Devices & Setup
Home tech inventory
Most home tech troubleshooting gets calmer once you know what exists, what depends on what, and which accounts or cables are part of the setup.
Who this is for
Home operators in 2026 building an outage-readable inventory of routers/modems/mesh nodes + switches + NAS appliances + UPS units + docks + monitors + printers + smart-home hubs + account dependencies — the inventory has to be readable when the cloud admin app is unreachable, the NAS is the disaster, and you need to know which Microsoft account holds the BitLocker recovery key for the laptop that just BSOD'd.
Outcome
An inventory stored outside the network itself (1Password / Bitwarden encrypted secure note attachment, Apple Notes with offline cache, or paper printout in fire-safe) that captures every critical device's model + firmware + admin URL + account owner + power/network/backup/UPS dependencies + last-checked date + which Microsoft/Apple account holds recovery keys; plus 2026-specific fields: 6 GHz AFC status, MLO state per mesh node, Wi-Fi 7 channel pin per band, Thread border router + Matter fabric ownership, UPS battery age + ambient temp, DSM/TrueNAS/Unraid version, dock firmware date, BitLocker recovery key location (account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey), cloud-backup plan + renewal date + Wasabi/Synology C2 migration cutover (22 Jun 2026).
Required inputs
- Admin access to every: ISP gateway (Comcast XB10 / AT&T BGW320-500/505 / Verizon CR1000A / Frontier ARRIS NVG468MQ / T-Mobile 5G gateway / Starlink), router/mesh app (Eero / Asus / TP-Link Deco / Netgear Orbi / UniFi), NAS console (DSM 7.3 / TrueNAS Scale 25.10 Goldeye / QTS 5.2 / Unraid 7.3.0), UPS (APC NMC / CyberPower PowerPanel / Eaton IPM), smart-home hubs.
- Encrypted storage destination: 1Password Secure Note with file attachment (JSON export includes attachments) OR Bitwarden Premium Secure Note (5 GB encrypted attachments, .zip export with attachments) OR Apple Notes synced via iCloud (locally cached, works offline) OR offline encrypted ZIP on USB drive in fire-safe. NOT Notion/Confluence/GitHub — those are cloud-dependent and themselves part of the inventory.
- Account-recovery references: Apple Account device list + recovery contacts (appleid.apple.com → Devices), Microsoft account + BitLocker recovery key URL (account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey), Synology Account, QNAP ID, TrueNAS Connect.
- Network-side automation: NetAlertX (formerly Pi.Alert, free self-hosted continuous scan with UniFi/Pi-hole/Home Assistant integration) or Fing (mobile + desktop + web; brand/model/OS identification) to populate the network half automatically; UniFi clients CSV export if applicable.
- Time + discipline to do it in one sitting — incremental inventories are rarely finished. Plan ~2-4 hours for a typical home.
Step-by-step procedure
Inventory the ISP edge + router/mesh BEFORE client devices
Do: Start with the layers that can break everything else: (1) ISP gateway — model + serial + ISP account ID + MAC (some ISPs MAC-lock CPE); record admin URL (BGW320 = `192.168.1.254` with Access Code printed on the device, Verizon CR1000A = `192.168.1.1`, Starlink Mini = `192.168.100.1`). (2) Router/mesh — model + current firmware (Eero 7.12.x stable, avoid 7.0.x hourly-drop bug; Orbi RBE970 9.13.2.1 for Jan 2026 CVE patches; Asus AiMesh controller/node version match), MLO state per node, 6 GHz AFC status (E7 supports, U7 Pro doesn't), channel pin per band (2.4/5/6 GHz). (3) Switches — managed/unmanaged, PoE budget per port, VLAN tags. CRITICAL for Eero: there is no in-app cloud-config restore — a 15-second hard reset on the gateway Eero erases the entire mesh. Inventory MUST capture enough to rebuild from scratch.
Expected result: Top of inventory has the 3-5 devices that fail-many-other-things-when-they-fail, with version + admin path + reservation list captured.
