Connecting a netgear wireless router to a 2wire

Before you connect the netgear router to your 2wire modem, you have to get the modem configured first. you did not include the firmware version of your modem (firmware version is found at the UI, go to gateway.2wire.net, click on the system icon.) for firmware version less than 3.7, go to homeportal/management, click on configure services, uncheck enable routing, then click on submit. for version 3.7 or higher, go to homeportal/management, click on configure under broadband link, put a dot in disable pvc search, set VPI to 0 & VCI to 35, the connection type box should be direct IP, then click on submit. then go to configure services, uncheck enable routing box, then click submit. you will notice the broadband link on the 2wire modem turn orange/amber, then you have successfully set the modem to bridged mode. that way you can now connect the router according to manufacturer's instructions (or just read the manual for the netgear router....)

Are the router addresses assigned on the same subnet?
many routers have a base address of 192.168.0.1 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 meaning all addresses 192.168.0.? are part of their network.

One problem can be that both routers can be using the same subnet -- not an issue if they are connected to different connection points (such as two different houses) on the internet. However when connected to each other in your house they are confused because they have the same two different networks with the same addresses. -- for slightly different reasons --

For those that want you to connect from one router to the wan of the other you need to assure the base addresses are in different subnets -- assuming the one connected to the internet is addressed as 192.169.0.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 his network as stated before is all addresses 192.168.0.?. Change the second router to a base address of say 192.168.2.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 his network is everything staring 192.168.2.? they are now different and it should work. On the wan side of the router you can assign a unique 192.168.0.? address not in the DHCP range of the first router or accept a dynamic IP address from the first router. The dynamic address is probably the easier and less problematic of the solutions.

For those wanting you to connect to a lan port and ignore the wan port they should also have asked you to turn off DHCP in the second router (where you do not use the wan port) and allow the first to do all the dynamic network address assignments. In this case you could have two DHCP servers on the network competing to assign possibly the same network addresses -- if they have overlapping ranges duplicate addresses could be assigned resulting in device connection issues for those with duplicate addresses. Even in this case you may need to assure the gateway addresses are unique on the network ie of both routers are addressed as 192.168.0.1 the second where the WAN is not used could become 192.168.0.2 (where that address is not in the active DHCP server's assignment range) or 192.168.2.0 (note the DHCP server had better be off or else the empty wan port 192.168.2.0 could become the "gateway" address of attached PCs and since there is no connection there will be no access to the internet.

I hope this helps

It is quite likely either solution could work if all the proper changes were made.

2wire sucks balls. I suggest you throwing that **** in the garbage and getting a real modem and router.