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Setting up a home network. Totally lost.

G

GRuizMD

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 30, 2007
151
0
I can't set up a reliable wifi service. Pls help

I have AT&T u-verse service. It provides TV service in two TVs and Internet DSL.

I was given AT&T's NGV589 modem and also have an AirPort Extreme Time Capsule and two AirPort Express devices.

This is the situation:

The modem can't be configured as a bridge. It's a dead end. If someone knows how to do it, pls help. I disabled the wireless on it and connected the extreme to the Ethernet port.

On the Extreme I created a secured wireless network. From it, a cable connects to an Ethernet switch that distributes wired signal throughout the home.

An Airport express connects to this switch and creates another network with the same name and security.

This is all done according to apples own instructions. But it's performance is unreliable.

The wireless connection drops on a random fashion. The devices can not see or connect to it and the correct password is not accepted, also very random. The internet connected things: two thermostats, some connected lights and a doorbell lose the connection all the time. The cellphones and iPads refuse to connect.

Airport utility also reports very non consistent network status. Sometimes it drops on one or both devices, and sometimes even show no internet connection. Or show that the device has an amber light when the actual light is green

I have gone through power down, reset, revise and change cables, switch channels for auto to manual. Nothing has helped. I know AT&T are useless as the only thing they recommend is to plug/unplug.

This never happened when I had comcast cable. Also my home was smaller and I did not have as many wireless things.

Please help. Can I buy another modem that does TV and AT&T Internet? I'm suspicious that they are not compatible. Comcast does nod service this area and I'm stuck

Anyone knows how to strip this modem from routing and use it as bridge? Thanks.

There is a Miriad of settings in the modem and the airports that I don't know how to set, maybe it's a stupid setting that I have wrong.

I'm desperate. Right now typing using cellular data. The network crashed again.
 
Are you using the same hardware, except for the modem, as you were at your previous place where it was working fine? Under the airport utility network tab, do you have router mode turned off on the extreme and express?
 
Yes. The only change was the modem. I went from cable to DSL. Both AirPorts are on bridge mode.
 
Someone with more knowledge should jump here soon.

In the mean time check that your ethernet cables are connected to the airport LAN ports and not their uplink ports.
 
At what point do things break down? Will devices connect if you take the Airport Express units out of the equation?

If you take the AT&T equipment out of the picture can your devices connect to the Apple gear? That is...create a separate, new network with the Apple stuff?

Also, are you 100% confident about the Ethernet Switch and the wiring? The wiring sounds like another variable to me. I've seen wonky wiring or switches wreak havoc on networking.
 
You now have ATT "Uverse" (not just DSL), is this correct?

You have the Motorola NVG589, is this correct?

That's more than just a "modem", it's a "residential gateway" (RG), which combines the features of a DSL modem and a wireless router, all in one.

I have something similar for Frontier broadband services (was originally Uverse but they sold out to Frontier in my state, but the hardware remains the same).

I have only an Airport Extreme that I use with the RD, but it works fine.
VERY IMPORTANT:
I would recommend that you DO NOT try to put the RD into "bridge mode". Let the RG do the NAT (network address translation), and put ALL of your Apple wireless devices into bridge mode instead.

START SIMPLE.

I suggest you REMOVE all the Apple hardware for the moment.
Also disconnect thermostats and doorbells. That's stuff to worry about later, when the Mac bugs are worked out.

I also suggest that if you have a Mac laptop, that you use A WIRED ETHERNET CONNECTION at least for the moment, to help getting things set up. Do not rely on wireless during your setup and problem-solving period.

With everything disconnected, can you establish a RELIABLE internet connection by hard-wiring your Mac to the back of the RG via ethernet?

If yes, proceed.

I'm going to -guess- that the RG was installed pre-configured with wireless capabilities enabled.

I would go to the RG's configuration panels (should be accessible via a browser) and then DISABLE the wireless function (it can be easily turned off).

Now, connect the AETC (Airport Extreme Time Capsule) via ethernet to the RG.

Next, connect your Mac to the AETC VIA ETHERNET CABLE.

Open the Airport Utility.

In the "internet" pane, set to connect via DHCP.

In the "wireless" pane, choose to "create a wireless network".
Give it whatever name you wish, along with the security information.

In the "network" pane, for "Router mode", choose "Off (Bridge Mode)".

Save these settings.

Now, try your Mac "in wireless".

Does this change anything?
Do you get a connection?
Is it reliable for the time being?

I'd suggest you try to get this far first.

If it works, then start thinking about the Airport Express devices and any other connections (I will admit up front I know nothing about configuring an Airport Express)...
 
Last edited:
GRuizMD said:
Yes. The only change was the modem. I went from cable to DSL. Both AirPorts are on bridge mode.
Click to expand...

