I’d suggest going with OpenWRT One router instead. Also, I don’t recommend a laptop with just 16GB of RAM these days, 32GB or more is a better target, especially for development or multitasking. Models like the ThinkPad T480, T14, or X1 Carbon are solid choices and can often be found on eBay for under $400. Aside from that, the rest of his guide looks solid.
Discussion
last year i bought mac air m3 but just 16Gig and its working okay. it can use aome swap as well dynamically as and when its required. i should have gone for more ram now you cant upgrade.