said by Rob2647:I to changed the ssid, wireless passphrase and switched it to WPA without any issues. Also changed the router password, different than the passphrase.
Maybe the AT&T tech misunderstood you?
No, what the tech was saying is that if you change the settings then he or any other tech will not be able to follow the normal process of looking on the RG to get the admin password and the WEP Key. If and only if they are physically at your home. These changes have nothing to to with remote access to the RG from the WAN side of the network.
There is no problem with you making these types of changes if you know what you are doing or understand that if you break it, you should be able to fix it...
Often, individuals go in an make changes and in the process they enter the incorrect password or forget what they used for the SSID or other key settings. The only way to recover is for the tech to reset the RG and start over.
Dave