The NVG589 has two ways of going about these issues. The first is cascaded router mode which in my experience is a big pile of programming bugs. The second is IP Passthrough mode. It is a rather complex setup but I have helped out SPNarwhal do this exact setup with this modem via TeamViewer and it works marvelously for him! Private message me if you would like me to assist you with that and of course we will post the settings for future reference on MacRumors.
 
ColdCase said:
Someone with more knowledge should jump here soon.

In the mean time check that your ethernet cables are connected to the airport LAN ports and not their uplink ports.
Click to expand...

Done. All ports are confirmed and correct.

----------
BrianBaughn said:
At what point do things break down? Will devices connect if you take the Airport Express units out of the equation?

If you take the AT&T equipment out of the picture can your devices connect to the Apple gear? That is...create a separate, new network with the Apple stuff?

Also, are you 100% confident about the Ethernet Switch and the wiring? The wiring sounds like another variable to me. I've seen wonky wiring or switches wreak havoc on networking.
Click to expand...

ATT RG wireless is flawless in terms of uptime. Its weak on the first floor due to the nature of the home.

Without the ATT RG the AirPorts seem to keep a wireless connection.

----------
Fishrrman said:
You now have ATT "Uverse" (not just DSL), is this correct?

You have the Motorola NVG589, is this correct?

That's more than just a "modem", it's a "residential gateway" (RG), which combines the features of a DSL modem and a wireless router, all in one.

I have something similar for Frontier broadband services (was originally Uverse but they sold out to Frontier in my state, but the hardware remains the same).

I have only an Airport Extreme that I use with the RD, but it works fine.
VERY IMPORTANT:
I would recommend that you DO NOT try to put the RD into "bridge mode". Let the RG do the NAT (network address translation), and put ALL of your Apple wireless devices into bridge mode instead.

START SIMPLE.

I suggest you REMOVE all the Apple hardware for the moment.
Also disconnect thermostats and doorbells. That's stuff to worry about later, when the Mac bugs are worked out.

I also suggest that if you have a Mac laptop, that you use A WIRED ETHERNET CONNECTION at least for the moment, to help getting things set up. Do not rely on wireless during your setup and problem-solving period.

With everything disconnected, can you establish a RELIABLE internet connection by hard-wiring your Mac to the back of the RG via ethernet?

If yes, proceed.

I'm going to -guess- that the RG was installed pre-configured with wireless capabilities enabled.

I would go to the RG's configuration panels (should be accessible via a browser) and then DISABLE the wireless function (it can be easily turned off).

Now, connect the AETC (Airport Extreme Time Capsule) via ethernet to the RG.

Next, connect your Mac to the AETC VIA ETHERNET CABLE.

Open the Airport Utility.

In the "internet" pane, set to connect via DHCP.

In the "wireless" pane, choose to "create a wireless network".
Give it whatever name you wish, along with the security information.

In the "network" pane, for "Router mode", choose "Off (Bridge Mode)".

Save these settings.

Now, try your Mac "in wireless".

Does this change anything?
Do you get a connection?
Is it reliable for the time being?

I'd suggest you try to get this far first.

If it works, then start thinking about the Airport Express devices and any other connections (I will admit up front I know nothing about configuring an Airport Express)...
Click to expand...


Thanks. Going with your instructions one by one. Will report here tomorrow once the testing is all completed.

Also, in the meantime, I cancelled the TV. It uses a wireless receiver to a second TV. Lets see if there is some sort of wireless signal bottleneck or interference.
 
I'm an AT&T U-verse customer, having moved from Time Warner Cable in January. I also have an NVG589, AirPort Extreme, MacBook Pro, and several other devices connected to the network. All are working as expected.

Initially, I used the 589 to handle the router functions, and had the AE in bridge mode. I discovered, however, that the AE will not provide a guest network with that setup, so I set the 589 in "Passthrough Mode" and use the AE for all wireless router functions.

There are excellent instructions for the passthrough mode settings here. Although they may appear at first to be quite involved, I followed then step-by-step and was able to configure the 589 successfully. I'd be happy to try to answer any questions you have.

As an alternative, Altemose generously offered in the above post to help with the setup. I don't know him/her, but Altemose's posts are always very accurate and helpful, in my opinion. You might consider taking advantage of the offer.
 
gc916 said:
As an alternative, Altemose generously offered in the above post to help with the setup. I don't know him/her, but Altemose's posts are always very accurate and helpful, in my opinion. You might consider taking advantage of the offer.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kind words!
 
Altemose said:
The NVG589 has two ways of going about these issues. The first is cascaded router mode which in my experience is a big pile of programming bugs. The second is IP Passthrough mode. It is a rather complex setup but I have helped out SPNarwhal do this exact setup with this modem via TeamViewer and it works marvelously for him! Private message me if you would like me to assist you with that and of course we will post the settings for future reference on MacRumors.
Click to expand...


