No longer with AT&T but want to use their modem/routers

[ronseg]

Hello,
I have an AT&T Westell 327W and a 2Wire 2701HG router/modem that I would like to convert to access points. I can not get to the configuration page since I don't have an IP address other than the one I'm now connected to. Any help as to how to get to a configuration page would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[eibgrad]

Then change your desktop/laptop TCP/IP configuration to use the same network as the devices.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/25949-42-change-address-windows

 

[ronseg]

Then change your desktop/laptop TCP/IP configuration to use the same network as the devices.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/25949-42-change-address-windows

Could you be more specific. What do you mean?

 

[ronseg]

Hello,
I have an AT&T Westell 327W and a 2Wire 2701HG router/modem that I would like to convert to access points. I can not get to the configuration page since I don't have an IP address other than the one I'm now connected to. Any help as to how to get to a configuration page would be appreciated. Thanks

Part of my problem is that I now have a 2 Wire 3801 HG router that has the same IP address as one that configures the Westell or old 2 Wire. Therefore, when I attempt to configure either of the old routers, I am actually configuring the modem/router that I am now using.

 

[eibgrad]

You said you couldn't connect to the configuration pages of those devices because you're on a different network from them. But nothing says you can't manually reconfigure your desktop/laptop w/ the same network so you CAN reconfigure them.

For example, let's say you're using a wireless router and the network is 192.168.1.x, and your PC is assigned the IP address 192.168.1.100. But the 2wire is using the 192.168.254.x network and is assigned the IP address 192.168.254.1. That makes the 2wire inaccessible. Then simply change your IP address to the same network but using a different IP address than the 2wire (e.g., 192.168.254.2). So now you can communicate w/ it.

 

[eibgrad]

Part of my problem is that I now have a 2 Wire 3801 HG router that has the same IP address as one that configures the Westell or old 2 Wire. Therefore, when I attempt to configure either of the old routers, I am actually configuring the modem/router that I am now using.

Configure them offline, with a desktop/laptop connected directly to the device.

 

[ronseg]

You said you couldn't connect to the configuration pages of those devices because you're on a different network from them. But nothing says you can't manually reconfigure your desktop/laptop w/ the same network so you CAN reconfigure them.

For example, let's say you're using a wireless router and the network is 192.168.1.x, and your PC is assigned the IP address 192.168.1.100. But the 2wire is using the 192.168.254.x network and is assigned the IP address 192.168.254.1. That makes the 2wire inaccessible. Then simply change your IP address to the same network but using a different IP address than the 2wire (e.g., 192.168.254.2). So now you can communicate w/ it.

eibgrad

Thanks for taking the time to attempt to help me. I have been working with computers since 1985 but I don’t understand this aspect. Please bear with me.

I have two modem/routers that were supplied by AT&T when I had DSL. I now have
U-verse from AT&T. AT&T’s IP address is 192.168.1.254. When I enter that IP address in my browser, I can see my: computer’s, phoneline, and tablet IP addresses which range from 192.xxx.x.65 to 192.xxx.x.71. Any changes that I would make to the modem/router would be the U-verse router not the old modem/routers. I don’t think I could change the IP addresses of my computer from the AT&T site could I? The router/Gateway Address is 192.168.1.254; the subset mask is 255.255.255.0; The Private Network DHCP Range is 192.xxx.x.64 - 192.xxx.x..253 What I want to do is change the configuration of the old modem/routers to act as access points which according to other internet blogs is possible. I have reset the Wetell modem/router but I can not get to any configuration page since I get a timeout message when I try to log onto 192.168.2.1 which is supposed to be a configuration page. (I have the Westell connected by a Ethernet cable to a laptop that is connected wirelessly to my U-verse modem/router). It automatically searches for “lauchmodem” which it can not find. What do I need to do in order to access the configuration page of the old modem/routers to change them to access points so that I can extend my wireless range? Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks in advance for any suggestions. The more complete the answer the better.

 

[eibgrad]

Ok, perhaps we need to take this back to basics.

The fact your computer is currently connected to the Uverse modem+router is completely irrelevant. Nothing says you can’t DISCONNECT your computer from that device! That’s what I’m trying to get across to you.

Put the Uverse modem+router COMPLETELY out of your mind. In fact, if it helps, turn it OFF. Disconnect the ethernet cable (or wireless connection) you have to it from the computer. Now you have nothing but a computer standing there connected to NOTHING.

Now take one of those other modem+routers and connect it to the computer over an ethernet cable and reboot the computer. It will connect to the device and receive a TCP/IP configuration on ***that*** device’s network, whatever that may be, because it will use the DHCP server it offers to configure your computer, automatically. No, it won’t be able to get you connected to the internet. But all you’re trying to do is get connected to that device and reconfigure it (which will include giving it an IP address on your new Uverse modem+router’s network and disabling its DHCP server).

