So while I can recount experience with tools in those days it would be useless to you. So I can give you some general direction and manage expectations, but Peter or someone else would have to give you specifics.

I just know I was doing it for the preceding 10 years with ever increasing expectations that s*** worked and worked well. It was touch and go in the beginning and then it matured about 5 years and then it was a matter of just choosing the cheapest implementation. And there were always free options for home users.