I am having the same issues as the OP with an NVG599 RG connected to an AEBS. The AEBS is putting out the wifi but the RG is running the network...at which it sucks. I have read the step-by-step instructions for pass thru mode, but the main, wired, set-top box connected via ethernet, through a switch (as I have multiple connected devices at that location). If I put the RG into pass thru, will that STB still work?

Thanks!
 
Altemose said:
Right on! Remember you need the AirPort in DHCP & NAT mode for this to work, but it may still throw a double NAT warning which can be safely ignored in passthrough mode.
Click to expand...

Reporting back:

Followed the linked instructions to put the RG into IP Passthrough; that was easy (even though I have a 599 model and the settings pages were a little bit different); got a double NAT at first but it went away on its own.

One thing I had to work around was that the wired STB has to be connected directly to the RG, so I had to take the Ethernet line nearest to it off the network switch and make it a dedicated line. The only downside here is that the other web-connected devices at the main TV hub (ATV, BD player and the TV itself) have to go onto wifi. The other STBs are wireless, but they connect to the RGs own little wifi unit.

At least, this way, the TV traffic and Internet/network traffic are separated. The heavy data traffic is going through the Apple gigabit Ethernet, or its vastly superior wifi. Now every attached device is stable and fast. Whew!
 
rayward said:
At least, this way, the TV traffic and Internet/network traffic are separated. The heavy data traffic is going through the Apple gigabit Ethernet, or its vastly superior wifi. Now every attached device is stable and fast. Whew!
Click to expand...

Just a little note here, it would be best to put all of the AT&T equipment on Ethernet if possible and disable the wireless all together on the modem to prevent interference.
 
Altemose said:
Just a little note here, it would be best to put all of the AT&T equipment on Ethernet if possible and disable the wireless all together on the modem to prevent interference.
Click to expand...

Thanks. And this is understood. However the Uverse STBs won't work unless they're connected directly to the Uverse RG either by a cat 6 wire or its dedicated wireless (I tried).

If I can work out a way to reconfigure the physical locations to make this possible, I'll do it. For now, the m just happy that my home network is fully functional.
 
Thanks for these instructions... having Uverse Gigabit installed in a few days and may need to refer back to this.
 
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Reactions: Altemose
After a few days of dealing with a new Uverse installation, I have a couple of comments on the OP's problems. There are a couple of different gateways that they offer. Mine didn't have the passthrough setting, but rather it needed to have a "pinhole" configured for the Airport Extreme to allow it to be my primary router.

Some folks are recommending against the wireless receivers. I went with the wireless receivers because the only other option I had was coax. I am using my coax cabling for a MoCA network. This allows me to have my other devices such as Apple TV running wired. I have disabled WiFi on the Uverse gateway, but they provide a separate mini access point that is used only for the wireless receivers.

Initially I was having a lot of problems getting a consistent wifi signal. Initially I was getting 300 up and 300 down on my iPhone running speediest. Then a few minutes later I'd be getting barely 1 mbps. I have one Airport upstairs and one downstairs, connected over the MoCA network. After hours of frustration I decided that maybe something was just messed up in the Airport configuration. So I swapped them and did a hard reset on each. The one that was the main router was not extending the wifi network, and the other was now my main router. After doing this reset and reconfiguration from scratch, I'm not running smoothly and don't appear to be having any conflicts. I'd suggest trying this if you are having unexplainable problems. I'm getting in excess of 100mbps up and down pretty much all over the house, sometimes exceeding 300bps. Hopefully it will stay that way.
 
Altemose said:
Exactly. Try to wire everything in if possible.
Click to expand...

Here's a dumb question: can I attach the main STB directly to the Uverse gateway by coax? I have a coax line from that location to the electronics hub so, if yes, then I can put the STB on coax and free up the ethernet port to which its currently attached for all the other devices at that location that are currently sucking on wifi.
 
rayward said:
Here's a dumb question: can I attach the main STB directly to the Uverse gateway by coax? I have a coax line from that location to the electronics hub so, if yes, then I can put the STB on coax and free up the ethernet port to which its currently attached for all the other devices at that location that are currently sucking on wifi.
Click to expand...

Generally not, but a call into AT&T's phone center would yield you an answer on that. I believe U-Verse depends on the Ethernet network to maintain full functionality, but it sure would be nice if the boxes could run off coaxial.
 
rayward said:
Here's a dumb question: can I attach the main STB directly to the Uverse gateway by coax? I have a coax line from that location to the electronics hub so, if yes, then I can put the STB on coax and free up the ethernet port to which its currently attached for all the other devices at that location that are currently sucking on wifi.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about that, but you can attach the receivers to the main DVR box via coax. They are different boxes than the wireless ones unfortunately... so you have to choose your poison at install time. I'm on the wireless receivers and so far they've done pretty well after a couple of weeks. I had one time that I needed to restart them all because they were saying they couldn't link. I'm guessing that was some update or something that went awry... still have a couple of weeks that I can change stuff.
 
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