Uverse AT&T BGW210-700, TP-Link Deco AX3600, lack of ethernet ports, router/switch confusion

This is what they gave us.

That’s the same model I have from att. It will separate iptv traffic and your dvr should work. Disconnect all the other devices from it. Connect the dvr to it. Confirm the DVR works connected to it. Then connect one of the other devices to the switch. Does the dvr still work? Your next issue if this all works is you are out of ports. But let’s see if you can get your wired dvr working first. 

I looked further and half the listings I find say that it's unmanaged but when it's priced higher, with the exact same model number with the E on the end, it says it is managed. 🤷‍♀️ 

It's funny you mention being out of ports because I just bought an 8-Port switch but it's unmanaged. Guess I'll have to fork out a little more dough. If this works. 😊

Do you still have the 4 port unmanaged switch you mentioned earlier? Two cat 5 to the family room? Plug one cat5 to netgear switch, connect wired dvr to the netgear. Connect the other unmanaged switch to second cat5 cable, connect security cameras to it. Experiment with the Xbox connected to both. Test this for a few days. @JefferMC any comments?

How is your husband? You mentioned he was in the hospital. 

The stock GS105E v2 can be managed.  But is most often not.  Used to be that you had to use a Windows based utility to manage it.  The newer firmware may have an HTML interface.  

I have one, but the IP address its currently assigned isn't reachable (192.168.0.something), so I'll have to grab a laptop and manually assign it on that subnet to play with it.

The Windows Software for it is available at:

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/GS105Ev2#NETGEAR%20Switch%20Discovery%20Tool%20for%20Windows%20Version%201.2.103

Ok, @browndk26  - I'm following you. I'll try that and play around. 

My husband is doing better. Lots of follow-up appointments but on the way to better health. Thank you so much for asking!

It's been awhile. Tough times. My husband's entire family all got covid within two weeks of each other. Unbelievably, we buried my beloved father-in-law three days before Christmas just 10 days after he was admitted to the hospital. So, nothing else really mattered. 

But, I've had nothing but problems since my last message. Hoping maybe @JefferMC  or @browndk26  would look at my current setup.

Even though you guys said I could make any wireless DVR into a wired one, I ended up taking the wired one from the bedroom into the family room only because I needed the two wireless ones with the OK button to link to the WPA. The wired one did not have the OK button. I unhooked everything from the managed switch except for the DVR and Gateway. I bridged the managed switch to the unmanaged one and plugged everything else there. Everything seemed to be working okay. 

Then, I plugged a CAT5 from the WAP into the gatewat. It immediately cut off U-verse to everything. So, I never once got U-verse to the two wireless DVRs and when I try to, it cuts off the wired DVR in the family room.

Current setup: Gateway in the bedroom has the ONT, WAP, the CAT5 going down the basement up to the family room directly into the managed gigabit switch and a Cat5 directly to our Smart TV.

Wired DVR and gateway plugged into managed gigabit switch. CAT5 going from managed switch to unmanaged switch, security cameras, Xbox and I'm so tired I can't remember the other thing plugged into the unmanaged switch.

What am I doing wrong? Any clues why I am I losing everything once I plug the WAP into the gateway? I did make sure the WAP was unplugged when I reset the gateway and started everything over. The wired DVR was all set up and working before I plugged in the WAP and tried to link the two wireless DVRs. I have not even had time or the desire to add a mesh network since we last discussed this. Too much going on. I can't afford $150 service call from AT&T right now. Also having some problems with buffering for things like Netflix and Prime even though the TV is directly wired to the Gateway and always has been.

Thanks for any help!

After you connected the WAP, did you try a "whole-home reboot:" power off the Gateway, WAP, DVR and all receivers, then turn on the Gateway and let it come up, then the DVR and let it come up, then the WAP, then each of the receivers.  I can't figure out how connecting the WAP as you have caused an issue.

Unless the ??? is a wireless access point or router of some sort, I don't think we have to know what it is, it should be okay.

What is the purpose of connecting the two switches with the bridge cat5? I would suggest disconnecting that cable to see if that allows the WAP to work. 

@JefferMC - I just woke up, my sleep hours are totally screwed up, and I told my husband that is what I was going to do today. EXACTLY everything you just said. I'll also figure out what the ??? is, LOL.

@browndk26 - because that is what you told me to do before.

"That’s the same model I have from att. It will separate iptv traffic and your dvr should work. Disconnect all the other devices from it. Connect the dvr to it. Confirm the DVR works connected to it. Then connect one of the other devices to the switch. Does the dvr still work? Your next issue if this all works is you are out of ports. But let’s see if you can get your wired dvr working first."

Only plug the router and the wired DVR into the managed switch and give it some time to make sure the TV is okay. Then, add things and see if it messes up. Did I misunderstand?

Also, I don't have everything I have plugged in yet and will run out of ports on the managed switch. These were your instructions, which made sense to me but re-reading it for the umpteenth time, I think I may have misunderstood some of it.

"Do you still have the 4 port unmanaged switch you mentioned earlier? Two cat 5 to the family room? Plug one cat5 to netgear switch, connect wired dvr to the netgear. Connect the other unmanaged switch to second cat5 cable, connect security cameras to it. Experiment with the Xbox connected to both. Test this for a few days."

Thanks! You guys are the best!