I can't make electronics work over the phone. :(

[SlitheryDee]

I just spent an hour on the phone with my mom trying to get her AT&T internet connection working through her wireless router. It works fine when plugged directly into the computer, but the router won't connect even when the AT&T router in bridge mode and the proper username and password entered into the PPPoe option on the linksys router.

This is exactly how my working AT&T internet connection is set up on the exact same router. Furthermore, somehow putting the AT&T router in bridge mode killed its ability to connect to the internet even when she put it back in PPPoe mode and reentered her login credentials.

I told her I was going to go over there and make it work and she made chili for the occasion but instead I decided to try to make it work over the phone. I could be eating chili and solving problems but here I am at home, frustrated and chililess. WTF WTF WTF WTF I hate everything. /blog

[rudeguy]

ummm...tell her to get the wireless info off the gateway.

I had the same problem. Turns out my mom already had wireless and my router just fucked it up.

[AnonymouseUser]

What Linksys router and what AT&T modem/router?

[JackMDS]

That is what happens when One trying to be Creative without knowing what they really doing (ie., who ever put the ATT Modem/Router into a bridge mode).

Until One learns the subject, put the ATT to work back into Modem/Router mode, then use the Linksys as a None Router Access Point to get Wireless, and use its switch for more wired connetion.

Using a Wireless Cable/DSL Router as a Switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

[SlitheryDee]

Originally Posted by JackMDS

That is what happens when One trying to be Creative without knowing what they really doing (ie., who ever put the ATT Modem/Router into a bridge mode).

Until One learns the subject, put the ATT to work back into Modem/Router mode, then use the Linksys as a None Router Access Point to get Wireless, and use its switch for more wired connetion.

Using a Wireless Cable/DSL Router as a Switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

This might need to be moved to networking if it's going to become more than just me bitching, but she did put the ATT router back into modem/router mode. It worked before switching it to bridge mode, but not after even when switched back. WTF does it not work when returned to the original setting? She went into the settings page, changed something, changed it back, and now the damn thing doesn't work.

I'm sure there's something I'm missing because I'm not there to do it myself, but I'll be damned if I know what that something is. I have always been able to make shit work when I'm able to actually lay my hands on it, but for some reason that doesn't work over the phone. That's really all I'm pissed about here.

[JackMDS]

You can get upset and use questionable verbal expressions as much as you want. However, that does not make anyone capable to solve technological problems.

Changing a device between modes often resets and changes some variables.

Download for yourself the device's manual. It might be that there is probably specific instruction that you can give over the phone for Hardware reset. After hardware reset it might be that insert in the pppoe id and password will make it functional again.

If it too much for whoever is there to deal with such level of Tech know how they should get in some one who can do it in-vivo.

[kevnich2]

Ok, what physical devices are you actually working with? Your description sounds like she has an ATT wireless router, so why not just have her use just that? Why is she even trying to hook up a linksys router?

To answer the question though, to get the ATT modem with the linksys router, you need to put the att modem into bridge mode (call ATT if you/she doesn't know how), then make sure she uses her att email address and password in the pppoe wan settings in the linksys.

By resetting the att modem, you wiped out the username/password, so putting it back to routed mode, you need the correct email address and password for pppoe. It doesn't just work automatically with pppoe