AT&T 2701HG-B 2Wire Wireless Gateway DSL Router Modem

by 2Wire

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001W9ASMS
• Item model number: 2701 HG-B
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 17, 2009

Product Description

This is a used for two weeks Built-in Hyperb 802.11b wireless access point, 4-port 10/100 Ethernet switch and router from 2 Wire AT&T. High-powered Hyperb wireless technology provides faster speeds, fewer cold spots and a high level of mobility. Shares high-speed broadband Internet access, plus files and printers, among multiple computers with or without wiresCompatible with existing 802.11b and 802.11g wireless devices. Supports 64- and 128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption for enhanced security; professional-grade firewall protects personal information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fraud and Fried, June 19, 2010

By 

Thomas J. Busse "Gibarian" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: AT&T 2701HG-B 2Wire Wireless Gateway DSL Router Modem (Electronics)

These routers come with really poor power adapters that are 1) energy inefficient, and 2) overheat. Notice the reviews for failures; most of them come from power failures. Mine was the same. AT&T oversold it to me when I added a DSL line upon moving to my apartment. The router fried about 1 month after the warranty expiration. The power supply itself is 5.1V ... now, how often do you see 5.1V adaptors out there? As if they couldn't engineer the thing to interchange with a $2.00 5V adaptor instead of shilling for $10 to AT&T for a replacement.

More to the point, the wireless network portion is an 802.11g router - meaning it's an older slower technology. If you're going to buy a wireless router nowadays, you should get a faster 802.11n router, which should be back-compatable with 802.11g hardware. Why are they shipping 802.11g routers nowadays when 802.11n has been official since September, 2009, and widely available since summer, 2007?

Not to mention, for the money you spend on this router, you could purchase an identical one with 1) print-server capabilites (meaning you could attach a printer to the router allowing anyone on your wireless network to attach to the router) and/or 2) a port for Network Attached Storage (a backup hard drive or media disk you can avoid attaching and de-attaching to your computer). It also doesn't have the, ahem, ease of use that dodge most makers of routers. Compare Apple's AirPort to make the router function as a bridge (basically a way to extend a wireless router by using it to relay or boost the signal from another router). On an Apple router, you click a box saying "enable bridge mode," on this, you enter VPI 0, VCI 35, disable PCI search, change the connection type, and disable routing...and remember to press save.

The security settings are really funky. I don't envy DSL providers, as it is a tricky technology, but if you ever want to use a service to connect to your computer from the outside world...forget about it. No VPN, no Slingbox, no Back-to-my-mac, no run your own home server, no dynDNS, no zeroconfig...ok, it CAN be done...but the success reports on google are about as common as good reviews of this router/modem/gateway.

Also, if you have a mac, there are frequent reports of hardware compatibility with this router - really, only due to the way-out-there-bizzare default settings. see the discussion at ([...])

By the way, when this fried, I just wanted to get a DSL modem and use my own wireless router (base station). AT&T's next branded DSL modem down cost $70.00 (basically without the wireless network). Now, it had the same specs as another one in the store for $50 that didn't have the special AT&T logo. I got the non-logo one, plugged it in, and it worked perfect. When I did so I discovered my DSL connection was much, much faster. Also, I didn't have any problems with losing my connection every evening at about 11:45 for about 40 minutes without fail. I had this problem when connected to this 2wire router both wirelessly and wired.

I am not a conspiracy theorist by nature, but I did study networking and I can't help but think AT&T makes use of this branded router to shape and limit network traffic.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just bought a THIRD one over the span of 2 years., September 15, 2009

By 

Ray (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AT&T 2701HG-B 2Wire Wireless Gateway DSL Router Modem (Electronics)

I just don't understand how this thing can be so bad, I have never willingly bought a product that I thought "Hey, it would be great if it lasted a year". When it runs, it runs erratically, cutting out at times, working on some computers but not others. I have never seen such a bad modem. It feels as if the product was carved out of the bowels of hell. First time I replaced it for free as it was within the warranty period. Now I have to pay for a new one. For this price, you are only renting it for a year. If you will buy it, keep in mind that you will have to buy another one at a certain point. If you can avoid this product, Do it!

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars problematic AT&T 2Wire HG2701, June 29, 2009

By 

C. Martinez "gardenfpeq" (Turlock, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: AT&T 2701HG-B 2Wire Wireless Gateway DSL Router Modem (Electronics)

AT&T 2701HG-B 2Wire Wireless Gateway DSL Router Modem I had to replace the first one immediately; it only lasted less than 2 years. Now this new one is failing within the first week. This is a bad product.