How to hook up a Linksys WRT54G to Motorola NVG589. PLEASE HELP!

Question

Hello,  I have recently switched over to AT&T Uverse and I am loving it. One thing I miss is having extra ethernet ports to plug in my desktop computer and my Xbox 360. When the Uverse technician came in, he installed a Motorola NVG589 modem that also has a built in wireless router. He also installed a VAP2500 as a receiver for 2 wireless TV boxes. The VAP2500 plugs into the back of the Motorola NVG589. 3 other TV boxes are plugged into the back as well.  My dilemma is the fact that all of the ports are being taken up. I need at least 2 more ethernet ports free so I can hook up my Xbox 360 (my model doesn't have built in wifi) and my desktop computer as well.  I told the technician this when he installed the system and he told me to go on ebay and buy 2 cheap splitters and split 2 TV boxes that are coming into the NVG589. I did so. It didn't work out. I called up AT&T and the guy over the phone said that was the worst thing I could've done. He told be I should buy an ethernet switch.  I had my Linksys WRT54G (Version 6) router laying around at the time and realized that it had a built in ethernet switch. I want to get this to also function as another Wifi hotspot because I have an old PowerMac G4 downstairs that won't connect to the NVG589 for some reason (it says connection timeout). I am guessing that the wifi card in the system may be too old to connect to the modern NVG589.  So, I need the 2 extra ethernet ports and another Wifi hotspot from this setup. I have tried multiple things to get this to work.  The closest way I could get it to work was when I plugged an ethernet cable from the LAN port on the WRT54G to port on the back of the NVG589. I then plugged the TV box ethernet cable I had to disconnect into the second LAN port on the WRT54G as well as plugging my Xbox 360 into the 3rd LAN port and my computer into the 4th LAN port. This worked great for the TV box and the Xbox 360. However, the computer's ethernet connection ran very slow and the WIfi from the WRT54G was very slow as well. The Wifi from the NVG589 was slow too.  I unhooked that setup and put it back to what it was beforehand.  Is there anyone that knows of a flawless way of setting this up?  Any articles someone can link me to? I've heard of bridging the NVG589...would that help me? How exactly would I do that? Please HELP. I have attached pics. On the back of the NVG589 - green ethernet is the DSL cable, both white ethernet cables along with the black one are TV boxes and the yellow ethernet cable is the VAP 2500.  Thanks! 

Answer 1

craigarc303 wrote:
Hello,  I have recently switched over to AT&T Uverse and I am loving it. One thing I miss is having extra ethernet ports to plug in my desktop computer and my Xbox 360. When the Uverse technician came in, he installed a Motorola NVG589 modem that also has a built in wireless router. He also installed a VAP2500 as a receiver for 2 wireless TV boxes. The VAP2500 plugs into the back of the Motorola NVG589. 3 other TV boxes are plugged into the back as well.  My dilemma is the fact that all of the ports are being taken up. I need at least 2 more ethernet ports free so I can hook up my Xbox 360 (my model doesn't have built in wifi) and my desktop computer as well.  I told the technician this when he installed the system and he told me to go on ebay and buy 2 cheap splitters and split 2 TV boxes that are coming into the NVG589. I did so. It didn't work out. I called up AT&T and the guy over the phone said that was the worst thing I could've done. He told be I should buy an ethernet switch.  I had my Linksys WRT54G (Version 6) router laying around at the time and realized that it had a built in ethernet switch. I want to get this to also function as another Wifi hotspot because I have an old PowerMac G4 downstairs that won't connect to the NVG589 for some reason (it says connection timeout). I am guessing that the wifi card in the system may be too old to connect to the modern NVG589.  So, I need the 2 extra ethernet ports and another Wifi hotspot from this setup. I have tried multiple things to get this to work.  The closest way I could get it to work was when I plugged an ethernet cable from the LAN port on the WRT54G to port on the back of the NVG589. I then plugged the TV box ethernet cable I had to disconnect into the second LAN port on the WRT54G as well as plugging my Xbox 360 into the 3rd LAN port and my computer into the 4th LAN port. This worked great for the TV box and the Xbox 360. However, the computer's ethernet connection ran very slow and the WIfi from the WRT54G was very slow as well. The Wifi from the NVG589 was slow too.  I unhooked that setup and put it back to what it was beforehand.  Is there anyone that knows of a flawless way of setting this up?  Any articles someone can link me to? I've heard of bridging the NVG589...would that help me? How exactly would I do that? Please HELP. I have attached pics. On the back of the NVG589 - green ethernet is the DSL cable, both white ethernet cables along with the black one are TV boxes and the yellow ethernet cable is the VAP 2500.  Thanks!   Ya, the install tech must have been sleeping or texting or something during training.... or it's possible he misunderstood you and thought your were talking about needing extra phone ports, which could be accomplished with simple splitters. You were almost where you needed to be with your setup, you just missed some steps. Connect your wired computer only to one of the Linksys' LAN port. With the Linksys powered up press and hold the reset button for 15 seconds (will need toothpick or unfolded paperclip). This will perform a "factory" reset. When the Linksys is fully rebooted, log in to the Linksys. Do not configure the "Internet Connection Type" on the Linksys. Navigate to the "Wireless" section on the Linksys and configure the wireless. Do not use the same SSID (wireless network name) that the NVG589 uses. Save changes. Navigate to the "LAN" configuration on the Linksys and set the routers address to 192.168.1.1 and disable the DHCP Server. Save changes. This step will kick you out of the router. Power down your computer and the Linksys, run an Ethernet cable from a LAN port on the NVG589 to a LAN port on the Linksys, then power up the Linksys, and when it's fully rebooted, power up your computer. You should be good to go at this point. You will want to individually configure your wireless devices to use either the wireless network from the NVG or the wireless network from the Linksys. Otherwise they make keep jumping back and forth between the two, which will degrade performance for that device. You may still notice a slight to moderate performance drop for the wireless on both the NVG and the Linksys because they will be competing for the same wireless airspace along with the VAP2500.     
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