Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Thanks to Plura.sh for sponsoring this video! Book a demo or try it out at https://plural.sh
Kubernetes always looked way too complicated to me - until I actually sat down and set it up. In this video I spin up a full K3S cluster across three Zimaboard 2s, deploy a workload, and show off the load balancing, self-healing, and scaling that makes Kubernetes worth learning.
Whether you're studying for a DevOps role or just want to tinker, your home lab is the cheapest and lowest pressure place to start. Full written guide with all the commands linked below.
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Written Guide: techhut.tv/kubernetes-homelab-k3s-cluster
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0:00 - Kubernetes in the Home Lab
0:46 - K8s vs Docker Compose - Which Should You Use?
1:17 - Hardware Overview: Zimaboard 2
2:12 - Sponsor: Plural
3:48 - Kubernetes Concepts Explained (Nodes, Pods, Services)
4:55 - What is K3S?
5:46 - Prep: Ubuntu & Static IPs on Each Node
6:15 - Installing K3S on the Server Node
6:58 - Getting the Node Token
7:27 - Joining the Agent Nodes to the Cluster
8:24 - Cluster is Up!
9:09 - Deploying Nginx Across All Three Nodes
10:47 - Applying the Deployment YAML
11:55 - Checking Pods, Services & Logs
12:30 - Load Balancing Demo
13:47 - Scaling Pods Up and Down
14:33 - Self-Healing Demo
15:11 - Unplugging a Node (Live Failover Test)
16:32 - Draining a Node Gracefully
17:55 - Wrap Up
Thanks to Plura.sh for sponsoring this video! Book a demo or try it out at https://plural.sh
Kubernetes always looked way too complicated to me - until I actually sat down and set it up. In this video I spin up a full K3S cluster across three Zimaboard 2s, deploy a workload, and show off the load balancing, self-healing, and scaling that makes Kubernetes worth learning.
Whether you're studying for a DevOps role or just want to tinker, your home lab is the cheapest and lowest pressure place to start. Full written guide with all the commands linked below.
📖 RESOURCES
Written Guide: techhut.tv/kubernetes-homelab-k3s-cluster
🏆 FOLLOW TECHHUT
X (Twitter): bit.ly/twitter-techhut
MASTODON: bit.ly/mastodon-techhut
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/techhut.bsky.social
INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/personal-insta
👏 SUPPORT TECHHUT (all links below this line will earn us commission)
BUY A COFFEE: buymeacoffee.com/techhut
YOUTUBE MEMBER: bit.ly/members-techhut
—PAID/AFFILIATE LINKS BELOW—
🛎 RECOMMENDED SERVICES
VPN I USE: airvpn.org/?referred_by=673908
📷 MY GEAR
HARD DRIVES: serverpartdeals.com/techhut
MinisForum Tablet: amzn.to/3SeMmds
Beelink N200: amzn.to/3xZjeQs
Raspberry Pi 5: amzn.to/4f3yUCN
Q1 HE QMK Custom Keyboard: keychron.com/products/keychron-q1-he-qmk-wireless-custom-keyboar?ref=techhut
ASUS ProArt Display: amzn.to/4i4cAKz
0:00 - Kubernetes in the Home Lab
0:46 - K8s vs Docker Compose - Which Should You Use?
1:17 - Hardware Overview: Zimaboard 2
2:12 - Sponsor: Plural
3:48 - Kubernetes Concepts Explained (Nodes, Pods, Services)
4:55 - What is K3S?
5:46 - Prep: Ubuntu & Static IPs on Each Node
6:15 - Installing K3S on the Server Node
6:58 - Getting the Node Token
7:27 - Joining the Agent Nodes to the Cluster
8:24 - Cluster is Up!
9:09 - Deploying Nginx Across All Three Nodes
10:47 - Applying the Deployment YAML
11:55 - Checking Pods, Services & Logs
12:30 - Load Balancing Demo
13:47 - Scaling Pods Up and Down
14:33 - Self-Healing Demo
15:11 - Unplugging a Node (Live Failover Test)
16:32 - Draining a Node Gracefully
17:55 - Wrap Up
