NetworkChuck puts Checkmk Community in the middle of his homelab, then connects Linux and Windows hosts, switches, Docker containers, Proxmox VMs, websites, and custom services. The interesting part of the video is not just the green dashboard. While recording, he discovers a nearly full Ceph SSD pool, a network interface negotiating at half its expected speed, and other problems he had not been watching. He then turns one alert into a Paperclip task that his AI agent handles.
Start with one Checkmk site and one Linux host. Discover services, activate the changes, and test a notification before adding more systems. Use agents for host-level metrics, SNMP for supported network devices, dedicated API integrations for platforms such as Proxmox, and local checks for your own services. The Community edition is free and open source; the broader automation shown in a personal demo still requires setup, credentials, and a safe response policy.
Watch NetworkChuck Build the Monitoring Stack
Credit and disclosure: The homelab, examples, and results are NetworkChuck's. Checkmk sponsored the source video. His sponsor link points to Checkmk; the follow-along repository holds the commands used in the walkthrough. This article adds links to Checkmk's documentation and separates the demonstrated result from setup advice.
Install Checkmk, Then Prove the First Host Works
- Prepare a supported Linux host or VM. NetworkChuck uses Ubuntu. Checkmk maintains a distribution-specific install guide; select a package that matches your Ubuntu release and the Community edition. Do not reuse a versioned package command after it goes stale.
- Create and start a monitoring site. The video uses the `omd` site manager and opens the site's web interface. NetworkChuck's guide supplies the exact commands from his setup; Checkmk's getting-started path explains what comes next.
- Add one Linux host. Install its Checkmk agent, register the host, run service discovery, select the services to monitor, and activate pending changes. Check the agent connection and the first measurements before scanning the rest of the network.
- Test a failure and a recovery. A healthy dashboard only proves current visibility. Send a test notification and confirm that the recovery notification arrives too.
Keep the monitoring interface on an authorized management network, protect the admin login, and back up the site's configuration. The video's “under five minutes” installation is a demo, not a promise that discovery, credentials, alerts, and secure remote access take five minutes.
Match Each System to the Right Check
Linux and Windows hosts
Connection
Install the appropriate Checkmk agent, add the host, discover services, then activate. The agent exposes system and service information beyond a basic ping.
First useful checks
Disk space, network interface speed and errors, processes, and agent health. NetworkChuck's Windows machine surfaced a 5 Gb link where he expected 10 Gb.
Switches, routers, and websites
Connection
Poll supported MikroTik and UniFi equipment through SNMP; add a website host and an HTTP check for availability. A UniFi controller plug-in is also demonstrated via the Exchange.
First useful checks
Port state, negotiated speed, errors, uptime, and page response. Prefer scoped SNMPv3 credentials when supported; limit access to the monitoring network and review third-party plug-ins before installation.
Docker containers and Proxmox VMs
Connection
The Docker plug-in runs alongside the Linux host agent and uses piggyback data for containers. The Proxmox special agent queries the API; Checkmk recommends a dedicated PVEAuditor user.
First useful checks
Container and VM states, host capacity, and stale or missing piggyback data. In Community, verify how hosts are created: automatic dynamic host management is a commercial convenience, not something to assume from piggyback alone.
Ceph, Plex, Home Assistant, and Hermes
Connection
Use built-in checks or an appropriate Exchange package where one exists. For application-specific state, local checks let a script report a named service and status through the host agent.
First useful checks
Ceph capacity, Plex or Home Assistant availability, and whether a Hermes gateway is actually healthy. Test custom scripts with bounded runtime and non-sensitive output before trusting their alerts.
“Monitor everything” means that Checkmk offers several ways to ingest a signal; it does not mean every target is discovered automatically or that every community plug-in is production-ready.
What the Walkthrough Actually Found
At 23:55, NetworkChuck finds a Ceph SSD pool around 97% full while recording. His Windows host exposes a link running at 5 Gb rather than the expected 10 Gb, and the network scan shows a switch port up for one year and 108 days. These are observations in his particular lab, not performance benchmarks for Checkmk. The important lesson is to compare a metric with a known expectation: a healthy-looking device can still have a capacity, speed, or configuration problem.
The walkthrough also shows why the signal needs an owner. A critical label is useful only when someone knows whether it means “investigate today,” “wake me now,” or “known maintenance.” Define thresholds and notification routing per service before the dashboard fills with noise.
From Slack Alert to an AI IT Ticket
NetworkChuck creates a Checkmk notification rule that sends an alert and recovery to Slack at 30:08. He then filters a second rule to the Hermes gateway and sends it to his Paperclip-based AI IT department. In the staged test, he stops the gateway, a task appears, and an agent he calls Ron restarts it. He verifies the gateway is running afterward. This demonstrates one repair path on an intentionally broken service, not reliable autonomous incident response across a whole network.
The Checkmk REST API can let an automation account read or change monitoring configuration. The video gives an agent administrator rights; that is a high-trust choice. For a first deployment, let the agent read an alert, gather evidence, and draft a ticket. Require human approval before restarts or configuration changes, grant only necessary permissions, rotate credentials, and verify recovery with an independent check.
Follow-Along Guides and Related Videos
- NetworkChuck's Checkmk guide: commands and setup notes from the video.
- Checkmk via the sponsor link: Community download and trial entry point. Check the current edition comparison before budgeting.
- Official documentation: installation, agents, SNMP, Docker, Proxmox, local checks, notifications, and REST API.
- Checkmk Exchange: community plug-ins, including UniFi options; inspect compatibility, maintenance, and permissions.
- Checkmk source: the Community project and edition overview.
For the agent handoff shown at the end, watch NetworkChuck's Paperclip team setup and Hermes agent setup. They are companion videos, not prerequisites for basic monitoring.
Jump to the Part You Need
| Time | Topic | Time | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Why monitor the whole lab | 00:53 | Install Checkmk |
| 03:00 | First Linux host | 07:16 | Network and SNMP |
| 10:49 | Docker piggyback data | 16:47 | Proxmox API |
| 20:24 | Websites | 22:15 | Windows host |
| 23:55 | Ceph and drives | 25:27 | UniFi plug-in |
| 27:18 | Custom Plex/Home Assistant checks | 28:56 | Hermes local check |
| 30:08 | Slack alerts | 31:11 | Paperclip IT ticket |
| 32:23 | REST API and agent access | 33:30 | One dashboard |
| 34:40 | Final thoughts |
Business Idea: Sell Visibility, Not a Dashboard
A small business might pay to know when its booking site, backup, or office server is failing before a customer reports it. The useful offer is a tightly scoped monitoring pilot with an owner, a response rule, and proof that the alert arrived. Use this prompt in any AI assistant to test the idea before buying tools or promising 24/7 support.
Three systems, one useful alert
Scope a seven-day monitoring service pilot.
Sources and Limits
Creator: NetworkChuck's sponsored walkthrough and his command guide. Product: Checkmk Community, editions/downloads, Docker, Proxmox, local checks, and REST API documentation. Hardware readings and the agent restart are creator-observed examples in one environment. Features, edition limits, and Exchange packages can change; check current documentation before reproducing the setup.