Just in case: So-net is Sony's ISP in Japan. If you haven't lived there and used their services, this doesn't affect you.

Not saying Sony doesn't have a lot they need to fix or anything, just don't freak out unnecessarily. End PSA.

Oh yeah, seconding the recommendation for GL.iNet routers with OpenWrt (technically their slightly modified fork but it's very close to stock) preinstalled as an easy way to get your feet wet. They're pretty nifty little travel routers, good to have if you don't already make a habit of putting something between your gadgets and hotel wifi.

I'm running it on an OpenWrt One and loving it. Not the best perf-per-dollar hardware but it does what I need at the moment, is completely open, and supports the project.

There's a learning curve for sure. You might consider buying the cheapest possible router that supports it and experimenting with that on the side before overhauling your main network. $30-40 (or cheaper used) for the peace of mind of knowing you aren't completely up the creek if something goes wrong.

I didn't know about Redcore, looks like a pretty neat easy onboarding for the Gentoo madness. Thanks for the link.

Caveats about kernel slop apply, but regarding distro policy itself: Gentoo, or consider escaping to something like NetBSD.

Lunar

Seconding these on Sega CD. Great times.