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Andriy Z.

Andriy Z. is the founder of XP Bargain. He builds and runs his own homelab and writes the guides and comparisons here, focused on power-efficient home server hardware: UPS battery backups, NAS storage, mini PCs, and networking gear. His background is in QA automation engineering and in Edge/IoT and cloud (AWS/Azure) systems — work that depends on hardware staying online and running efficiently, which is where his interest in low-power, always-on home servers began. He favors measured, practical advice: real power draw, real runtime, and what actually matters for a reliable homelab over spec-sheet hype.

How Long Can a Portable Power Station Run a Router?

May 8, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Estimate how many hours a portable power station can run a router, modem, fiber ONT, Wi-Fi access point, and small switch during an outage.

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Synology vs QNAP for Homelab: Which NAS Should You Buy?

May 21, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Compare Synology and QNAP NAS systems for homelab users by software, hardware value, drive compatibility, networking, backups, power, and expansion.

Categories Buying Guides

WD Red Plus vs Seagate IronWolf: Which NAS Drive Should You Buy?

May 21, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Compare WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf NAS drives for home labs, Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, CMR, noise, warranty, and price per TB.

Categories Buying Guides

Best Solar Panel for Portable Power Station

June 18, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Choose a solar panel for a portable power station by connector type, input voltage, wattage, portability, and realistic recharge time.

Categories Buying Guides

Portable Power Station for Router and Modem: Runtime Guide

June 18, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Estimate router and modem runtime from measured watts. Compare compact UPS backup with portable power stations for longer outages.

Categories Buying Guides

UPS vs Portable Power Station: Which Backup Is Better?

June 18, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Choose the right backup for routers, NAS, PCs, and outages. See where a UPS wins, where a power station wins, and when to use both.

Categories Buying Guides

Best Battery Backup for Modem and Router in 2026

June 18, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Keep internet online during outages. Compare compact UPS and backup battery options for modems, routers, fiber ONTs, and mesh Wi-Fi.

Categories Buying Guides

Best Hard Drives for NAS in 2026: WD Red Plus, IronWolf, Synology

June 8, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Compare NAS hard drives for home labs: WD Red Plus, Seagate IronWolf, and Synology Plus Series drives by CMR, compatibility, noise, and value.

Categories Buying Guides

Best NAS for Home Lab and Self Hosting in 2026

June 8, 2026May 7, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Compare Synology, QNAP, TerraMaster, and 2-bay vs 4-bay NAS options for home labs, backups, self-hosting, drive growth, and power use.

Categories Buying Guides

Best Network Switch for Home Lab: Gigabit and 2.5GbE Picks

May 8, 2026May 6, 2026 by Andriy Z.

Pick the right switch for a small homelab: NETGEAR GS308, TP-Link TL-SG108, and 2.5GbE upgrade options for NAS and mini PC setups.

Categories Buying Guides
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