Are there any limitations when using AirPort Express in a Windows environment?

Question

I have 3 windows based pcs (laptops) on my home network that all connect via a wireless router. I have been through 3 wireless routers in 6 months and have found them to all be complete shit. They inevitably flake out and drop connections (even though I live in a 600 square foot basement suite).

I am willing to shell out the cash for whatever wireless router will be bulletproof. I have heard good things about Airport Extreme. I am a very technical person as I am a Java developer for a living, is Airport Extreme right for me?

I will not have a Mac on my network in the foreseable future so all administration of the router will have to be done on my Windows Vista (32 bit) machine or one of the Windows 7 machines (x64).

Answer 1

Apple offers the software AirPort Utility for Windows, which is required to configure the router (there's no web-interface). Apart from that there are no limitations to Windows machines. However, I have no idea how good the software for Windows is. On the Mac it's great and easy to use, as you'd expect.

As you say you're a technical person: the AirPort itself doesn't offer many options, it just runs (since more than 3 years for me now, without problems). So if you plan to put linux on the router and do some crazy firewall, natting, whatever that is more than standard, it's definitely nothing for you. It's not a toy.