I usually move static assignments outside the DHCP range, but in general, most routers will avoid re-allocating it even if it’s within the DHCP range.

I use Dreamhost, can’t speak to the privacy but the rates are pretty good

Not sure what kind of tinker board you’re working with, but the power of Pis has increased exponentially through its generations. There are tasks that would run slowly on a dedicated Pi2 that ran easily in parallel with a half dozen other things on a Pi4.

The older ones can still be useful, just for less intensive tasks.

Get your SpongeBob-ass casing outta here

I’ve had good experiences with GetSimple. It uses a flat-file structure, and there are lots of themes available.