This is a dead horse I'm asking to be beaten again (sorry for the expression, PETA). I'm desperately trying different ways to make my AT&T U-Verse service consistent, but it seems like each adjustment to my network that I make, it fixes one problem only to cause another and I'm running out of patience. I've read some very helpful advice from members here, so I'm hoping someone may be able to address the specific issue I'm having. Please note - while I'm not technologically impaired, and understand enough to get in trouble, I'm far from a networking wiz, so please talk slowly haha! Here is my current situation, and a brief synopsis of what I've tried thus far.
I currently have the Motorola NVG589 Residential Gateway from AT&T along with (1) hardwired DVR and (2) Cisco Wireless STBs. My internet was brutally slow (3-4 mbs compared to the advertised 45 mbs I pay for, though I know those are rarely achievable), so the AT&T installer suggested I buy a ASUS RT N66U Router to give it a boost - so I did. Initially, I had my ISP gateway router function on with the router plugged directly into the gateway with a conflicting IP address (big no-no). The IP address for the RG is 192.168.1.254 and I had the RT N66U set to 192.168.1.1 at the time. Did some research and found out that could have been causing some of my internet performance issues (i.e. slow speed, inconsistent connectivity etc.). I also read people suggesting the wireless function on the RG needs to be turned off and placed in Bridge Mode. I found a step-by-step tutorial on how to do just that, and got everything up and running (seemingly). The ASUS was set in "Router Mode", and I found some forums that suggested various settings to help boost speed (i.e. disabling USB applications), so I made those adjustments, too.
It never quite worked as well as I had hoped, even after I assigned a different IP address to the ASUS router to avoid conflict with the RG. I then found more advice of some saying I should be set to AP Mode on the ASUS router, then have the ASUS connected via Ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports (currently in port 3 out of the 4). It seemed to be working! YAY! I was getting super fast speeds on both the 2.4 and 5 ghz channels and all seemed to be right with the world... but it can never be that easy.
The other day I decided to move one of my wireless STBs down to my wood shop in the basement to watch the Cubs game while I built my daughter a new bed. Plugged it in and said that I needed to connect it via WPS, and being the genius I am, I hit the WPS on my ASUS router and not the Cisco Access Point unit... this, coincidentally, began the windfall of problems that I now humbly request you networking gurus take pity on me by providing a solution before I go Office Space on AT&T's equipment.
I've tried just about everything that I could find in the various tech forums regarding the issues I am having - I (think) I have an understanding now of how this stuff works with AT&T; you must use the RG to assign an IP to the STB AP unit, or something to that affect. When I goofed and hit the WPS button on my ASUS router to sync with the wireless box, my TV picture would come on for about 10 seconds and then freeze, after which it would go to a gray screen saying I lost connection. Here's what I did to "fix" that issue:
1. Set the ASUS Router to AP Mode
2. Changed the channel on the Cisco AP to 36 from Auto
2. Did a factory reset on both wireless STBs
3. Re-connected both boxes via the WPS button on the Cisco AP unit
4. Did a full system reboot
Now, the picture on both wireless boxes works past that 10 second point and doesn't lose connection, but within 30 seconds, it gets choppy, pixelated, and freezes and skips forward. In addition to that, my internet speed is even slower than before I bought the ASUS router! Last night, for example, it was running at 1 mb!! AHHH!!!
I don't know what to do at this point, and I apologize for the ungodly length of this post; I just wanted to be a thorough as possible. I've read that I should go into the ASUS router login and change the default gateway to the RG IP address, change the submask (to what??), turn off DHCP on the ASUS etc. I don't want to make any more changes until someone can confirm settings.
For those of you that took the time to read this entire thing and are willing to help, I cannot thank you enough. We left Comcast because we were having so many issues with their services and we thought our problems would be solved (somewhat) by trying AT&T. So far, it's looking like this may be a situation caused by user error.
If you need me to tell you specific settings in order to provide guidance, please let me know.
I currently have the Motorola NVG589 Residential Gateway from AT&T along with (1) hardwired DVR and (2) Cisco Wireless STBs. My internet was brutally slow (3-4 mbs compared to the advertised 45 mbs I pay for, though I know those are rarely achievable), so the AT&T installer suggested I buy a ASUS RT N66U Router to give it a boost - so I did. Initially, I had my ISP gateway router function on with the router plugged directly into the gateway with a conflicting IP address (big no-no). The IP address for the RG is 192.168.1.254 and I had the RT N66U set to 192.168.1.1 at the time. Did some research and found out that could have been causing some of my internet performance issues (i.e. slow speed, inconsistent connectivity etc.). I also read people suggesting the wireless function on the RG needs to be turned off and placed in Bridge Mode. I found a step-by-step tutorial on how to do just that, and got everything up and running (seemingly). The ASUS was set in "Router Mode", and I found some forums that suggested various settings to help boost speed (i.e. disabling USB applications), so I made those adjustments, too.
It never quite worked as well as I had hoped, even after I assigned a different IP address to the ASUS router to avoid conflict with the RG. I then found more advice of some saying I should be set to AP Mode on the ASUS router, then have the ASUS connected via Ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports (currently in port 3 out of the 4). It seemed to be working! YAY! I was getting super fast speeds on both the 2.4 and 5 ghz channels and all seemed to be right with the world... but it can never be that easy.
The other day I decided to move one of my wireless STBs down to my wood shop in the basement to watch the Cubs game while I built my daughter a new bed. Plugged it in and said that I needed to connect it via WPS, and being the genius I am, I hit the WPS on my ASUS router and not the Cisco Access Point unit... this, coincidentally, began the windfall of problems that I now humbly request you networking gurus take pity on me by providing a solution before I go Office Space on AT&T's equipment.
I've tried just about everything that I could find in the various tech forums regarding the issues I am having - I (think) I have an understanding now of how this stuff works with AT&T; you must use the RG to assign an IP to the STB AP unit, or something to that affect. When I goofed and hit the WPS button on my ASUS router to sync with the wireless box, my TV picture would come on for about 10 seconds and then freeze, after which it would go to a gray screen saying I lost connection. Here's what I did to "fix" that issue:
1. Set the ASUS Router to AP Mode
2. Changed the channel on the Cisco AP to 36 from Auto
2. Did a factory reset on both wireless STBs
3. Re-connected both boxes via the WPS button on the Cisco AP unit
4. Did a full system reboot
Now, the picture on both wireless boxes works past that 10 second point and doesn't lose connection, but within 30 seconds, it gets choppy, pixelated, and freezes and skips forward. In addition to that, my internet speed is even slower than before I bought the ASUS router! Last night, for example, it was running at 1 mb!! AHHH!!!
I don't know what to do at this point, and I apologize for the ungodly length of this post; I just wanted to be a thorough as possible. I've read that I should go into the ASUS router login and change the default gateway to the RG IP address, change the submask (to what??), turn off DHCP on the ASUS etc. I don't want to make any more changes until someone can confirm settings.
For those of you that took the time to read this entire thing and are willing to help, I cannot thank you enough. We left Comcast because we were having so many issues with their services and we thought our problems would be solved (somewhat) by trying AT&T. So far, it's looking like this may be a situation caused by user error.
If you need me to tell you specific settings in order to provide guidance, please let me know.
