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AT&T follows the same bizarre rules that most internet providers seem to follow: they only want you to play with their toys. Many excuses exist, like security or assisting you during the dreaded customer support call, but the fact of the matter is that most third-party routers are just better than that provided by the provider themselves.
If you have your own router with AT&T Fiber, brands like Netgear, Linksys, TP-Link, and others offer routers that can enhance your fiber broadband experience. These routers provide stronger Wi-Fi signals throughout your home or apartment building, effectively mitigating interference caused by multiple devices.
So it’s no coincidence that AT&T has a massive hill to overcome if you want to use your own router. Getting out of their ecosystem and into your own just means that they can’t upsell you on repeaters or a newer router towards the end of your current contract.
But fear not, as help is at hand and we’ll help you break the shackles of the dreaded broadband provider… sort of.
AT&T still requires the router to be in the lineup of devices to act as the gateway for your connection. This is to verify your legitimacy as a customer. You must keep the router on at all times. We daisy chain routers together to enhance your overall experience.
If you have your own router with AT&T Fiber, please note that it still needs to be part of the device lineup. AT&T requires this to establish a gateway for your connection and confirm your legitimacy as a customer. Ensure that your router remains powered on at all times. We daisy-chain routers together to provide you with an improved overall experience.
How to Find Your IP Address
If you’re an AT&T Fiber customer looking to take control of your network setup, using your router can offer greater flexibility and customization options. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of setting up and utilizing your router with AT&T Fiber. By leveraging the power of your router, you can tailor your network to meet your specific needs and enhance your AT&T Fiber experience.
Let’s dive in and explore how to integrate your router seamlessly with AT&T Fiber.
Find your router’s IP
Routers across the world all deal with similar strings of IP addresses. For those not sure, an IP address is the unique set of numbers that your connection places onto each device that connects to it. Literally like an address, and is used as an identity for the device when communicating with the router.
Before we do anything remotely more complex than guessing, an AT&T router will usually use one of two defaults: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.254. This will bring you to the administration page for the router.
If you haven’t modified any settings on your router before, the default login will typically be “admin.” To find the correct login information for your modem, check for a sticker or leaflet that came with it. This information is often labeled as “system password” or “device access code.”
This password could also be blank or admin.
However, if you’ve already changed them at some point, you’ll want to type in your credentials.
We only have access to a PC at the time of writing, so for Mac devices, we’ll have no images.
Find IP Address on Windows
In Windows 10 and 11, you can head to the designated search bar or icon in the taskbar and type in ‘cmd’ or ‘command prompt’ to access the famous black box.
Step
Run CMD
If you have this turned off for whatever reason, you can still do the classic Run into CMD by loading up ‘Run’ and typing in ‘cmd’.
Step
In the Start Menu
Windows also now collate the Command Prompt in the same Windows System folder in the start bar.
Finding your router’s IP on macOS
In the upper bar, click the Apple icon and go to System Preferences. You can also press Command + Space to bring up the search option and type in Network.
Step
System Preferences
In System Preferences, choose Network, and it’ll bring up a window with all your current connections.
From here, you want to choose Advanced.
Step
TCP/IP
In the menu bar, next to Wi-Fi, there’s TCP/IP which will contain the information you need under ‘Router’.
Find IP on Android and iOS
For Android devices, it’s recommended you use Wi-Fi Analyzer or a similar app from your devices’ app store, while for iPhones, this can found in the Settings app and in the menu after tapping the currently connected Wi-Fi network. It’ll be listed as ‘Router’.
You will now have the IP address and be able to head into AT&T’s router options.
How to Use Own Router with AT&T Fiber
Step
Swap from Wi-Fi to Ethernet
On most AT&T routers, you’re going to need to disable the 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal, so that when you connect your new router, you won’t have two conflicting signals trying to grab your device.
In Home Network, on the top settings band, choose Wi-Fi and disable Home SSID and Guest SSID. If you’re not connected over Ethernet at this point, you’ll lose your connection.
Step
Packet Filter
Next, in Firewall, there’s Packet Filter, which will have the option to disable it.
The router will be taking care of this from now on, so there’s no need for the AT&T modem to be using it.
Step
Firewall Advanced and IP Passthrough
Then we need to go Firewall Advanced and turn everything off. Don’t fret.
Once we’re done in Firewall Advanced, go through to IP Passthrough and turn Allocation Mode to Passthrough. Underneath, Passthrough Mode. Here choose either Dynamic or Static.
Side note about IP Passthrough
You might find one mode works, while the other doesn’t here. It’s a bit of a shot in the dark, but to simply put it: ensure your AT&T Modem is only hosting the router you want to use in its Ethernet ports. Everything else is going to go into your third-party router, so there’s no need for it other than this.
Dynamic Mode will assign an IP to everything that connects, while Static is for a singular device. Folk online have issues with each, so it’s really dependent on what you can get working. If anything goes wrong, that’ll be one thing you want to change.
Step
Save and Check
Press save and back to Status. In here, everything other than IP Passthrough should be off.
Step
Plug in Router and Check Subnet
You should now be good to go, plugin and set up the new router, but you’ll want to ensure that the Subnet it uses is set to another string of numbers. In this case, because AT&T is using 192.168.1.254, go ahead and set the new router to 192.168.2.254 or something along those lines, ensuring that there are no conflicts.
This will be different for each router and you’ll have to check your user manual for how to do this for your specific brand.
Takeaway
In conclusion, using your own router with AT&T Fiber can provide you with greater control and customization over your network. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully configure and set up your router to work seamlessly with AT&T Fiber.
Remember to obtain the necessary IP address information from AT&T and ensure compatibility with their network. Enjoy the benefits of a reliable and secure internet connection while having the freedom to manage your network according to your specific needs and preferences.
Make the most out of your AT&T Fiber connection by leveraging the capabilities of your router and taking control of your home network.
