A mini PC user asks how to run Home Assistant and access it away from home
A Reddit user says they are tired of using separate apps for an air purifier, lights, and other devices. They plan to run Home Assistant on an i5 mini PC with 32GB of RAM, on top of Windows. They ask how to use the HA app outside the local network, possibly with a free proxy.
Key points
- The user wants one place to control several smart-home devices.
- The planned machine is an i5 mini PC with 32GB of RAM.
- They want to run Home Assistant on Windows while also using the computer for other server tasks.
- Their main question is how to reach the HA app from outside the local network.
- They ask whether a free proxy could solve the remote access problem.
Quick term guide
- Home Assistant
- Free, open-source software that connects and controls smart home devices from one central dashboard.
- Windows
- Microsoft’s operating system for many personal computers.
- local network
- The private network inside your home, usually made by your Wi-Fi router.
- Mac mini
- A small desktop computer made by Apple.
- home server
- A personal computer setup at home used to run services or store files instead of regular daily use.
- remote access
- Connecting to and controlling a computer from another place.
- Mac mini server
- A Mac mini used as an always-on computer for files, apps, backups, or automation.
- options
- Financial contracts that give you the right to buy or sell an asset at a set price and time.