A Reddit user from the r/homelab community repurposed a damaged MSI laptop into a wall-mounted smart home server. The project involved stripping away the screen, keyboard, touchpad, and chassis, leaving only the motherboard, memory, and storage components.
To manage the system, the user utilized the Claude AI tool for deploying the Home Assistant software. The resulting setup allows for the control of household devices, including lighting, air conditioning, curtains, and fans, through a digital floor plan interface.
The hardware is mounted on a wall beneath network equipment, including a Jio broadband gateway and a TP-Link Wi-Fi extender. The system uses the original laptop cooling system, with a WD Green M.2 SATA SSD installed directly into the board.
To address the lack of a physical power button, the user configured the BIOS to enable the Wake on Power function. This ensures the server boots automatically whenever power is supplied, eliminating the need for manual interaction.
This project highlights the potential for repurposing old hardware for home automation tasks. While cost-effective, the open-air design carries risks such as dust accumulation, humidity, and potential physical damage from lack of a protective enclosure.
