Hey, I’m Derek Cooper

Professional Puzzle Solver. Virtual Desktop Engineer by day, homelab tinkerer by night — working 95% remote from Eastern Washington where I live with my wife, three kids, a dog, and eleven chickens.

I’ve been in IT since before I graduated, earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Systems Analysis in 2011 while already working my first full-time tech job. Over the years I’ve architected VDI environments, deployed network infrastructure, and even helped convert a school bus into a fully equipped Incident Response Vehicle — complete with Unifi networking, wireless, radios, and power systems.

The Homelab

It started in college with a Dell T100 tower and a senior research project on ESXi 4.0. That was 2011. It hasn’t been “done” since.

Today it runs on three Minisforum MS-A2 mini PCs, all on Proxmox — backed by a full Unifi network stack and a dedicated security camera system.

This Blog

chns.tech started as self-documentation — I discovered early on that I’m good at step-by-step writeups, and eventually realized it was easier to publish them than to re-explain things every time a friend asked. Now it’s a mix of homelab projects, hardware reviews, tutorials, and the occasional guide for the less tech-savvy people in my life.

I write for peers at my level, but I try to keep things readable for anyone willing to dig in.

Topics you’ll find here:

• Homelab builds and experiments
• Hardware reviews — mini PCs, networking gear, components
• Tutorials and problem-solving guides
• Thoughts on security, privacy, and the industry

Beyond the Lab

When I’m not in front of a screen I’m usually outside — camping, skiing, or out on the water. I do a fair amount of construction work around the house (currently mid-bathroom-remodel), and I built the desk I’m sitting at. Woodworking scratches the same itch as the homelab: build something, break it, make it better.

Get in Touch