Once upon a time (approximately six months ago) our family had an old fashioned stereo cabinet with a receiver, CD player and cassette tape deck. My husband and I knew we were behind the times, but weren’t sure how to update. MP3 player with a dock? Some newfangled wireless router? A quartet set up in the living room corner?

My husband researched (and researched and researched) until he found Airport Express, Apple’s wireless router, and decided it would be the most seamless, least clunky way to play music in our house and pretend that we were actually in the year 2009.

So he ordered it and when it came, plugged it into an electrical outlet behind the stereo and, through iTunes, filled the rooms with Norah Jones, Jack Johnson and Elmo.

I should point out that, though I am a Mac girl through and through, he is a PC man. No matter, AirPort Express works with both platforms.

Airport Express can also help you print wirelessly and, with a DSL or cable modem, can connect up to 10 different computers to the internet in your home (and if you have 10 computers, I don’t want to know about it.)

We’ve had great luck with Airport Express. Occasionally, when I’m trying to access the internet and am simultaneously playing music, the music will drop out while the computer processes. This isn’t all the time, just here and there. It’s annoying, yes. But infrequent. The ridiculously simple Airport Express could still be just right for your family’s wireless needs.