Airport Extreme
I picked a new Airport Extreme yesterday to replace an aging and somewhat flaky Linksys WRT54G. I never really believed that the Apple touch could extend to routers (it's a router, how much design does could it possibly need?), but now I'm convinced, and as always the most impressive thing is the software accompanying the hardware.
When I first set it up, I noted with some dismay the lack of a web administration interface, which I thought was pretty standard on most modern home routers. What you get instead is this nifty little application:
It enumerates any detected Apple network hardware and walks you through the setup process in a mostly painless fashion. All you have to do is give the app a name for the base station and wireless network, a wireless network password, set some other easy options and you're off to the races. Want more control? There's a "Manual Setup" option that'll let you configure the router to your heart's content -- I needed this to configure port forwarding for my development server so I could access it from places external to my network.
When I first set it up, I noted with some dismay the lack of a web administration interface, which I thought was pretty standard on most modern home routers. What you get instead is this nifty little application:
It enumerates any detected Apple network hardware and walks you through the setup process in a mostly painless fashion. All you have to do is give the app a name for the base station and wireless network, a wireless network password, set some other easy options and you're off to the races. Want more control? There's a "Manual Setup" option that'll let you configure the router to your heart's content -- I needed this to configure port forwarding for my development server so I could access it from places external to my network. What it all comes down to is usability. Sure, I could've probably purchased a more advanced home router with more features/options for a cheaper price, but I don't have the inclination to spend any more of my time configuring such a beast. I want most of my hardware to function like an appliance: plug it in, set a few options and let it do it's thing. Software that accomplishes that while keeping the more advanced options available yet neatly tucked away impresses the hell out of me (compare and contrast with this abomination.)