If not: If you can't open the router admin app right now, the inventory is starting blind. Stop and resolve admin access first.
Capture NAS + UPS + smart-home-hub dependency state
Do: NAS row: model + DSM 7.3 / TrueNAS Scale 25.10 Goldeye / QTS 5.2.x / Unraid 7.3.0 version + pool layout (SHR / RAID-Z1/2/3 / mirror) + dataset names + Hyper Backup or Active Backup for Business tasks + drive model + serial + capacity + SMART status (Backblaze 2025 stats: 1.36% annualized failure rate; CMR-only — avoid SMR). TrueNAS config backup: Storage → Snapshots layout is captured via System → Advanced → Manage Configuration → Download File, but pool metadata is NOT in that file — record vdev layout separately. UPS row: model + battery age in months (3-5 yr typical life; every 8 °C above 25 °C halves life) + last self-test + waveform (pure sine vs simulated) + ambient temp + connected devices + NUT integration target. Smart-home hubs: which devices are Thread border routers (Apple TV 4K Gen 3, HomePod mini 2nd gen, Echo Hub, Nest Hub Gen 2, Aqara M3, SmartThings Station) and which Matter fabric owns each Thread device — Thread 1.4 cert mandatory for new hardware since 1 Jan 2026; loss of the only border router can orphan devices that don't have credential sharing.
Expected result: Storage + power + smart-home rows have version + dependency + replacement-window data — enough to rebuild OR replace under outage pressure.
If not: If you can't read pool layout / drive serials / UPS battery age, the inventory will fail at the exact moment it's needed. Run TrueNAS Save Debug or Synology Support Center → Get Logs to capture the diagnostic state.
Inventory accounts + recovery paths — the part most operators forget
Do: For each account, record: email used + 2FA method + recovery codes location + recovery contact (if any) + billing/renewal date. Apple Account: device list at `appleid.apple.com` → Devices; up to 5 account recovery contacts (require iOS 15+/macOS Monterey+). Microsoft account: BitLocker recovery keys live at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey — record which Microsoft account holds the key (family-member account mis-routing is a documented failure path); record the recovery key ID (first 8 digits) not the key itself. NAS vendor: Synology Account, QNAP ID, TrueNAS Connect. ISP: portal login + billing date + plan tier (matters for throughput troubleshooting). Cloud backup: Backblaze Personal/B2, Wasabi (90-day minimum retention trap, $7.99/TB from 1 Jul 2026), iDrive, Synology C2 → C2 OneStorage migration cutover 22 Jun 2026. Mesh vendor: which family-member's phone is the admin (Eero), TP-Link ID, Asus router admin email. OneDrive Known Folder Move (KFM): record on/off per Windows account — disabling KFM leaves files in OneDrive and breaks local-path apps unless manually moved.
Expected result: Account section is itemized with email + 2FA + recovery path + renewal date for each. BitLocker recovery key owner is named per device.
If not: If you can't tell which account holds the BitLocker recovery key for a given laptop, that laptop is one Windows-update prompt away from being unrecoverable. Resolve account-key mapping NOW, not during the prompt.
Map power + network + backup dependencies into a single table
Do: Use the checklist table below. For each critical device, fill: room/location + power source (wall / UPS battery / UPS surge-only / PoE) + network path (Wi-Fi SSID + 2.4/5/6 GHz, OR Ethernet to which switch port) + reserved IP or DHCP + admin URL/app + account owner + backup dependency (what data on it, what backup coverage — see 3-2-1-1-0 rule) + UPS dependency (if it loses power, what else fails). 2026 dock-firmware reality: TB5 Barlow Ridge (Intel JHL9580) docks need monthly firmware updates pushed via dock vendor (Caldigit / OWC / Plugable / Kensington) — record vendor + model + last firmware update date + update URL. Printer reality: Windows 11 25H2 broke HP V4 and Brother MFP scanner drivers; record driver type per printer (HP UPD / V3 / V4 / native Brother).
Expected result: Single-table snapshot shows: ' what depends on what' at a glance. Power outage planning becomes obvious; cross-device failure chains become predictable.
