Check the CPU, every NUC has a different one. An 11th gen i3 (i3-1115G4) will generally offer better performance than a N100 but a N100 may offer slightly better power efficiency since it was designed for it and is newer. Also when keeping in mind power draw and thermal efficiency, newer CPUs will usually do better. I personally would stear clear of older machines for that reason.
Install linux somewhere, ssh to it and set up a web sever and an ftp server. Access it locally and then access it from the internet. This should be your first goal. It will make you comfortable with the command line and linux. You can try a montero node then.
ChatGPT will be able to help with the basic stuff like how to check logs, configs, or what SSH is or how to set it up.