The Raspberry Pi is a single-board, credit card-sized computer that runs Linux, has the normal ports you’d expect on a laptop, and costs around $50. They can be standalone systems for a particular project, servers, or desktop systems.

So, what can you do with one?

Create an NTP time server for your building with a GPS receiver

• https://austinsnerdythings.com/2021/04/19/microsecond-accurate-ntp-with-a-raspberry-pi-and-pps-gps/

Capture packets from a mirror port on a switch

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ih_wjHafrM

Set up a flight monitor using Software Defined Radio

• https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/

Create a large display to show network traffic and other statistics

• https://www.google.com/search?q=raspberry+pi+network+monitoring

Share a Pi with a young relative or child and let them pick a project they’d like to do

• https://learn.adafruit.com/search?categoriesLvl0=Raspberry%2520Pi

Block ads from getting through to your other systems

• https://learn.adafruit.com/pi-hole-ad-blocker-with-pi-zero-w

Connect a Pi to a custom-built electronic circuit

• https://learn.adafruit.com/search?q=GPIO&categoriesLvl0=Raspberry%2520Pi

Monitor your house

• https://learn.adafruit.com/monitor-your-home-with-the-raspberry-pi-b-plus

Set up a portable security gateway/pen testing system/remote network monitoring system

-- Get a Raspberry Pi 4 with at least 4GB of memory and install your favorite Linux distribution on it (look for the “ARM 64”, “aarch64”, or “Raspberry Pi 4” flavor)

• https://www.kali.org/docs/arm/raspberry-pi-4/

Use the Pi to have an inexpensive second system on your desk! Take a look at the Pi 400, especially a kit that comes with all you need except for the monitor for about $100.

• https://www.adafruit.com/product/4796

If you didn’t see a project above that interests you, take a look at the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s website:

• https://www.raspberrypi.org/

[Note: at the time of this writing, the Raspberry Pi’s are hard to find because of the worldwide chip shortage. We hope that by the time you read this, that shortage has eased.]