Remotely configurable routers with failover features, and methods and apparatus for reliable web-based administration of same

A system for providing remote secure centralized administration of a plurality of routers, the system comprising:

• at least one storage repository storing a plurality of router configuration profiles, each router configuration profile including a plurality of atomic settings, the plurality of router configuration profiles stored in the at least one storage repository comprising:
• a plurality of first configuration profile types for a first router associated with a first LAN to communicatively couple the first LAN to the Internet;
• for each first configuration profile type, a plurality of first configuration profile variants, wherein respective first configuration profile variants have at least one first different atomic setting;
• a plurality of second configuration profile types for a second router associated with a second LAN to communicatively couple the second LAN to the Internet;
• and
• for each second configuration profile type, a plurality of second configuration profile variants, wherein respective second configuration profile variants have at least one second different atomic setting;
• and
• a Device Management Server (DMS), comprising:
• at least one WAN communication interface to facilitate the transfer of data packets between the DMS and the Internet, the at least one WAN communication interface identified by a first web domain identifier associated with a first web domain that includes the DMS;
• a memory to storing processor-executable instructions;
• and
• a DMS processor communicatively coupled to the at least one WAN communication interface and the memory,
• wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the DMS processor, the DMS processor:
• A) electronically accesses at least some of the router configuration profiles stored in the at least one storage repository;
• and
• B) provides a web-accessible router configuration portal, via the first web domain identifier associated with the first web domain, to facilitate creation of at least a first hybrid configuration profile for the first router based at least in part on at least one of;
• first respective atomic settings of at least some of the plurality of first configuration profile variants;
• and
• second respective atomic setting of at least some of the plurality of second configuration profile variants.

A server for configuring a remotely configurable router on a computer network, the server comprising:

• a memory to store a plurality of routers configurations, each router configuration profile in the plurality of router configuration profiles representing a configuration of a particular router on the computer network at a particular instant in time;
• a processor, operably coupled to the memory, to generate a hybrid router configuration profile based on at least two router configuration profiles in the plurality of router configuration profiles;
• and
• a network interface, operably coupled to the processor, to provide the hybrid router configuration profile to the remotely configurable router via the computer network.

A server for maintaining a plurality of remotely configurable routers on a computer network, the server comprising:

• a network interface to intermittently receive, via the computer network, indications of router configuration profiles of respective remotely configurable routers in the plurality of remotely configurable routers;
• a memory, operably coupled to the network interface, to store a plurality of router configuration profiles for each remotely configurable router in the plurality of remotely configurable routers, each plurality of router configuration profiles comprising different router configuration profiles of a respective remotely configurable router for different instants in time;
• and
• a processor, operably coupled to the network interface and to the memory, to generate a hybrid router configuration profile based on at least one router configuration profile from the plurality of remotely configurable profiles stored for a first remotely configurable router, and at least one router configuration profile from the plurality of remotely configurable profiles stored for a second remotely configurable router, and to provide the hybrid router configuration profile to at least one remotely configurable router in the plurality of remotely configurable routers.