It has been a while since I actually had to configure a 2Wire (but yes I have and many others), the default that you show above is a class C address with a Class B subnet allowing for a huge number of host addresses (hardly necessary with only two machine on the network).
Ideally, you would want to configure the lan side of the 2Wire as 192.168.1.1 and disable DHCP (if you have no visiting laptops) and then the other two machines as 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3 both with a subnet of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1 and DNS server address of 192.168.1.1
Am I really in a position to specify all that given the ATT 2-Wire interface which looks like:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Network:
If you change the IP address range, you must renew the DHCP lease on all devices on the network.
@ 192.168.1.0 / 255.255.255.0 (default)
@ 172.16.0.0 / 255.255.0.0
@ 10.0.0.0 / 255.255.0.0
@ Configure manually
Router Address: _______________
Subnet Mask:
@ Enable DHCP
First DHCP Address: ______________
Last DHCP Address: ______________
@ Default DHCP Pool
Set DHCP Lease Time: 24 hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
where @ is a check-box/radio-dingleberry?
although you might consider actually using the DNS servers from your provider or public DNS servers like googles at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, you may see some performance increase, more likely little to none as long as the 2Wire does a good job of forwarding DNS queries, you can also disable the DHCP client service on both your machines since you won't be using it anymore and that's one less service running at startup.
As far as the Windows 2k machine or for that matter any other machine don't use the search box, use the run dialog box by holding down the "Windows Key" + the "r" key and then type \\192.168.1.2 or \\192.168.1.3 (the search box will work well with Win7, but not so much with other OSs)
OK, but ...
The only thing you really need to understand about IP addressing is that it works like an address on the side of your house, so your mail can be delivered properly.
The subnet mask determines the street and the last octect is the actual house so
a subnet of 255.255.255.0 tells you that the first three octects 192.168.1 is the street you live on and the last octect (1 through 254) is the actual house. So the process knows from where the mail originated and to where the return mail needs to be sent.
I really hope this helps and doesn't confuse you any further. It probably seems more difficult then it actually is, and sometimes takes a lot of time to wrap your head around.
You are a nice fella, and you are trying to help, and I appreciate it, but ...
I fear it's *not* all I "really need to understand" given the context of the ATT/2-Wire interface and the way ATT has it's net set up. I'll try to render an example.
Last month I got a new 2-Wire router. Fearing silly,
silly trouble, I posted a query to dslreports (where they really -really- oughta know) like "What will bugger if I just unplug the old 2-wire, plug-in the new, and try to get back on the net?" Response was that all that was needed was a logon with ID and password. When I replaced the device I got shut out: it wouldn't let me on the net (even after a "reset") without downloading some of their software, something I never,
ever do. It was a lot of trouble to contact tech support to get me back on. The way some of their systems work, it's a wonder I'm back on now.
You are really in a position to say that, if I can shoehorn your info above into the ATT web page, it ought to work? If it doesn't, will a router reset work (get me back to defaults)? Etc, etc.
Like I said, you are a nice fella, and you are trying to help, and I appreciate it, but ...
Thanks,
P