If not: If the dependency map is in your head, it's not in the inventory. Write it down even when 'obvious' — the next outage may not be while you're awake.
Store the inventory OUTSIDE the network itself
Do: Primary store: 1Password Secure Note with file attachment (JSON export includes attachments) OR Bitwarden Premium Secure Note (5 GB encrypted attachments, .zip export). Both decrypt locally — no plaintext leaves the device. Secondary store: Apple Notes with iCloud sync (locally cached, works offline when iCloud is down) OR offline encrypted ZIP on a USB drive kept in a fire-safe. Tertiary store: paper printout of the critical section (router/NAS/UPS/account-recovery summary) in fire-safe — for the day when the entire household stack is down AND the password manager 2FA token is on the device that's gone. DO NOT store the inventory only on the NAS being inventoried, only in Notion/Confluence/SharePoint, or only in a private GitHub repo — all of those are cloud-dependent and may themselves require the inventory to access.
Expected result: Inventory exists in at least two physical/storage paths, one of which is readable when home internet is down AND when the household's primary phone is unavailable.
If not: If the inventory is only on the NAS, only in Notion, or only in a phone note that requires biometric unlock + cloud sync — it's not durable enough. Cross-store on day 1.
Schedule the next-review cadence and update after every topology change
Do: Set a quarterly calendar reminder for inventory audit. MANDATORY out-of-cycle updates after: new router or mesh swap (see new-router-migration), NAS DSM/TrueNAS Scale/QTS/Unraid major version upgrade, UPS battery replacement, dock or monitor swap, BitLocker recovery key rotation, cloud-backup provider change, Microsoft/Apple account email change, Synology C2 → OneStorage migration (cutover 22 Jun 2026). Sync trigger: any time you find yourself searching for a device's model number, MAC, or admin URL — that's the cue that the inventory is stale, fix it before resuming the original task.
Expected result: Inventory `last-reviewed` date is within 90 days for low-churn homes, 30 days during active topology changes. Out-of-cycle updates land same-day with the change.
If not: If the inventory hasn't been touched in 6+ months, half the model numbers and firmware versions are stale. Plan an audit cycle BEFORE the next major change.
Operator inventory table (one row per critical device)
| Device + model | Room | Firmware / OS version | Power (wall / UPS-battery / UPS-surge) | Network path | Reserved IP | Admin URL / app | Account owner | Backup dep. | UPS dep. | Last checked | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISP gateway — AT&T BGW320-505 | Utility closet | Vendor-pushed | UPS battery | WAN fiber → 5GbE to router | 192.168.1.254 | 192.168.1.254 + Access Code | ISP account | n/a | Yes (Active-PFC pure-sine) | Quarterly | IP-Passthrough mode; daily WAN-renew drop logged. |
| Mesh router — Eero Pro 7 (3 nodes) | Living/Office/Bedroom | 7.12.x | UPS battery (gateway) | 5GbE WAN, wired backhaul | 10.0.0.1 | Eero app on Jawahar's iPhone | Jawahar Apple ID | n/a | Yes (gateway only) | Quarterly | MLO enabled 5+6 GHz; AFC N/A; no cloud config restore — soft-reset only. |
| NAS — Synology DS1821+ | Office shelf | DSM 7.3.2-XXXXX | UPS battery | Ethernet → switch → router | 10.0.0.20 | https://nas.local:5001 | Family Synology Account | Hyper Backup to B2 + USB rotation | Yes (NUT graceful shutdown) | Monthly | SHR-2 8×16TB; encrypted; restore drill 2026-05-15. |
| UPS — APC BR1500MS2 | Office shelf (vented) | n/a | Wall outlet | USB to NAS NUT | n/a | PowerChute on Windows or NUT | Household | n/a | n/a (it IS the UPS) | Monthly self-test | Battery installed 2024-08; replace 2027-08; pure-sine; ~70% load. |
| Smart-home hub — Apple TV 4K Gen 3 (Thread 1.4) | Living room | tvOS 26.x | Wall outlet | Wi-Fi 5 GHz / Thread border | DHCP 10.0.0.x | Home app on iPhone | Jawahar Apple ID | n/a | No | Quarterly | Primary Thread border router; Matter fabric owner: Apple Home. |
| Dock — Caldigit TS5 Plus (TB5/Intel JHL9580) | Desk | Firmware vendor-pushed | Wall outlet | USB-C to MacBook | n/a | Caldigit Dock Firmware Updater | Personal | n/a | No | Monthly firmware | Last firmware update: 2026-05-15; certified USB-IF 240W cable. |
Commands and settings paths
BitLocker recovery key visibility
Browser to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey (or aka.ms/myrecoverykey)
Where: Personal Microsoft account web (use work/school account at aka.ms/aadrecoverykey for AD/Entra devices).
