Mini PC Home Automation Server
Preconfigured Mini PC — Ubuntu Minimal + VirtualBox + Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole. Network-ready, optimised, plug in and go; custom configuration available on request.
POA Price on application — contact for spec & current pricing; custom config available
Questions? info@calibrate.nz — Christchurch NZ
Works standalone • Expands to Home Assistant
Click image to enlarge
Problem
The annoying problem
Building a reliable home automation server from scratch means sourcing hardware, installing an OS, configuring virtualisation, getting Home Assistant and Pi-hole running, and tuning networking — hours of research and debugging before it is stable and network-ready. Most homeowners want local control and network-wide ad blocking without the build work. This solution ships preconfigured — standard optimisation applied, network-ready — so you plug it into your network and go. And if you want it tailored, custom configuration is available on request.
Solution
Mini PC Home Automation Server
Preconfigured Mini PC — Ubuntu Minimal + VirtualBox + Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole. Network-ready, optimised, plug in and go; custom configuration available on request.
Shelly is the platform — this hub solution is the product.
How it works
How it works — stepped
Host runs Ubuntu Minimal — lean, optimised for 24/7 operation. VirtualBox hosts two VMs: Home Assistant for local automations, Shelly discovery and dashboards, and Pi-hole for network-wide DNS filtering. Network-ready by design — plug into your router via Ethernet, both VMs autostart on boot, discover Shelly devices on the same LAN, and Pi-hole is ready to be set as DNS if you choose. Standard optimisation covers updates, autostart and resource allocation (spec TBC); custom configuration available — tell us what you want and we tune before shipping.
Technology: local Shelly script — standalone; Home Assistant / Hub optional
- 1
Step 1
Mini PC host — Ubuntu Minimal, optimised for 24/7 uptime, autostart on power
- 2
Step 2
VirtualBox boots Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole VM automatically on start
- 3
Step 3
Plug into network via Ethernet — immediate Shelly discovery, Pi-hole ready to set as DNS
- 4
Step 4
Custom configuration available — share requirements, we tune before shipping
Hardware
Hardware included
Everything that ships in the system — no hunting for parts.
-
×1
Mini PC (Mini PC — spec TBC)
Preconfigured host — Ubuntu Minimal + VirtualBox + Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole, network-ready (spec TBC at enquiry)
-
×1
Power supply
Matched PSU for Mini PC
Preconfigured
What's preconfigured
We do the boring config so you don't have to. You install. Test happens before shipping.
- ✓ Ubuntu Minimal installed & optimised on host (updates, autostart)
- ✓ VirtualBox + Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole VM configured and verified
- ✓ Network-ready — boots to VMs, ready to plug into new network via Ethernet
- ✓ Bench tested before shipping — custom configuration available on request
In the box
What's in the box
- • Mini PC ×1 (preconfigured — Ubuntu Minimal + VirtualBox + Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole)
- • Power supply ×1 (matched)
- • Setup guide — network connection & Home Assistant / Pi-hole access
- • Router DNS notes — how to set Pi-hole as DNS (optional)
- • Test report — TBC (placeholder)
Installation
Installation
Clear separation: what you do vs what your electrician does.
You — DIY
Sensor placement, Wi-Fi, app-free defaults.
- • Power outlet near router/switch for Mini PC
- • Ethernet port on router or switch (Wi-Fi TBC — Ethernet recommended)
- • Router admin access if you want Pi-hole as network DNS (optional, notes provided)
Electrician — 240V
Mains wiring for Shelly 1 Gen3. We provide diagram.
- • No electrician required — plug in, power on, connect to network
Technical details
- power
- Mains via supplied PSU — spec TBC
- connectivity
- Ethernet + Wi-Fi (TBC) — network-ready, VMs bridged
- compatibility
- Shelly devices on same LAN (Home Assistant discovery); any router for Pi-hole DNS
- dimensions
- Mini PC form factor — spec TBC
- warranty
- Supplier warranty — TBC
Why this solution
Why this solution vs buying devices
Same Shelly parts — but you skip the pairing, scripting and tuning.
| Feature | Buying devices | With this solution |
|---|---|---|
| OS & virtualisation | You source, install OS, tune VirtualBox | Ubuntu Minimal + VirtualBox installed & optimised |
| Home Assistant + Pi-hole | You install, configure VMs, debug networking | Both VMs preconfigured, network-ready, autostart |
| Network setup | You research DHCP/DNS, troubleshoot | Plug into network — ready to assign DNS for Pi-hole if wanted |
| Optimisation | You harden, set autostart, updates yourself | Standard optimisation applied; custom config available |
| Testing & support | Self-test, forum support | Bench-tested before shipping — info@calibrate.nz |
Outcome — Benefits
What changes in your home. Customer language, not spec sheet.
