I use both a home server and a cloud VM, and they work together. I'm thankfully able to use FreeBSD 14 on my cloud VM (just a preference).
I push data from my home server for easy access on my cloud VM. For example, weather data from my weather station, images/time-lapses from my weather cam. I have no ports open to my home network. Basically just fun stuff without exposing my home network.
I use the cloud VM as an SSH "jump box" into my home network. My OpenBSD box sets up a remote SSH tunnel port. I can then use the SSH -J option to jump through the cloud VM into that home OpenBSD box (as well as chain "jumps" to other home servers).
* This way I don't need any home server to trust a cloud VM.
* This mostly is for checking on my Home Assistant instance.
* I've also fixed some things remotely with an SSH session.
Do I need all this? Well, would be less fun without.
I push data from my home server for easy access on my cloud VM. For example, weather data from my weather station, images/time-lapses from my weather cam. I have no ports open to my home network. Basically just fun stuff without exposing my home network.
I use the cloud VM as an SSH "jump box" into my home network. My OpenBSD box sets up a remote SSH tunnel port. I can then use the SSH -J option to jump through the cloud VM into that home OpenBSD box (as well as chain "jumps" to other home servers).
Do I need all this? Well, would be less fun without.