New AT&T DSL Service, Actiontec GT701D Modem
Recently AT&T was running a deal where their 6Mbps DSL service is $20 a month for an entire year, then $45/mo after that (they might still be running it). I was paying about $65/mo for cable modem service through Comcast, so even after buying the modem, this will save me about $500 the first year, and $240 every year thereafter. Slightly slower service, but really that’s a no-brainer for me.
The default modem that AT&T recommends is the Motorola 2210. According to all reviews I’ve read about this modem, it overheats and dies a little over a year after setup. So searching for alternatives, I found the Actiontec GT701D, which (as an added bonus) was also $30 cheaper. The only downside is that AT&T tech support can’t help much with the setup. I figure I’m handy with computers, so I’ll take the gamble on the cheaper and better modem.
Short story: everything worked out fine (eventually) and now I’m on my DSL connection.
The Actiontec didn’t initially connect up with the automagic detection, so I had to do a bit of snooping. It’s a very good thing that I still had my old ‘net connection running, to do some Google Fu. After a bit of searching I found the right settings. For anyone else out there in this situation, here’s what those settings are:
Username: attreg@att.net
Pass: attreg
VPI: 8 (this is for AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN; other states use 0 for this)
VCI: 35
DSL Mode Setting: ADSL2 (EDIT: after a modem glitch and talking to Actiontec support, this is apparently supposed to be MMODE. No clue why ADSL2 worked before).
ATM QoS class: UBR
Note that the username/password are only for initial setup. You have to go to the registration URL to set up your real username/password. But do note that the password you use for your modem is the alphanumeric string that gets automatically assigned to you, not the one that you type in yourself.
I had the same idea about getting the cheaper/better modem when I bought AT&T DSL, and went with this modem…the only difference is that I’m not proficient with networking. I have the modem setup as your settings suggest, but despite have all 4 modem lights glowing solid green, the internet does not work. Any ideas as to why this might be happening?
Hi James,
My first suggestion would be to plug your PC directly into your modem (as opposed to through a router) and see if that works. You can also try switching between MMODE and ADSL2. What state are you in? If it’s something other than the states listed, be sure to use VPI 0 (zero).
Mike,
Thanks for the reply! I had actually already tried just using Ethernet directly to the gateway instead of wireless with the same results. I could try the ADSL2 setting and see if that works. I’m in NC, so I suppose ’8′ should be right. What about setting up the gateway in bridge mode and having the router set up as PPPoE? Thanks again! If I can’t get it to work, I’ll just get the Netopia 3347 as it seems to not have the same issues as the 2210.