Connecting a wireless router to my residential gateway

[phyllis46]

Please forgive my lack of technical language, I really need help for a dummy.  First off - my u-verse service is working fine for computer, tv and phone.  I believe the fact I have dropped calls on my iPhone 3G (only at home) is a different issue.

After MANY hours with Sony technical support we came to the conclusion that my u-verse router did not have the signal strength to reach my living room 60 feet away.  The problem is that my sony wireless speakers keep losing signal; ie the music stops.

The advice was that I should purchase a router with better strength.  I KNOW I can't just simply replace the router.  BestBuy says I can connect the Wireless router with DSL modem to my existing equipment and I can't find information for how to START.

Existing equipment is the At&t box that says 2Wire on the top to which all those lines go.  I guess that's the router?  Is this the residential gateway?

There is also a huge heavy Belkin thingy that could be a modem? Or is that a power supply?

Could somebody help my take my baby steps?

Thanks!  phyllis46

[jfw ACE - Czar]

Sure, you can purchase a wireless n router and install it behind your RG (residential gateway). Read this post http://forums.att.com/t5/Residential-Gateway/Installing-Wireless-N-router-behind-2wire-3800HGV-B/m-p....

That Belkin "thingy" you described is the battery backup to power the RG in event of a power failue to keep you phone service working.

[phyllis46]

Thanks., I had read that but don't quite understand it.  I think what you are saying is that I should return this at&t router, which is NOT n-technology, and get a different router?

[jimgfitzgerald]

I'm a little confused regarding your wireless speakers.  Are you saying they are connected to your U-Verse RG?  Normally speakers would be connected to a receiver or tv.  What am I missing here?  What are you using your speakers for?

[jimgfitzgerald]

You cannot return the AT&T U-Verse residential gateway (RG).  It is an integral part of your U-Verse system.  Yes, it is only a G router.  U-Verse does not have an N router, but you can plug an N router into your U-Verse G router (RG).  I'm just trying to understand if that is really your problem.

[jfw ACE - Czar]

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phyllis46 wrote:

Thanks., I had read that but don't quite understand it.  I think what you are saying is that I should return this at&t router, which is NOT n-technology, and get a different router?

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The ATT router (RG) is unique to Uverse and cannot be replaced by something else and it does not have n capability, you would need to purchase another wireless router that has n capability and install it behind the RG.

Sorry jim, you beat me to the reply button.          

[jimgfitzgerald]

But, something doesn't make sense.  Why would she need a connection from the RG to wireless speakers??

[phyllis46]

Sorry for the misunderstanding.  I bought ANOTHER at&t router to put behind? the residential gateway.  It's their high-speed internet router which is also not n-technology.  It's confusing because I don't really need another internet router.

The speakers are Sony SA-NS300 party speakers and are supposed to take the signal from my computer.  I should be able to stream music to one or both, separately or in tandem.

I see another trip to Best Buy in my immediate future; to return this router and purchase one with n-technology.  Would anyone venture the best to buy?  I don't need it for anything else. 

Then I'll be back to ask more questions.

[jimgfitzgerald]

OK, I see what your speaker system is.  I have never seen one of those before.  Just be aware that adding an N router may or may not solve your problem.  Also, it's a little complicated.  You will have to reconfigure some of the settings on your RG and configure your new router properly and then plug it into your RG.  Then you will have to reconnect all of your wireless devices to the new router.  Those will include laptops, smartphones, speaker system, wireless printer (if you have one) etc.  Make sure you're up to it.  I use a CradlePoint router.  I'm not sure what another good option might be.

[phyllis46]

I have a netbook that is wireless, but I've also plugged it straight into my modem because I mostly use it away from home.  The only other wireless product I have is my iPhone so maybe I can handle this.  The Sony Tech and I gave static ip addresses to my speakers so I guess that's where I'll have the most difficulty.  I just want to be sure I don't bollox my u-verse since it is working so well.

I'm glad I finally found you guys, and that you are willing to hold my hand.

[phyllis46]

I've installed, with their help, a Belkin N600DB.  Now my network looks like this:

Computer(2)

Owner           Router

Media Devices (1)

Owner-HP ; Owner

Network Infrastructure (1)

Belkin N600DB wireless router

Now I need to move my speakers to the router.  I'm guessing I also want the current media device (computer) to go through the router as well?  I will call Sony for advice.

Yipee, moving along......

[phyllis46]

OK, so now this belkin router and the HP computer both have internet access and I wonder if that's a problem.  Both my wireless speakers show up under the belkin but I get an error on my device.  They are associated with the belkin receiver buttdon't want to play!  Should I be allowing internet to both the HP and the Belkin?

[phyllis46]

Maybe I'm just impatient, but At&t tells me BMWells431 posted a reply to this topic and I don't see it.  Would you mind reposting?

To bring you up to date, the speakers and my cell phone now get their signals through the router but the speakers get an unexpected error, and the router keeps losing the internet connection. 

The at&t help and troubleshooting guide told me to change my gateway.  I assume they meant on the at&t modem.  So I did and the router is losing the signal More often.  I've not taken the time to run through all 12 gateways. 

 I should not need the internet connection on the router, should I?  At any rate, I've noticed internet pages take longer to load.

[aviewer ACE - Wizard]

a search says BMwells431n has 3 posts but shows only one (hope it is helpful) -http://forums.att.com/t5/Residential-Gateway/Solution-Connecting-Time-Capsule-to-AT-amp-T-2Wire-Gate...

[phyllis46]

aviewer, thank you for the search.  I have no idea what  a "time capsule" is.  Is that the name of a different router?  This all looks VERY complicated when all I want to do is stream music to a couple speakers!

[jimgfitzgerald]

I tried to warn you.

[phyllis46]

Oh well, learning is not necessarily easy, Jim, but it is usually interesting.

[drmeerkat]

A time capsule is simply an apple-branded router with a hard disk built in that it uses to back up apple computers.  The settings it uses are pretty much the same as the airport extreme which is the router by itself.  In a nutshell, you have to set the AT&T gateway to turn the wireless transmitter off and change the routing to go through the new router that will actually then transmit your wireless network.