Independent networking project / Waikato, New Zealand

Not live.
Not far off.

RileyNet is a small internet networking project I'm building in rural Waikato. It started with a rack of second-hand equipment. The next step is getting a real fibre connection up and running.

What I'm working on

01 / About RileyNet

A proper network, built from the ground up.

I'm Riley, a student in New Zealand with an interest in how internet networks actually work. What began as a homelab has grown into a bigger project involving enterprise routers, switches, servers and a lot of trial and error.

I'm working with people in the industry to understand the process of delivering a real internet service, not just getting devices talking to each other in a lab.

The first goal is simple: connect my grandparents' home and learn how to keep that connection reliable.

02 / What I'm building

From lab to live service.

CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW
NOT A LIVE NETWORK STATUS

A — FOUNDATIONThe homelabServers / switching / routing

B — IN PROGRESSNetwork setupFibre handoff / configuration / testing

C — THE GOALFirst connectionGrandparents' home / monitoring / support

The setup is being planned and tested. This is the project roadmap, not a claim that a customer service is already active.

03 / Current progress

On the bench.

OCT 2026

Building out the lab

Setting up additional server and networking equipment for routing, virtual machines and network testing.

NEXT STEP

Preparing the first customer connection

Working through the fibre handoff, router setup, service configuration and monitoring.

ALSO IN PROGRESS

RileyNet management tools

Developing a system to keep customer, service and network records together.