Security and Control

There are countless ways to host a personal website today. Shared hosting, cloud platforms and virtual private servers all offer reliable solutions for different requirements. For this website, however, I chose a different approach by hosting it on my own Synology NAS.

The decision was driven by two priorities: security and complete control. I prefer knowing exactly where my website is hosted, how the environment is configured and what services are running behind the scenes. Managing the infrastructure myself allows every technical decision to match my own requirements instead of adapting to someone else’s platform.

Choosing the Right Hardware

This website currently runs on a Synology DS225+. I chose this model because it offers an excellent balance between performance and efficiency for a personal environment. The system is fast, compact and capable enough for more than a simple website.

I also upgraded the NAS with an additional 16 GB of memory, giving it more headroom for future projects and services. Another important factor was the 10 Gigabit Ethernet support. My home network is built around high-speed connectivity, so choosing hardware that can take advantage of that infrastructure made sense.

Why I Prefer Static HTML

One decision I never questioned was building the website as a static HTML project. I enjoy writing code, experimenting with layouts and understanding how each part of the website works. For me, editing HTML and CSS directly is more enjoyable than working inside a visual page builder.

Static websites also remove many of the concerns that usually come with plugins, databases and background processes. There are fewer updates, fewer dependencies and fewer components that can cause problems over time. The result is a website that remains lightweight, predictable and very fast.

The Role of Cloudflare

Although the website runs on my own hardware, Cloudflare plays an important role in the overall setup. Over the years, Cloudflare has earned my trust through its reliability and mature ecosystem.

I use it as the public-facing layer of my infrastructure for DNS management, HTTPS, caching and additional protection. I deliberately avoid enabling features simply because they exist. Every service should have a clear purpose, and simplicity remains one of my guiding principles.

Building Around a Strong Network

Living in Switzerland also influenced this project. The internet infrastructure here is strong, stable and fast, which makes self-hosting a realistic option for personal projects.

Combined with reliable hardware and Cloudflare, the overall experience has been smooth and consistent. This setup simply aligns well with the way I prefer to manage my own environment: controlled, visible, practical and easy to maintain.

Final Thoughts

For me, this website is more than a portfolio. It reflects the way I approach technology: keeping systems understandable, avoiding unnecessary complexity and maintaining full visibility over the environment.

Hosting the site on a Synology NAS allows me to combine those principles with technologies I genuinely enjoy working with. The result is a website that is fast, secure and entirely managed on my own terms.