I'm currently using Comcast for my home Internet service. With this service, and only a basic cable modem, I get "naked" Internet access, i.e. just plain Internet service, completely with a public (though dynamic) IP address. I have my own firewall, router, wireless network, etc.
A few years ago I had AT&T DSL. At first, they supplied me with one of those all-in-one devices (2Wire brand I think), which did its own NAT'ing, and combined with my existing home network, my Internet connection was basically double NAT'ed (which is a headache). I got AT&T to swap the all-in-one device for a basic DSL modem, which gave me exactly what I wanted: bare, no-frills Internet service.
Is such a thing possible with U-Verse? I spoke with AT&T a while ago on the phone, and just now with their online chat. It looks like you *must* use their fancy wireless gateway thing, and there is no simple modem equivalent. I haven't actually seen the U-Verse devices, but I'm guessing they are similar to the thing they originally gave me with my DSL service a few years ago.
I'm probably in the minority, as most people probably appreciate a simple device that does it all for them... but I can't be the only geeky guy who likes to do it all my own way.
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