- Skip the build — no sourcing, installing, or debugging the stack
- Plug in and go — network-ready, boots straight to Home Assistant + Pi-hole
- Local control — automations stay on your network; Pi-hole blocks at DNS
- Flexible — standard optimised build now, custom configuration available
Spec — Features
How it works under the hood.
- Ubuntu Minimal host, standard optimisation (updates, autostart — spec TBC)
- VirtualBox with Home Assistant VM — local automation & dashboards
- Pi-hole VM — network-wide ad blocking & DNS filtering
- Network-ready — plug into new network, discover Shellys locally
- Bench-tested; custom configuration available — flexible, not fixed
Journey
What happens when you buy
You enquire
Hit Enquire — Mini PC Server Solution — tell us your setup (fan model, opener, Wi-Fi). We confirm fit and price.
We build & test
We assemble, flash script, pair BLE, tune thresholds, bench-test on 192.168.1.x.
You install — we support
Sparky wires relay; you place sensor. Diagram + notes included. Support via info@calibrate.nz.
Trust
Built properly — no fabrication
Christchurch assembled
Built and bench-tested in Christchurch before shipping. Local support at info@calibrate.nz.
Bench tested
Verified on 192.168.1.x bench network — proven lineage from shower/scripts/shower-fan.js (2% / 90s / 15 min).
Electrician-friendly
Wiring diagram + install notes included. Shelly 1 Gen3 is 240V — electrician required for mains install. Sensor is DIY.
Warranty is Supplier warranty — TBC until confirmed with Shelly supplier. Prices marked TBC at enquiry.
Notes & lineage
Why this exists
Running Home Assistant and Pi-hole yourself is powerful — but building the box, installing the OS, configuring VirtualBox, and getting networking right takes a weekend you don’t have. This solution exists so you don’t have to build it: a bench-tested Mini PC that arrives preconfigured, boots to your VMs, and plugs straight into your network. Standard optimisation covers the essentials; customisation is available when you want more.
What’s in the box
- Mini PC, preconfigured (Ubuntu Minimal, VirtualBox, Home Assistant VM, Pi-hole VM — network-ready)
- Matched power supply
- Setup guide + router DNS notes for Pi-hole
- Test report (bench verification — TBC)
Setup
Plug the Mini PC into power and your router (Ethernet). Power it on — both VMs autostart. Home Assistant appears on your LAN for Shelly discovery and dashboards; Pi-hole is reachable on its LAN address — set it as DNS in your router if you want network-wide filtering. No apps to build, no OS to install. Admin will add a hero photo at public/solutions/mini-pc-home-automation-server/hero.jpg — layout is reserved until then with no CLS.
Customisation
Standard build is optimised and ready to go, but every home is different. Custom configuration is available on request — tell us your network layout, VM sizing, integrations, or Pi-hole preferences and we’ll tune before shipping. Flexible, not a fixed menu — we configure what you actually need.
Positioning
Shelly is the platform — this Mini PC Home Automation Server is the product. You’re not just buying a Mini PC; you’re buying a preconfigured, bench-tested, network-ready server that reduces setup complexity to ‘plug it in’. It works standalone and expands with Home Assistant as you add Shelly solutions.
Ready to order Mini PC Home Automation Server?
We build to order and test each system before shipping. Christchurch, NZ.
Works standalone • Expands to Home Assistant
Mini PC Home Automation Server
Preconfigured Mini PC — Ubuntu Minimal + VirtualBox + Home Assistant VM + Pi-hole. Network-ready, optimised, plug in and go; custom configuration available on request.