Improving speed with NVG 510

What speed tier are you subscribed to?  Check you bill for the name or speed of the internet speed tier...

Basic is .76

Express is 1.5

Pro is 3

Elite is 6

Max is 12

Max Plus is 18

The 510 is an ADSL2+ gateway, single pair, best speed is 18/1 if within close distance to the Central Office or Remote Terminal. As the copper distance increases the best speed available would decrease. Thus you may be at the best speed offered (5 or 6) or you may be at a speed that you felt you could afford when signing up for service several years ago.

Why do I say several years ago... the 510 is no longer available for new installs, end of life. The units are still in the field, performing as needed. Replacement gateways are available but would not change your speed tier.

Are you paying a monthly equipment fee of $7 or $10?

Prior to 2015 the 510 was one of three gateways available for purchase with 12 month warranty. The equipment was only been available for lease since January 2015 with monthly fee. If you purchased the unit, requesting a replacement upgrade would incur the monthly equipment fee increasing your bill.

Access the gateway using 192.168.1.254, post the stats including max sync, user rate and noise margin... depending on the max rate would determine if faster speed tier is available. If not, and internet 6 is your best speed available, then changing equipment or adding extender will not improve your service speed. 

an example of someone with best speed of internet 6, notice max rate would not allow increase to internet 10 or 12.

Hello, @lorrwill 

We just have a few questions so we can further assist you. 

• What internet tier do you currently have? 
• When running speed test are you using the AT&T test?
• What speeds are you showing on the speed test? 

There could be a number of reasons why you are not getting the correct speeds. ( i.e. being close to other electronics, wiring in your home) 

Here is some information on understanding the internet speeds. 

As our expert stated we no longer carry the NVG 510.

You may be eligible for an equipment upgrade since we no longer carry the equipment you have. 

We do not allow third party routers to be a standalone however if you are wanting to purchase a different router we recommend doing a IP passthrough through your current gateway.  

Here is also some additional tips on optimizing your network experience. 

Here are some things that we recommend.

• Using our smart home manager as this will find any weak spots and will determine if the extender would be a good fit for you.  
• Using our troubleshoot and resolve tool as this will discover any issues with your network and give you the recommendations on how to fix them. 

Let us know if this helps. 

Deandra, AT&T Community Specialist

@mythoughts I don't understand a lot of what you wrote, but I will do my best to respond.

I believe I am on the basic speed tier, but I cannot log in to check my account. I tried three times, waited 5+ minutes each time while getting the 'Please give us a moment. We're almost there! /  AT&T logo' screens on repeat. I was also not able to get past that stage yesterday.

You may be right and this is the best speed I can get at my current location. I had a faster plan before I moved and I believe during the install the technician said the same thing you wrote about the distance from the main line, copper wires, etc.

I have had this modem since 2013 and am not paying a fee for it.

As requested - please let me know if faster speed it possible with a different plan:

The speed has decreased significantly over the past two - three years, well before the pandemic forced more people to work from home. Now it is just ridiculously slow. Thanks for your help.

Thank you very much for your prompt reply and for this information.

@lorreill, let us help with understanding your AT&T speed tiers,

Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capabilities. Actual customer speeds may vary based on a number of factors and are not guaranteed. 

• In order to get higher speeds, you must be within a certain distance of the serving equipment or the equipment must be present in the area.
• If your neighbor has AT&T Fiber, we can research your address to see if it's available.

If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you for contacting us on AT&T Community Forums!

Lafayette, AT&T Community Specialist

I already received the information I requested.

You may wish to spell a person's name correctly before you try to sell them something that may or may not need. You also may want to read through the comments to see if the issue has been resolved before responding.

@lorrwill, we are delighted that your concerns are resolved.

If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you for contacting us on AT&T Community Forums!

Lafayette, AT&T Community Specialist