Internet speed optimization with older equipment

What speed tier subscribed to?

What are you using?

Internet 300... and on testing, am receiving: Gateway- 386 Up,  367 Down. This Device - Ping 6, Jitter 0.667, Down 187, Up 177. Does the big difference between the gateway and device indicate a problem?

Hi, @JoeinATL, we would be happy to look into your intermittent connection issues.

First, we recommend restarting the gateway, as this can resolve many common connectivity issues.

1. Unplug the power cord from the back of your gateway or modem. If you have: 
   • An internal battery backup, remove it
   • DSL, unplug the phone cord from your modem or gateway
2. Wait 20 seconds.
3. Put the internal battery back in if you have one. 
4. Plug the power cord back in. If you have DSL service, reconnect the phone cord.
5. Wait for the gateway or modem to restart and your Broadband light to turn solid green. This can take up to 10 minutes.

We would also like to know, is the device connected via ethernet cable, or Wi-Fi?  We recommend downloading and giving the Smart Home Manager application.  This is a great application for monitoring and optimizing your connection.

Please give the above the above a try, and let us know.  We may need to take a deeper look into your connection, or options for replacing your gateway.

Daniel, AT&T Community Specialist

The device is connected hardwired (Ethernet) or wirelessly?

A wireless connection can have several issues from housing materials, distance, nearby networks, etc that can affect both speed and performance. Best to hardwired device(s) where possible.

If wireless may want to consider purchasing and installing wireless mesh system to improve your network.

one company reviews of mesh systems, there are others

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems

Thanks both,

I have re-booted the router, we are wireless and my computer is relatively close to the router. My core question is whether I should be consider proactively replacing a 5-year old wifi router based upon the years of service or if you see any evidence in these speed results. For example, although my router and computer remain stationary, I do notice dips in the signal strength from time to time. Maybe this normal, or may be it's a sign I should consider a wifi replacement.

And if so, do I need to replace my wifi router through ATT or can I buy one independently?

I would rather replace something that will fail ahead of time since I use the same router for business purposes as well as all my streaming TV services. That being said, I don't want to be foolish if it appears all is working well.

Thanks, again for your collective opinions.

Joe

Hey @JoeinATL, you've come to the right place to optimize your Internet speeds. 

Seeing dips in the service is normal. There are many things besides the equipment being used that can cause your service to slow down for a bit. If you see that this is a constant thing, then we do recommend replacing the router. We can get one sent out to replace the malfunctioning one. 

Let us know if that is something you'd like to continue with.

Johan, AT&T Community Specialist 

Thanks Johan.

Am I obliged to use ATT for my replacement or is there an commercial off-the-shelf model that I can use?

If COTS, what requirements does the router need to have?

If from ATT, how much does it cost?

What is the process to initiate replacement?

Thanks again!

Joe

Hi, JoeinATL.

An AT&T gateway is required for AT&T Internet. You can use a 3rd party router behind the gateway, if you'd like. As Johan mentioned, we can have one sent out to replace the current one.

If you have any other questions, let us know.

Aminah, AT&T Community Specialist

Thanks... I had another internet outage and long gateway reboot this morning. I think I should proactively replace my old gateway. What do I do next?

Hi @JoeinATL ,we  understand it can be frustrating to have your service working properly.

Let’s meet in a Direct Message on this. Please check your Direct Message Inbox (it’s the chat icon next to the bell icon in the upper right corner of the forums).


DemetriaC, AT&T Community Specialist