Those of our clients who have AT&T DSL probably got talked into purchasing AT&T’s “wireless” networking along with their internet package. This service [sic] comes with about the crappiest network hardware, made by 2wire, with which I’ve ever had the displeasure of working. They have poor wireless range, and lame networking options. Your best bet is to get a wireless router you can be proud of; we typically choose Apple Airport Extremes or Time Capsules, as they are much easier than any others to help a client configure or troubleshoot, even over the phone.
Anyway, to use the 2wire as just a modem, and put another router behind it to make your actual LAN, do the following:
Put main Airport base station in 2wire DMZ (“De-militarized zone”):
- Make sure 2wire is in WAN port of the Airport Base Station.
- Get 2wire system password from sticker on bottom of box.
- surf to 192.168.1.254.
- I can’t find the exact nav links, but navigate to something like Settings > Firewall > Advanced > “Applications, DMZ, etc.”
- (possible that this direct link might work: http://192.168.1.254/xslt?PAGE=J11&THISPAGE=A02_POST&NEXTPAGE=J11)
- You will see a list of connected devices, possibly as a drop-down menu. They will mostly be IP addresses, but the base station should appear with its actual host name. Click on that name.
- Then, below, you will see three options, selectable by radio buttons. The bottom one should be, like, “DMZplus” or “Use device in a DMZ” or “Put this sucker in the DMZ.” Choose that one, and save your settings.
- Reboot the Airport. When it comes back on, it should have a public IP. (You may have to switch wifi networks to check.)
- Return to the 2wire wifi network. Log back into the 2wire and turn off its crappy wireless.
- Return to the Airport network, and configure the base station with Airport Utility according to the needs of the environment.
Finally, unless they have Uverse, suggest to the client that they call AT&T and ask them to turn off wireless on their internet service. They may get a fight, along the lines of “Well, you now own the hardware, and you’d have to pay for the new modem.” I’d ask for the “Retention Department.” I admit that I don’t know how successful this conversation would be. I want to try it sometime when I have extra moments at a client’s site. I’d do it for free, once.
These are screen shots from the earlier model of crappy 2wire hardware: http://www.sbbala.com/uverse/pg2.html. I can’t find any for the newer crappy model, which appears to be the previous piggy software with lipstick on.
I’m not biased against AT&T or anything. Suckas.
jjmarcus tech solutions 