Builder energy meets practical guides. I curate resources, run projects, and share the playbooks behind LANs, servers, and creative tech.
TekTinkers has gone through many names, revisions and changes. These have all had a significant impact on learning how to make the next version better. Starting as just a basic white html page to give my kids and their friends links to resources and notes, like how to log into the Garage LAN’s Wi-Fi, TekTinkers now highlights a collection of resources and activities that have been added over the years.
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As a single parent, I initially dismissed the idea of online gaming. But after buying Minecraft keys, one for each of my kids, I quickly realized how much they valued shared digital experiences. They wanted a persistent online world they could access anytime, but the setup required one of them to keep their computer running. So, I decided to build a dedicated server.
I dusted off an old PC and dove into learning Windows, security protocols, networking basics, and router configurations. Once the server was operational, the kids asked to open it up so their friends could join from school and beyond. That led to deeper lessons in advanced networking, security, routing, and DNS. We launched our first public server.
To support real time communication, I configured a second, smaller PC to run a voice server. Eventually, the kids wanted to host gaming parties, and with guidance from my mentor at the Small Business Administration, we converted the garage into a full LAN center.
From there, the challenges grew: managing network lag for both local and global users, troubleshooting hardware issues, comparing operating systems, choosing the right software stack, and dealing with ISP limitations, 35 Mbps up, 250 Mbps down. I constantly researched new technologies to improve performance and reliability.
That journey led me to formal education. The garage LAN setup inspired me to enroll in Network Administration courses. Everything I learned in class was immediately applied to our home infrastructure, which had expanded far beyond its original scope. Classmates came to the garage to learn. Professors even organized field trips so students could see a live cloud environment in action.
It’s been a fascinating and rewarding experience. Now, I’m focused on finishing my education, earning my diploma, and pursuing new dreams built on the foundation of hands on learning and real world application.
On November 2, a team of gamers ran a 10-hour Twitch livestream playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and raised over $72,000 for the non-profit organization, Boot Campaign.
Gaming marathons to benefit children’s hospitals via Extra Life.
Setup, administration, and teardown for an overnight eSports fundraising event at Horizon Church.
Nov 2017 — Setup, administration, and teardown for a weekend gaming fundraiser and Star Wars Battlefront II release party at Mango’s.
Volunteered to setup, run, and teardown 100–500 person LANs with LANFest. Helped raise money for Make-A-Wish.
2017 — Repainted a graffiti-covered wall near the school to clean up the area. Invited the artists to help and contribute positively to the community while the “Gaming Garage” was open.
Razer reached out and offered a sponsorship to help reduce overall costs of our favorite peripherals.
The Sincerest Thank You of all!
After asking where to purchase a fridge to put in the Garage LAN for my kids and their friends to grab drinks from, Coke replied, “Hold my Coke” and sent one!
Thank You So Much!
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