Expected: Every BitLocker-protected device shows a recovery key entry with key ID (first 8 digits). Multiple keys per device disambiguated by ID.
Failure means: If the key isn't here, it may be on a different family Microsoft account (a documented mis-routing path) — locate the correct account NOW, not during a recovery prompt.
Safe next step: Record the owning account email + key ID per device. Microsoft Support CANNOT recreate a lost key.
Windows network identity
ipconfig /all > inventory-network.txt
Where: Trusted Windows 11 PC on the home network.
Expected: Adapter + gateway + DNS + DHCP server + lease times captured. Compare to router admin reservation list.
Failure means: If the PC reports a guest SSID, VPN adapter, or stale DHCP, the inventory is recording the wrong network state.
Safe next step: Reconnect to the trusted home SSID and re-run; record only the production-network adapter.
NetAlertX or Fing scan (network half automation)
NetAlertX UI (self-hosted) > Devices > Export CSV, OR Fing app > Network > Export
Where: Self-hosted NetAlertX (Docker container on Unraid/Synology/PC) OR Fing on phone/desktop.
Expected: CSV export of every visible client with MAC + IP + brand + model + OS + last-seen. Bootstrap the network half of the inventory.
Failure means: If a device doesn't show up, it may be on a different SSID/VLAN/subnet or have isolation enabled.
Safe next step: Repeat scan from each VLAN/SSID. Cross-check against router admin device list.
TrueNAS config backup
System → Advanced Settings → Manage Configuration → Download File (check 'Export Password Secret Seed')
Where: TrueNAS Scale 25.10 Goldeye web UI.
Expected: Encrypted .db file downloads with system + user config. Pool metadata is NOT in the file — record vdev layout separately.
Failure means: If the export fails or download is empty, do not proceed with any pool changes or major upgrades.
Safe next step: Verify the file is non-zero; store alongside the rest of the inventory. Update before every major TrueNAS upgrade.
Synology configuration export
Control Panel → Update & Restore → Configuration Backup → Manual Backup
Where: Synology DSM 7.3 admin UI.
Expected: .dss file downloads with user/group/shared-folder/service config. Store alongside the rest of the inventory.
Failure means: If Configuration Backup is disabled (default OFF on some DSM versions), enable it FIRST before any DSM upgrade or storage change.
Safe next step: Re-export after every shared-folder, user, or service change.
Apple Account device list
Browser to https://appleid.apple.com → Devices
Where: Apple Account web (signed in with 2FA).
Expected: Every iPhone/iPad/Mac/Apple TV/HomePod associated with the account is listed with model + iOS/macOS version.
Failure means: Stale devices remaining in the list (sold/lost devices, old iPhones) indicate the account-recovery surface is larger than it needs to be.
Safe next step: Remove devices that are no longer in use. Cross-reference Thread border routers (Apple TV 4K Gen 3 + HomePod mini 2nd gen + Thread 1.4 capable).
Evidence to record
- Router/mesh: model + current firmware + MLO state + 6 GHz AFC status + channel pin per band + reservation list (full).
- NAS: model + OS version (DSM 7.3 / TrueNAS Scale 25.10 / QTS 5.2 / Unraid 7.3.0) + pool layout + drive model/serial/capacity/SMART + backup tasks.
