Is your AT&T Fiber gateway limiting the potential of your high-speed internet plan? Does the coverage of the ISP-provided gateway leave dead zones at your home? Would you rather prefer more protection and control over the home network? I assume that you’ve purchased a compatible router, and if not yet, refer to my list of top-rated routers for ATT Fiber.
A networking novice might find the settings & terminologies perplexing. Especially when you have to turn off the router part of the AT&T gateway & use only the modem part to access the internet. But you don’t have to worry about it, as you will find the detailed instructions here to configure a third-party router to work with your AT&T Fiber internet.
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How to Use Your Own Router with AT&T Fiber?
Before you start the configuration of your own router to the AT&T Fiber, ensure you have the equipment to go through the process in one go.
Requirements:
- Third-party Wi-Fi router (Of course!)
- Activated AT&T gateway
- Ethernet cable(s)
- Power adapter
1. Connect Router to AT&T Gateway
Before making the configuration, connect your router to the AT&T Modem-Router combo. Let us find out the steps to do it.
Step 1: Take an Ethernet cable & plug it in the Ethernet port of your AT&T gateway.
Step 2: Ensure the router power adapter is plugged in but not switched on. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to the WAN port of your third-party router.
Once you have connected the router to your modem, it’s time to log in & change the AT&T Gateway settings. Find the steps listed below.
2. Login to AT&T Gateway
Step 1: Log in to the AT&T router admin page by logging into IP 192.168.1.254, using the device access code at the back of your device.
Step 2: Once you log in using the credentials, you will find the page as shown below. Click on the Firewall navigation menu.
Step 3: Click on the “Firewall Advanced” menu & toggle all the settings to OFF & Click save. The router’s firewall will be active once you connect it. It is safer to disable the AT&T gateway setting to avoid any conflicts.
Step 4: Go to Packet filter under firewall, uncheck all the boxes in the rules section & ensure the Packet filters are disabled.
Step 5: Click on the IP Passthrough option under the Firewall menu.
Step 6: Change the allocation mode to Passthrough & Choose the passthrough mode to “DHCPS-fixed”.
Step 7: In the menu “Passthrough Fixed MAC Address ” click on the Dropdown list and identify your router.
Step 8: Once you have selected your router, click save. Go to the firewall status and ensure all the functions are except the IP Passthrough.
Step 9: Choose restart now from the pop-up menu. Restart your router, as well.
Step 10: Try connecting to the Wi-Fi router SSID after the LED indicators are stable.
3. Disable the AT&T Wireless Router
Disable the Wi-Fi in the AT&T login to avoid interference or confusion. Find the steps below.
Step 1: Click on the home network on the login page.
Step 2: Change the Wi-Fi operation drop-down to off in both 2.4GHz & 5GHz Radio Configuration.
Step 3: You can verify whether the Wireless operation is disabled in the home page section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, using your own router with ATT fiber is possible. If you have a router with a better configuration than the AT&T gateway, you can turn off the ATT WiFi router function in the device & use it just as a modem.
Use an Ethernet cable to connect the AT&T fiber modem to the WAN port of your router. Set the fiber modem in pass-through mode and save the setting. Restart the modem and your wireless router one after the other. Test your internet connection once the LED indicators are stable.
Yes, you can replace the AT&T equipment completely. Install a smart switch & configure its VLAN ports. Set up a VLAN by connecting your ONT, AT&T Gateway & third-party router to the smart switch. When all devices are active & turned on, and the internet indicators are stable, you can turn off the AT&T gateway and continue using your router.
Using wired Ethernet connections for the priority devices will allow more bandwidth & reduce interference. Use AT&T Smart home manager to allocate bandwidth of the essential gadgets. Use a Wi-Fi extender or a router to improve the performance & coverage.
Conclusion
With some guidance, the configuration gets done within a matter of a few minutes. You’ll be able to bring better speeds, coverage & features to your household. In case you feel apprehensive about doing the configuration, seek the help of a professional.
