Buying an external US Robotics 56k modem allowed me to get online with RedHat 8 (boxset purchased from Amazon, IIRC), as the PC I had contained a PCI Win-modem with no compatible Linux drivers. It was a friend at school who introduced me to Linux.
Surfing the web at home on Linux in the early 00s felt like I was in niche club :-)
Back in the day, Central Computer carried packaged RedHat and clear vinyl Slackware CD sets. One of the few brick and mortar computer and software store regional chains that still exist in the US, the other being MicroCenter.
I worked at Egghead Software in high school and managed NFR pricing on Netcom. Egghead was one of the first chains to go under because it couldn't compete with the hypermarts like CompUSA and Fry's Electronics, both of which are now also defunct given way to BestBuy and Amazon.