Now do the same thing w/ the second modem+router. Connect it to your computer, reboot the computer, and reconfigure it.

Finally, connect your computer back to the Uverse, reboot the computer, and patch the modem+routers you just reconfigured to the Uverse as well. If done correctly, you should be able to access all the devices and have internet access again.

You’re making this way too difficult for yourself. You keep thinking (erroneously) that somehow, for some reason, you need to stay connected to your new Uverse modem+router to accomplish this task, which is NOT the case. You’re over-thinking the problem and just getting confused in the process.

 

[ronseg]

Ok, perhaps we need to take this back to basics.

The fact your computer is currently connected to the Uverse modem+router is completely irrelevant. Nothing says you can’t DISCONNECT your computer from that device! That’s what I’m trying to get across to you.

Put the Uverse modem+router COMPLETELY out of your mind. In fact, if it helps, turn it OFF. Disconnect the ethernet cable (or wireless connection) you have to it from the computer. Now you have nothing but a computer standing there connected to NOTHING.

Now take one of those other modem+routers and connect it to the computer over an ethernet cable and reboot the computer. It will connect to the device and receive a TCP/IP configuration on ***that*** device’s network, whatever that may be, because it will use the DHCP server it offers to configure your computer, automatically. No, it won’t be able to get you connected to the internet. But all you’re trying to do is get connected to that device and reconfigure it (which will include giving it an IP address on your new Uverse modem+router’s network and disabling its DHCP server).

Now do the same thing w/ the second modem+router. Connect it to your computer, reboot the computer, and reconfigure it.

Finally, connect your computer back to the Uverse, reboot the computer, and patch the modem+routers you just reconfigured to the Uverse as well. If done correctly, you should be able to access all the devices and have internet access again.

You’re making this way too difficult for yourself. You keep thinking (erroneously) that somehow, for some reason, you need to stay connected to your new Uverse modem+router to accomplish this task, which is NOT the case. You’re over-thinking the problem and just getting confused in the process.

 

[ronseg]

Thanks for your help. I'm going to do this now. Now I understand. Sorry to be so dense. What I'm going to do is connect to the modems with my laptop that has the wireless connection disabled. It therefore won't have any internet capabilities. Rebooting is probably the key that I wasn't doing before. Thanks again, ron

 

[ronseg]

It worked up to the point where it needs to have DSL connected which I don't have now. Unless you know of a work around, I'm stumped. The only thing I can think of is trying it at someone's house that has DSL

 

[eibgrad]

Now I don't understand. What worked? Did you get the other two routers configured? Tell me exactly what you did.

 

[ronseg]

Now I don't understand. What worked? Did you get the other two routers configured? Tell me exactly what you did.

I was almost able to get to a config page but I was stopped because the software couldn't find a DSL line which I no longer have. I've been unable to find any firmware that would eliminate the DSL problem. Also, I checked dd-wrt and that doesn't work with the Westell or 2 Wire modems. I did understand how to connect thanks to your input. Now I'm thinking that if I find a friend that has DSL, I could temporarily use theirs at their house to change my config. The modem/router may still look for a DSL afterwards, but I suspect that it's worth a try, unless you have any other suggestions. I did not attempt to change the 2 Wire yet.

 

[eibgrad]

How do you know that the lack of a DSL connection prevented access to the config page? That seems extremely odd, esp. since it may be necessary at times to pre-configure the router to actually get it connected to the DSL line (e.g., configure PPPoE w/ username/password). That just doesn't sound right. Something else is amiss here. All the config page is is a webserver that gives you access to the router's configuration. I can't see why that would be prevented until you had a DSL connection.

 

[ronseg]

How do you know that the lack of a DSL connection prevented access to the config page? That seems extremely odd, esp. since it may be necessary at times to pre-configure the router to actually get it connected to the DSL line (e.g., configure PPPoE w/ username/password). That just doesn't sound right. Something else is amiss here. All the config page is is a webserver that gives you access to the router's configuration. I can't see why that would be prevented until you had a DSL connection.

I was able to log into the "site" "web page" with my password and user ID from AT&T. I went to the second screen where it balked because there wasn't a DSL line connected. I was unable to do anything else except disconnect. My understanding from reading different web sites, Bell South, AT&T, Canada phone, and perhaps others, that they put on a special firmware that restricts the router/modem usage to just their use. I have not been able to find an original Westell firmware. I didn't attempt anything with the 2 Wire thinking it would behave the same way, but I'll check it out just to be sure. Thanks

 

[eibgrad]

Well, I can see what the problem is then. Yeah, if the vendor is locking down the firmware to prevent tampering, that pretty much rules out the reuse of these devices. Not unless you can reinstall the original firmware, which may or may not be possible.

 

[ronseg]

Best answer selected by ronseg.

 

[ronseg]

Thanks again for all your help. I didn't get any notice of your reply until today.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

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