Uverse 2wire 3801 HGV router and Linksys E4200v2 Router!

[abhi.ko]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, but have been a regular reader of the reviews and threads on the site/forum. I am not a complete newbie to networking, but I'm no expert either. I have basic working knowledge! I recently switched my ISP from Comcast to AT&T U-Verse, and I'm pretty happy with the connection/speed etc so far, it has only been 2 days!

Started this thread because I want to make sure that what I'm going to do is pretty much the right thing to do! These are my hardware equipment:

1) ISP Router/Modem: 2Wire 3801HGV
2) Old Router: Netgear WNR834B - not planning to use this as a router anymore, maybe as a switch upstairs!
3) New Router: Cisco Linksys E4200v2 - planning to use this as my new new router, bought it mainly because of the great reviews everywhere and also because I wanted a USB port for my WD My Book Essential 3TB
4) Switch: TRENDnet TEG-S50G - used at my media console to plug in all my media equipment, input through a RJ-45 wall socket powered by the VSDN line and output to my AMD Llano HTPC, Roku, Yamaha Reciever and PS3. This is hooked up right now and is working fine, the 2Wire router/modem is hooked up at the other end of the wall!
5) Powerline AV Adapter:NETGEAR XAVB101 used in the media console upstairs, for my Google TV and X-Box Kinect (X-Box at the moment is using wireless, but I would like to make it wired using the old Netgear router as a switch if I can)!

That is about it (I believe), so essentially everything except for my wife's and my laptop is going to be wired, one way or the other! Those 2 would be the only wireless clients!

My questions are all related to the ISP provided router/modem (2Wire):
1) I would like to disable the routing features of this and use it just as a modem and use my Linksys as the router instead, would that be the best way to go, or should I use the 2Wire as a bridge! How do I do that?
2) The power line adapter would work with this new setup right?
3) How about throughput, how can I test it to see what it is before and after?
4) AFAIK the 2Wire does not have gigabit LAN ports on it, but the Linksys does, so would it be better to connect the linksys to the wall socket to power the switch on the other end (right now the router is not connected at all, so the 2Wire is directly connected to the ethernet socket on the wall and that feeds internet to the switch and the other devices)!
5) Does anyone know of a router with a USB 3.0 port available in the market right now, or is soon to be launched?

Thanks a ton in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer these questions and help me configure this!

It might be helpful to know that I currently still have my old ISP connection intact and use that on my desktop and the power line upstairs. So I have 2 ISP's currently which I plan to change tonight after I get home from work!

So there it is, sorry about the long post, but I wanted to give you all as much information as possible, if there is any confusion or if you need more information I'll be happy to help you with it, just let me know!

Thanks!

 

[abhi.ko]

Anyone here who can give me something to start with, I found this looking online - Guide.

But still unsure whether to set up the 2Wire as a basic modem or to use it as a bridge, also waiting on the other questions to be answered.

Please post your opinions!

 

[overdrive31]

1. Actually you may just want to bridge the modem, try this. Bridge mode shouldn't require changing your default linksys subnet. RG as modem, I would think, would conflict using the default linksys subnet requiring you to change the subnet of the linksys.

2. Yes

3. Should be the same internet wise, but maybe better for wireless N clients. Testing local speeds, it's definitely going to be better for wired devices using gigabit.

4. Yes the 2wire does not have gigabit, anything behind the linksys even over cat5e should perform as gigabit just fine.

5. Just these: DIR-827 and DIR-857

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

"DMZ Plus Mode"....basically you tell the 2Wire to put the WAN interface of your own router on the outside.

Setup a computer behind your own router..log into its web admin..change its LAN IP so it is NOT in the 192.168.1.xxx range...meaning, make it 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.10.1 or 192.168.9.1 or 10.1.1.1 .or...well..you get the idea...s'long as it's NOT 192.168.1.something. Apply that setting...release/renew your computers IP.

Connect WAN port of your own router into one of the LAN ports on the 2Wire.
Power cycle the 2Wire..and after a minute...power cycle your own router.
Now...from your computer, log into both your routers web admin...and log into the 2Wire web admin at 192.168.1.254. (Yes you can log into the 2Wires web admin even when you're behind your own router). Notice on the WAN status section of your own router..it will have picked up a 192.169.1.xxx address (make note of this)

On the 2Wire...go to the settings/firewall tab
Go to the Applications/Pinholes/DMZ section below that.

See the list of devices connected to the 2Wire (basically what it's DHCP client list is)..you'll see the WAN port of your own router..may be identified by name, may just be it's MAC address and WAN IP address.(the one you made note of earlier)

High light it...and then scroll down towards the bottom of this page..and you'll see a radio button choice for Allow All Applications (DMZ Plus Mode). Click on this...and click on the "SAVE" button.

Now...flip over to your own routers web admin...and release/renew its WAN interface. It should now pick up the public IP address which your 2Wire previously had. The 2Wire is now kinda bridged..passing the public IP to your own device. Sometimes you have to do this a second time to make it stick. Sometimes you have to power cycle both devices..2Wire first...your own router second. I also disable its wireless while I'm in there.

The password for your 2Wire is on a sticker on it somewhere...usually the bottom of it.

 

[abhi.ko]

Well just an update : I did connect the router as the master (as a modem setup in the guide) and changed the settings, my RG GUI was way different than in the guide but the setup was logically the same! It works now! So I disconnected the Comcast modem and everything is connected via the E4200, it manages the whole network, NAT, QoS, Firewall all is via the E4200v2.

I have to be honest I am not very impressed with the router yet, well maybe it is a bit too early, I don't know whether the v2 justifies the $200 price-tag. Right now to me it seems that it works as well as my old Netgear, I don't see a lot of advantages! I'm not a heavy wireless user as you can see, every device is connected wired except for the Gateway NV-79 and another Toshiba laptop is connected wired! Maybe that is why I don't see a huge jump in performance!

I might return this and get a Asus RT- N56U the one I had initially zeroed in on! But I will give it a week before I'll pass my judgement on where to put my money that is one thing I love about Amazon prime, no questions asked return and full refund (no restocking fee like Newegg, no shipping, they will even schedule a UPS pickup from your address free of charge) if within the 30 days window! So will take advantage of that!

But everything works, I have to enable my USB share for the storage and check that when I get home today, the setup was relatively painless! The Powerline also needed to be tested in the evening, I did not have time for that yesterday.

The E4200v2 does not work with the dd-wrt firmware either right? What do you guys think about the N56U?

 

[vitamin]

Well just an update : I did connect the router as the master (as a modem setup in the guide) and changed the settings, my RG GUI was way different than in the guide but the setup was logically the same! It works now! So I disconnected the Comcast modem and everything is connected via the E4200, it manages the whole network, NAT, QoS, Firewall all is via the E4200v2.

Trying to get this work. abhi.ko, are you still around???

I tried the steps in overdrive31's link and it didnt work.

abhi.ko, I believe i am trying to accomplish the same as you were which is, use my 2Wire 3801HGV into bridge mode so that my E4200 will hand all wireless connections.

Help, Help!