Red Bluff, CA
Friendly neighborhood IT. Enterprise-grade brains.
By day I design networks, security, and cloud systems for schools and businesses. Evenings and weekends, I bring the same care to homes in the North State: Wi‑Fi that reaches, media servers that just work, smart homes that behave, and private AI you actually own. Plain answers, no upsell.
What I can do for your house
The fun stuff and the boring stuff. Every one of these gets a real explanation on the services page.
Private AI at home
A capable assistant running on your own machine, trained on your own documents, with nothing leaving the house.
How it works
Smart home that behaves
Lights, locks, cameras, and thermostats working as one system, with local control so it keeps working when the internet doesn't.
How it works
Cut the cord
Your own streaming service: a Synology, Jellyfin, and a library that organizes itself. No monthly bill, no ads, every screen in the house.
How it works
Wi‑Fi and network
Coverage to the far bedroom and the shop, guests and cameras kept off your main network, and failover so an outage doesn't take you down.
How it works
Backups and security
Photos and files that survive a dead drive or a bad click. Password manager, MFA, and a hardened router.
How it works
The everyday fixes
Slow computers, printers, email, Microsoft 365, new-device setup, and giving an old laptop a second life.
How it worksRemote, drop-off, or onsite. Most software problems get fixed remotely while you watch your own screen.
How a job goes
Start with a free call. Then we do the work whichever way is easiest for you.
Ballpark a jobFree discovery call
Email me a few lines about what's going on. We get on a short remote call, figure out what's possible, and I give you a real number before any work starts.
Remote, drop-off, or onsite
Most software problems get fixed remotely while you watch. Hardware jobs, drop the machine off. Wi‑Fi, smart home, and whole-house work, I come to you (2-hour minimum).
Walkthrough and handoff
I show you what changed and how to run it yourself. You pay when the work is done. If I couldn't fix it, you don't pay.
Where the line is
I'd rather tell you what I don't do up front than surprise you at the door.
I set up almost anything you buy
I don't sell hardware, so I have no reason to oversell it. I tell you exactly what to get, then make it work.
- Computers, routers, mesh Wi‑Fi, Starlink
- NAS boxes, printers, streaming devices
- Smart-home hubs, cameras, thermostats
- Anything that plugs into a normal outlet
A few things I leave to licensed trades
Plug-and-play work only. I don't:
- Run low-voltage or in-wall cabling
- Drill into walls, ceilings, or structures
- Work on ladders or at height
- Touch electrical beyond an outlet
Need any of that? I'll point you to a good local pro.
References
Two engineers I've worked alongside, and one very reliable source who lives with me.
"Highly recommend Danny as a top notch engineer and problem solver. He is constantly providing timely solutions, excellent calls with clients, and great recommendations. He knows his craft and is a top performer."
"Danny is an excellent team player and does excellent work putting together designs and ideas for people to present their best interests. I recommend him for any future prospects."
"Pretty much the best human ever. Excellent scritches, ample nom noms, and the Wi‑Fi never drops during my 3 a.m. zoomies. Five stars. Would knock things off his desk again."
Human references via LinkedIn. Local reviews will land here as they come in.
Where I work
Based in Red Bluff. Onsite within about an hour, remote anywhere in the region. Just outside these towns? Ask. If you're close, we'll work it out.
Questions people ask
The plain-English version.
Is the AI stuff for regular people, or just techies?
Both. It ranges from "teach me to use ChatGPT without feeling dumb" to "build me a private assistant that has read all my documents." On the free call I'll show you what's actually useful for your situation and skip the hype.
What does "private AI" mean in practice?
An AI model running on hardware in your house, with no subscription and no data going to a third party. It's a bit slower and a bit less capable than the big cloud services, and for a lot of people that trade is worth it. I'll be honest about which side of that line you're on.
Is "cutting the cord" legal?
Yes. A media server is your own personal streaming service for media you own or have the right to. I set up Jellyfin (or Plex) and the tools that keep a library organized, for legitimately sourced content. I don't help with piracy.
Is remote access safe?
Yes. You approve the session, you watch everything on your own screen, and access ends when we're done. Nothing stays installed with standing access. If something sensitive comes up I'll say what I'm doing and why before I do it.
Do you sell computers or hardware?
No, on purpose. I'll tell you exactly what to buy so you don't overpay, and then I set it up. You keep control and skip the markup.
What if you can't fix it?
Then you don't pay. The discovery call is always free, and if the job's outside what I do I'll say so and point you to someone who does it.
How and when do I pay?
When the work is done, unless we agree otherwise up front. $120 an hour, 1-hour minimum, 2-hour minimum for onsite. Bigger jobs get a short service agreement so we both know what to expect. The estimator will ballpark most jobs.
Tell me what's going on
A few lines is plenty. I'll reply with a time for a free remote call, and you'll have a real number before anything starts.
Chadfi IT runs alongside my day job, so I work evenings and weekends and I'll be straight with you about when I can get to it.
Book a call