AT&T U-verse → I'm switching from DSL to U-verse internet - questions

I just set up an order to switch from DSL to U-verse for my internet. Metro Atlanta. Next Friday is my switch date.

My setup will be a home run from the NID to the Gateway/modem (as is my current DLS setup). My current Motorola 2210 DSL modem handles the DHCP assignment duties, and I intend to do the same with the 2-Wire.

From the modem my wired setup goes to an Apple time capsule (in bridge mode only) serving as a wifi hub for the house and a wired switch, then back to another switch for the rest of the wired ethernet setup in the house. I have a Directv bridge (3 satellite DVRs using a coax sharing cloud whole-home service), an XBOX, an iMac, a network printer and another PC on the wired network. All work swimmingly today.

A couple of questions:

1) For the xbox360, my current Motorola 2210 is setup to allow xbox live specifically. Is there anything similar I should do on the 2-Wire modem?

2) For the other devices, the 2-wire of course will assign new addresses. I suppose I will need to reboot them or renew their network setups after connection.

3) anything else come to mind?

1. yes. either regular port forwarding or DMZ+

2. yes

3. no.

#2 is actually a "maybe" - if the new gateway/router uses the same address range, you won't need to reboot or renew anything.

//M

The 2Wire modem arrived today. Activation is not until Friday (internet only). I connected the 2Wire to my laptop just to navigate the menus.

I noticed the default DHCP device address assignment range is 192.168.1.63 to 192.168.1.253. Why is it 192.168.1.63 as the default starting point instead of 192.168.1.1?

I will likely disable the wireless as I have a time capsule in a better more central location for the whole home wifi.

For the xbox360, once it is connected and the modem setup after my U-verse is activated, etc, do I go to the individual connected device settings to set up (open ports) to allow xbox live by selecting that device and then the specific gaming option? Or will I need to do anything at all?

The range is set as such for no other good reason other than allowing you to assign static LAN IP addresses in the xx.1 to xx.60 range, with the piece of mind of having no auto DHCP conflicts. Most newer routers with consumer friendly firmware with have default DHCP ranges like that.
If you use the DMZ+ feature on the 2WIRE then your port forwarding for the Xbox will be need to be checked only on the Time Capsule. If you keep the Time Capsule only as an access point or bridge, then you will want to make sure its DHCP server is off and it's set to have a static LAN IP address in that sub xx.63 range. Reference »www.att.com/esupport/art ··· r_iViZJ1 for opening ports on the 2WIRE 3600 if you don't put the Time Capsule in DMZ mode.

My time capsule serves only as a wireless access point, as well as a local ethernet switch. Due to limited number of ports in my current switch, the time capsule is the first stop in my network after the DSL modem that has just the one output. I was then returning a line from the time capsule back to the den area where I have another 5 port switch which serves the rest if my house. But as the 2wire has 4 ports of its own, I will not need that return for the time capsule any more, it can now be on its own network spur. The time capsule dhcp and ppoe are all off. To the network It's only a WAP and switch. The moto 2210 modem handles the dhcp, and I have no static ports assigned - have not needed any so far with dvrs, xbox, laptops, PCs, printer, and smartphones on the network. I will have to learn more about DMZ+ that you refer to. But I was hoping that once the Xbox is connected through the new modem, all I would new to do is select that device on the 2wires management interface and allow the Xbox option for it.

OK. That port forwarding setup/menu for the 3600HGV looks pretty straight forward.

The only question I have is why do I "need" to do the static IP for the xbox? With my moto 2210 DSL modem/router handling my current DHCP duties, I have not had to worry about assigning a static IP to anything. I simply have XBOX Live selected as an allowed gaming option for the network in the 2210's setup.

Just curious about why I would need to do this on the 3600HGV but not the 2210. I wonder - is the router's handling of the port mapping and association truly by IP address, or by the MAC address associated with the particular device's, as its dynamically assigned IP address might vary at any point in time?

(BTW, I've not noticed my device IP addresses ever changing once assigned. - I guess I just have never had anough devices to run through my whole available IP address list and thus had a conflict/reassignment warranted?)

You actually need the Xbox to accept an auto assigned LAN IP address for the 2WIRE port forwarding to work properly.

My U-verse internet is now live and seems to working well.

Xbox live appears to be working fine - I selected the xbox under the Firewall, Applicatiosn tab and set it to allow xbox. IP address set automatically.