Go4Expert - Dead Laptop/ Baistian server?

I have an AMD hammer laptop, with a dead video card. Recently I've been using it as a WiFi repeater. Its at a friends house some few blocks away, and it jumps me to another friend via micro$oft, internet connection sharing. I can only acsess this machine using remote desktop connection, because as I said dead video.
So, to the point, I would like to configure this machine as a bastion server, between my modem and my router. Which flavor of linux would you recommend to do this best. Keep in mind I must have remote access. I'm not a big fan of ubuntu, and slack under this configuration is like pulling teeth.
P.S. I have an identical laptop that I can set up an os with working video, I can then simply switch over the drive.