Why we built Ferqon to be self hosted
Cloud hardware labs sound convenient until your firmware, test logs, and IP leave your network. Self hosting is not nostalgia. It is the only model that matches how hardware teams actually work.
August 3, 2026 · Alejandro Ramirez
Every hardware team has the same quiet fear. Somewhere in the build pipeline, firmware binaries, test logs, or device telemetry are leaving a network they do not fully control.
Cloud hardware labs solve the access problem by moving the problem offsite. You get a browser dashboard, but the price is your IP on someone else's servers, your builds in someone else's queue, and your devices shipped to a facility you have never seen.
Hardware testing does not belong in the cloud
Firmware is not like web software. A web app can be rolled back in seconds. A bricked device may need a factory, a recall, or a truck roll.
The tools for testing firmware should respect that difference:
- The test runner should live next to the hardware
- The firmware images should never leave your network unless you want them to
- The logs should stay on your infrastructure, under your retention policy
- The pipeline should keep working when the internet does not
Self hosting is simpler than it sounds
Ferqon Server runs on a standard Linux machine in your lab. It talks to your boards over USB, serial, or SWD. The web IDE and CLI connect over your local network. You do not need Kubernetes, a cloud account, or a special appliance.
Because it is local first, Ferqon also works offline. Once activated, the server, the devices, and the test runner keep running whether or not your upstream connection is stable.
Free to start, yours to keep
The free tier gives you one active Ferqon Server with unlimited device joins. There is no trial clock, no credit card, and no cloud dependency. When you are ready for more servers, the license is a one time purchase.
Get a free Ferqon license and run your first hardware test pipeline today.