I also had an MkLinux machine I used as semi-production machine from ~96-99. I was able to get a Cable Modem in early '96. Back then ISPs only supported single machines directly connected to the modem, so I found an old Power 6100/60, installed MkLinux on it, and used it as a dedicated nat box.

There wasn't free list hosting or chat back then either (ISPs used to charge you to host a listserv!), so I got sendmail, majordomo, and ircd running on it. I even provided pop3 and smtp services for some of them who did not have their own internet accounts. As I recall getting ircd working on the platform was pretty challenging to me as a teenager.

My friends kept in touch using the chat and mail servers on that machine for years.