Hello linuxuser community! I was keenly interested after trying Linux as server in my P-I/233-32MB box with SAMBA, X-windows,Mail running successfully, to do the things like using older machines work with it in different roles.
I am trying to install/setup router/firewall in one of my old idle 486/DX4 and P-I/133Mhz with 16MB with no HDD and cd-rom. I have NICs ISA-ne2000 and PCI-realtek RTL8029 available. I was using RH6.2 distribution and later tryed RH9 also following some Howtos but no success yet.
Is there any practically working disribution for the above available? What is the minimum space for Kernel+utilities needed for my experiment?

Look into "Wolf" distribution "Howl", it is the thing you are after it will support the 8029 card at least, possibly the other too (does have drivers for at least one ISA NIC). Good for 486 and better.

http://www.woalf.uklinux.net/

edit : unless you use dial-up, in which case you might try the "Wolfpack" distro

freesco immediately comes to mind. (http://www.freesco.org)

Personally I've had very good experiences with floppyfw (http://www.zelow.no/floppyfw/)

CoyoteLinux:
http://www.coyotelinux.com/

i have a very similar setup running with fli4l u can find it here :
http://www.fli4l.de/e_index.htm

Thankx Pres,wijnands,bruno buys and blubbfish. I am on my way to download from links you give and will comeback to tell which one I'd worked with less confusion.

I've had great luck with freesco myself. Very easy to configure, goes step by step for you.

I've download all suggested imades and zips and all of them I successfully made to boot from floppy but so far FloppyFw I managed to make work according to my need. No easy to use setup screen, still it's configurations I edited according to my requirement and that worked after small hiccups due to old HW problems. Thanks you all for showing interest on my post.

Deb