| Tomato is just a Linux-ey system that routes packets and which features an approachable GUI, and an access point is just a system that bridges wireless networks to wired networks. These functions are normally wrapped up in one box in the consumer space, but they're still very different functions. And maybe I'm not doing it right, but I myself haven't used a combined router+wireless box in a fair number of years at home or at the shop. I keep the wired networking+routing back end in one spot where it makes sense, and I keep the wireless access points where they make sense to provide good coverage where I need it. My router just routes, and my wireless access points just provide wireless access. --- So to answer your first question directly: This system lets people use the friendly Tomato system on any old (or new, or whatever) x86 hardware they have. It brings it out of the world of hacks[0] on cheap low-performance embedded Wal-Mart routers and lets a person use it for routing on a much more performant machine. [0]: Not that those things aren't fun. I still have the first standalone router I ever bought -- a Linksys WRT54GS, with Tomato installed, and with an SD card hacked in using a card-edge connector from an old floppy drive cable for expanded storage. |