How do you put an AT&T 2Wire 3800HGV-B router into bridge mode? So that I can use it with my Apple Time Capsule or Airport Extreme controlling the network?

In this time of strife & conflict amongst Americans, it is wonderful that there is one thing that we can all unanimously agree on: that AT&T sucks.

Now look, I’m not saying that Verizon is any better (they’re far worse, actually), but I think that AT&T is the company that sets the bar for being SUCKABLE to which all corporate conglomerates strive to achieve.

After spending 2 hours on hold or being transferred amongst various AT&T representatives in India who didn’t understand a thing about what I was trying to do, and after scouring the useless users manual for any hint of a solution, and after searching multiple online forums for people frantically searching for the same answers as me… I finally had to just roll up my sleeves, dig in, and figure it out for myself (with the help of my great clients at Aware Awake Alive).

All I wanted to do was something very simple for my clients:

Put a router (the 2Wire 3800HGV-B router, commonly used for AT&T U-Verse installations) into bridge mode, so that an Apple Time Capsule (or an Airport Extreme) could control the NAT on the network instead of the 2-Wire router controlling the network.

Super-simple, right?

Not according to the 3 Indian representatives and 1 American representative I spoke to at AT&T. They all told me that this wasn’t a configuration that they supported… that you can’t use any other routers on your network except their own. Well, of course, they’re morons because of COURSE it can be done.

And actually, it is very simple, once you know where to look.

To put your 2Wire 3800HGV-B router into bridge mode, all you have to do is this:

1. Use your computer to get on the same network as your 2Wire router, either wireless or hardwired in with an Ethernet cable.

2. Go to your web browser and type in 192.168.1.254, which will take you to the 2Router administration page.

3. Log in with the password printed on the side of your router.

4. Go to Settings>System Info>Event Notifications, and check the box called “Router-Behind-Router Detection” then click “Save”.

5. Restart your 2Wire router (one of the screens gives you a restart button… sorry, I didn’t document which screen it was on). Alternatively, if you surf to any web page, you MIGHT get a 2Wire warning asking you if you’re sure you want to configure your router. Just ignore the warning, tell it to go ahead and do the configuration, and it will restart your router for you.

6. You’re all set! Now you can plug your Airport Extreme or your Time Capsule (or Airport Extreme) into one of the “Local Ethernet” ports on the back of the 2Wire router, and your Time Capsule is now in charge of your network (after you configure your Time Capsule properly). Your Apple router is now in charge of all NAT and port forwarding.

Note: This procedure may or may not work with other models of 2Wire router as well, depending on what firmware those routers are running.

One final note about configuring U-Verse in your home: We also had real difficulty figuring out which ports to plug the split RJ-11 DSL wires into on the 2Wire router. The solution involved LEAVING ONE OF THE RJ-11 DSL WIRES UNPLUGGED FROM THE 2WIRE ROUTER. Only ONE of the RJ-11 DSL wires gets plugged into the 2Wire router, and it gets plugged into the “Phone Line” port instead of the “Broadband” port. You have to leave the “Broadband” port completely empty in order for the 2Wire modem to work properly. Then, plug your telephone into the “Lines 1 & 2″ port. Leave the “Alt Line” port empty. Also, we figured out that your U-Verse TV service will not work unless ALL components (video and audio) are turned ON. We turned off the stereo which provided the audio to the TV, and it completely cut out the TV service. When the stereo came back on, the TV service came back on.

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