compare the best tools to visualize a homelab network: Obelinf, discovery maps, live traffic views, metrics dashboards, and manual diagramming, with picks for each job.
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Best Homelab Servers for Beginners in 2026
How to choose a first homelab server: mini PCs, single board computers, small form factor desktops, and used rack servers compared on power, noise, cost, and expansion.
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DCIM Software Comparison: Best Tools in 2026
Compare the leading DCIM software in 2026: Obelinf, NetBox, Device42, Sunbird dcTrack, Nlyte, and RackTables, with deployment, discovery, pricing, and fit.
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