My gaming pc is w10 and I’ve decided that my next build won’t be windows. If it doesn’t run on Linux then I won’t be playing it. I have a few w11 devices for work and it’s exhausting having to deal with the constant changing bullshit that they push out.
If you are looking for an all in one solution that will work for most setups, the Shelly 1 is a great option. It’s wifi, so no extra hubs needed. Has full local control with a web interface and optional mobile app with (cloud based) control from anywhere. It can switch ac or dc and has a set of dry contacts that you can connect an external switch or sensor to. Another cool feature is a fallback WiFi connection. If it loses connection to your WiFi, it can broadcast its own network for you to connect to. It’s also only around $15-$20. I used one on my driveway gate for a few years and it worked great. The relay would activate the gate opener and I had a cheap reed switch wired into the dry contacts to tell me if the gate was opened or closed.
I’m not expert but for the sake of getting some discussion going:
Don’t open ports on your router to expose services to the open internet.
Use a vpn when torrenting and make sure your torrent client is set to only use the vpn’s network adapter. This way, if your vpn drops out the torrent client can’t reach the internet.
I keep everything local and use Tailscale to access things while I’m away from home.