TV Sticks

The TV stick I use with my old TV (shed and motorhome use) seems to no longer want to connect to the internet, even though I've tried it out in various locations where the internet signal is strong.

Is it broken?

If I buy a replacement stick and go for an Amazon Fire Stick, do I need to have an Amazon Account to get it to download apps or does it work OK "as it comes"?

AFAIK, when you buy a fire stick it gives you the option to link it to the buying account or leave it unregistered.

The other way is to setup a new account just for the stick, so that it has somewhere to update and email apps, but don't add a card or use it for anything else..