Will look into fwbuilder but so far was planning to go with a server distro (no GUI) and was hoping to get by using iptables directly for NAT. With regards to bufferbloat, I had run the DSL reports ...
Upgrading from your basic router, whether it was supplied by your ISP or not, is a huge step towards building a more resilient home network. You could get an off-the-shelf router or take the plunge ...