Question 1

How do I build my first Kubernetes cluster in a homelab?

Accepted Answer

I build it with three VMs: one master and two worker nodes, then I prep each VM (disable swap, kernel modules, sysctl), install containerd, and install kubeadm/kubelet/kubectl. After that, I run kubeadm init on the master and join the workers with the kubeadm join command. The big “gotcha” is you still need a CNI (network plugin) or your nodes will sit in NotReady.

Question 2

Why does Kubernetes require swap to be disabled?

Accepted Answer

In my setup, Kubernetes wouldn’t pass the prerequisites cleanly until swap was off, so I disable it and also remove it from fstab so it doesn’t come back on reboot. I’m following the standard kubeadm guidance here. It’s one of those annoying steps you just do on every node up front.

Question 3

What pod network CIDR should I use for kubeadm init?

Accepted Answer

Use something that doesn’t overlap your real LAN subnet. My homelab network is in the 172.16.x.x range, so I used a 10.x CIDR for pods. If you overlap networks, you’re going to have a bad time later when routing and service discovery get weird.

Question 4

Why are my Kubernetes nodes NotReady after joining the cluster?

Accepted Answer

Because CoreDNS is usually pending until you install networking. I show this by running kubectl get pods -A and you’ll see CoreDNS stuck. Once I install Flannel (and make sure the Flannel network matches my pod CIDR), the nodes flip to Ready.

Question 5

How do I install Flannel on a kubeadm cluster?

Accepted Answer

I wget the Flannel YAML, then I edit the network value so it matches the pod network CIDR I used during kubeadm init. After that it’s just kubectl apply -f on the YAML. When it’s working, you’ll see flannel pods running on each node and CoreDNS comes up.

Question 6

How do I get a LoadBalancer IP in a homelab Kubernetes cluster?

Accepted Answer

I use MetalLB because I want services to get an IP on my actual home network. I apply the MetalLB manifests, then I configure an address pool (a small reserved range on my LAN) so MetalLB can hand out IPs. After that, a LoadBalancer service can get an external IP like a “real” environment.

Question 7

How do I set up persistent storage for Kubernetes in a homelab?

Accepted Answer

I keep it simple and use NFS, because most homelabs already have it somewhere. I create a default storage class and back it with an NFS mount at /data across all nodes, so the path exists everywhere. If you don’t set a default storage class, PVCs can just sit there and never bind.

Question 8

How do I deploy Uptime Kuma on Kubernetes with Helm?

Accepted Answer

I install Helm, add the Uptime Kuma chart repo, pull the chart, and check values.yaml so I know what it’s going to create. Then I create a namespace, apply my volume/PV setup, and helm install into that namespace. To access it, I expose it with a LoadBalancer service so I can hit it directly by IP and port.

I Built My First Kubernetes Cluster… And You Can Too! (Step-by-Step)

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