- UPS: model + battery age in months + waveform + ambient temp + last self-test + connected devices + NUT integration target.
- Account recovery: per-account email + 2FA + recovery codes location + recovery contact + renewal date; BitLocker recovery key owner per device.
- Smart-home: which devices are Thread border routers + which Matter fabric owns each Thread device.
- Dock + cable: dock vendor + model + last firmware update date; USB-IF certified cable status per cable.
- Cloud backup: provider + plan + minimum-retention trap + monthly cost + renewal/migration date (Synology C2 → OneStorage 22 Jun 2026).
- Inventory storage paths (primary + secondary + tertiary) and last-updated date.
Common mistakes
- Storing the inventory only on the NAS — if the NAS is the disaster, the inventory is too. Cross-store in encrypted password manager + paper in fire-safe.
- Not recording WHICH Microsoft account holds each BitLocker recovery key — family-member account mis-routing is the canonical failure path. A device with BitLocker is one update prompt from unrecoverable without the right account access.
- Trusting Notion / Confluence / GitHub as the inventory home — all cloud-dependent. If home internet is down, the inventory is unreachable. Plus the cloud credentials are themselves part of the inventory.
- Inventorying laptops and phones but not the Eero/Asus/Deco mesh config — Eero has no in-app cloud config restore; a 15-second hard reset on the gateway erases the entire mesh. Asus AiMesh exports a Settings file (use it). TP-Link Deco config-backup is partial. Capture enough to rebuild.
- Skipping the smart-home fabric/border-router section — Thread 1.4 (mandatory for new cert since 1 Jan 2026) requires knowing which Matter fabric owns each Thread device. Losing the only border router can orphan devices that don't have credential sharing.
- Recording UPS model without battery age — VRLA batteries last 3-5 years; every 8 °C above 25 °C halves life. Without age + ambient temp, you can't predict the replacement window. Record date of last battery swap, not just model.
- Treating dock firmware as 'one-time install' — TB5 Barlow Ridge (Intel JHL9580) docks (Caldigit TS5+, OWC, Plugable, Kensington) get monthly firmware updates from the dock vendor, not Intel. Record last firmware date per dock; update monthly.
- Writing passwords into the inventory — passwords belong in a password manager. The inventory should point to the password manager entry, not contain the secret.
- Not recording 2FA recovery method per account — when the primary phone dies, the inventory needs to tell you which account had which recovery contact / recovery code location.
- Forgetting cloud-backup renewal/migration dates — Synology C2 → OneStorage migration cutover 22 Jun 2026; Wasabi 90-day minimum retention; Backblaze Personal vs B2 distinction. Stale cloud rows lead to 'why am I paying for this?' moments.
- Inventorying once and never updating — quarterly review minimum; same-day update after router swap, NAS major upgrade, UPS battery, dock swap, BitLocker key rotation, Microsoft/Apple account email change.
- Treating the inventory as confidential and not sharing it with a household partner — when YOU are the disaster (illness, travel), someone else needs to access the inventory. Plan for that with a household-trusted shared 1Password vault or paper copy.
Stop points
- Stop before posting any portion of the inventory to a public forum, Discord, or support ticket without redacting account emails, MAC addresses, internal IPs, serial numbers, and admin URLs.
- Stop before sharing the inventory store password via SMS, email, or chat — use the password manager's built-in secure share or paper handoff in person.
- Stop before recording the BitLocker recovery key itself in the inventory — record the OWNING ACCOUNT + key ID (first 8 digits) only. The key stays in the Microsoft account vault.
- Stop before destroying any prior-generation inventory until the new one has been verified outage-readable (try reading it offline).
- Stop before consolidating multiple Microsoft / Apple accounts into one without first migrating BitLocker recovery keys and Apple ID device trust — silent account-merge can orphan keys.
Last reviewed
2026-05-06
Source-backed checks
HomeTechOps turns official docs and conservative safety rules into a shorter runbook. These links are the source trail for the page direction.