Who invented the Linux based wireless router?

mtaht writes: I've just had the interesting experience of being deposed to talk about one of the first embedded Linux based wireless routers. Our (free!) 1998 publication of howto to make one predates patent #7035281, filed September 13, 2000, (by someone else!). Their patent was recently granted and is now being disputed in court, in part, using our howto as an example of prior art (yea!). The lawsuit continues on... the case goes before a judge shortly, and a jury trial is tentatively scheduled for the spring. I find myself plagued with the question:

So... who invented the embedded Linux based wireless router? What relevance does "who" have, when there is such an enormous confluence of ideas from thousands of people? What constitutes invention, anyway?