lwoxen_1's profile

Mentor

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21 Messages

Friday, August 23rd, 2013 7:04 PM

My AT&T wireless receiver keeps losing signal when connecting to access point

Have had one wireless receiver for some time (over a year) and still find that it loses connection to the access point almost every night.  We go through the process of power cycling both the access point and the wireless receiver and it usually works for the next 24 hours or so.  The access point is across the room about 15 feet with a direct line of sight between the two.  The access point is connected to the gateway via cat5 on s direct port (ie not through a switch).  I remember sometime back there was a firmware upgrade that was supposed to fix this, which I believe I got.  Is there a way to confirm the firmware version and update it, or does anyone have any other suggestions. 

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Community Support

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1.7K Messages

11 years ago

Hi lwoxen,

We apologize about the inconveniences, but I would be glad to assist. One thing worth trying is changing the wireless channel on the Cisco WAP.

To do this, just login to your U-verse gateway by going to http://192.168.1.254. From there you should see a list of all the devices connected, and you just want to choose the details on the Cisco AP. It should give you an IP Address. From there, type that IP address into your browser. It should ask you for a user name and password:

User: ATTadmin

Pass: 401!VEN

From there go to the wireless options and change the Control Channel option to one of the 4 channels. I would suggest trying 36.

Let us know if that works. Also, I will be sending you a private message, so if you do have any further problems, you have a direct point of contact.

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Community Support

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6.7K Messages

10 years ago

Quick Fix For The Wireless Receiver

Resetting the modem, DVR, and wireless box, in that order, can resolve some connection issues.

  1. Reset the modem by pressing and holding the red reset button in the rear for 10 seconds.

  2. Reset the DVR and then wireless receiver by pressing and holding the power button for 10 seconds.

Note: Surge protectors & power strips may cause pixelation & freeze. Plugging the receiver directly into a wall outlet way resolve this.  

If the above does not help, we have more solutions below.


Check Your Connections

Ensure all cables and cords are securely connected from the Wireless Access Point to the modem.


Check Power and Signal Strength  

  1. Confirm you have power - the Power button on the front of the receiver should have a green light. If you do not see a green light, try another power outlet.

  2. No lights or power- ensure that the TV Receiver is turned on by pressing and power button on the receiver.

Signal Strength

  1. Power cycle the Wireless Access Point (WAP) by unplugging the WAP from the electrical outlet for 10 seconds and then plugging it back in. Wait two minutes for the Wireless Receiver to start up.

  2. There should be at least 3 wireless bars on your Wireless Receiver to maintain a good signal. Move the receiver closer to the WAP or vice-versa (to determine if the problem is a distance issue).

Check For Interference

Too many electronics cause interference - move electronics at least 3 feet from the modem, WAP, and wireless receiver. Some devices like cordless phones & baby monitors may cause interference as well.

Disconnect The DVR 

All the receivers pair with the DVR to access recordings. If the DVR is having issues, it will cause issues to the other receivers.

  1. Unplug the DVR and keep it disconnected.

  2. Reboot the U-verse Gateway and Wireless Receiver.

If the issues clear up, try connecting the DVR back to see if rebooting the DVR helped resolve the issue. 

Press and hold the power button on the DVR and then wireless receiver for 10 seconds. Make sure the Wireless Access Point and Wireless Receiver are not in an enclosed area, they can overheat.

See A Red Antenna On The TV Screen? 

  1. Disconnect your Wireless TV Receiver from the original location and reconnect the power cord at a location closer to the Wireless Access Point (WAP) 

  2. Wait one minute for the receiver software to load.

  3. Press the OK button on the front of the Wireless TV Receiver and press the WPS button on the WAP.

  4. Wait two minutes for the receiver and WAP to pair.

  5. After two minutes, the Link light on the front of the Wireless TV Receiver should be solid green.

  6. Following a successful pairing, unplug the Wireless TV Receiver and reconnect it at the desired location.

AT&T Community Specialist

4 Attachments

(edited)

New Member

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25.7K Messages

11 years ago

I located this on another forum:

"The issue was with the Cisco WAP.  ATT came out and replaced it with a new next generation Motorola WAP.  I have had no connection issues in the last 2 weeks.  The new WAP does not use the 5GHz band that the Cisco WAP used.  My SSIDer tool can't see the new frequency band, but I suspect that this new band has much less interference."

Do you by chance have a Cisco WAP?

New Member

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6 Messages

The WAP devices is likely on a 5GHz DFS channel, which means when radar frequencies are detected from airports, weather stations, or the local government your device will get booted and rerouted (if the other channel accepts your device) until that channel is clear again. Replacing or resetting the WAP was likely never the solutions. The likely solution was a channel change, which can be done by the customer if ATT provides the WAP login info. However, that means you don't have to pay a service charge for them to come out and you kind of don't need them for much. Note: Resetting the WAP may seem to resolve the issue, but it's really just a way to allow the device to reset from the radar frequency disruption, so it will likely happen again. Also note that the DFS channels are used because your neighbors are not likely to be on it since it is reserved for the radars I mentioned. A better option would be for ATT to place the WAP on an open clear (non-DFS) channel that is not being used in your local area, unless you are nowhere near where those mentioned radars using DFS channels can reach. Try WiFi Analyzer and look at the channel graph, filter by 5GHz (or 2.4GHz if you think your devices is on that network, but not likely for TV streaming), then select your device, or all devices. Use the bar at the top to scroll through the 5GHz freq to find your device. You won't need to scroll on the 2.4GHz freq.

(edited)

Mentor

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21 Messages

11 years ago

I do indeed.  Guess it's time for another hour or more on the phone with tech support to get it replaced.

New Member

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25.7K Messages

11 years ago

Hang tight and one of the community managers will be along and can assist you further.

Employee

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581 Messages

11 years ago

Hello lwoxen , I was working on your issue with david_t and have sent you a private message as well. We are shipping you a Wireless Access Point. Smiley Happy

Mentor

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21 Messages

11 years ago

Just a quick update.  We have had no further dropped sessions since replacing the Cisco WAP.  Thanks again for all the help!

Employee

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581 Messages

11 years ago

Excellent! Thank You for the update. Smiley Happy

Tutor

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4 Messages

10 years ago

I would really like to know how to fix this problem.  I did as ya'll suggested and changed the channel to 36 but my wireless receivers still drop the connection all the time.  It's pretty bad when you are having a lot of people over to watch a football game and every 10 minutes the wireless receiver drops the signal.  Can I get a new Motorola WAP too to see if that helps?  I can install it myself if I can get it shipped.

Contributor

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1 Message

10 years ago

I have the same issue, all my wirelless receivers (2) keep losing connections. I have the Cisco AP. I read through all these forums and tried everything suggested and I still keep losing the signal, especially when watching recorded shows on the DVR. When I got the uverse a few months back I wanted everything hard wired because I did not believe this would work.  My installer told me he was giving me the wireless at no charge because it would be to hard to wire my house, pretty sure he didn't want to go in the attic during the summer.

 

Also, I have already had to up my internet plan to a faster speed (cannot tell a difference) which just wiped out my savings over timewarner and the internet is still much slower than TW.  I have yet to be able to watch a whole show on the uverse app on my ipad with out losing a network connection.

 

What to do now? Go buy a spool of wire and wire the house myself?  Take the loss and go back to TW?  

 

Sorry for for the rant.

 

 

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