ATT Internet Air Setup Solution

We spent 3 weeks trying to get a 4th Gen Tablo device to proceed past the firmware installation setup.
Tablo support offered many suggestions including connecting via ethernet, selecting a less crowded channel, downloading RouteThis Helps and sending them the results and finally disabling the firewall.
We tried all of these and nothing worked. Tablo support could not use remote access to install the firmware update either. They suggested shutting off the firewall - and that is not possible with the ATT Internet Air - the firewall is built in with no advanced functions to disable it.
As a last ditch effort I asked if the Tablo could be set up on a different WiFi system, installed, and then moved back to my home system? They said it could but the firewall may still cause problems.
After doing a factory reset I attempted the setup on a different WiFi network and it worked seamlessly. I was able to get it installed with an update. After that I moved it back to my home WiFi, logged into my Tablo account and set the preferences to use a different WiFi network (my home WiFi) than the established setup network. Switched it over and everything works as it should - as far as I know.
Posting this here because I found NOTHING to help me overcome this ATT Internet Air situation I found myself in. There must be something in their firewall that prevents the firmware from being downloaded.
So, in short, if you have problems installing Tablo on an ATT Internet Air network, borrow a different WiFi network to do the setup and then reassign the WiFi network after you’ve finished.

1 Like

That is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

I don’t have ATT internet service, but thank you for taking the time to post the solution. This will likely help others down the road.

Thanks for the heads up. Fighting the same issue.

@tcf - I’ve seen somewhere in this forum that 5G Internet (ATT/TMo/Vzn/etc) is no bueno for Tablo. Seems like this is a case in point. Thanks for sharing your workaround.

I have T-Mobile fixed 5G home internet and Tablo. No issues.

Thanks for posting this. I have the same problem trying to connect Tablo with AT&T Internet Air. I used my iPad as a hotspot, connected the Tablo to the iPad WiFi, and ran through the initialization (including the firmware update). I was able to download the guide, set up recording, etc. However, when I followed the instructions here to switch WiFi (https://support.tablotv.com/hc/en-us/articles/24541679992852-How-To-Change-or-Edit-Your-4th-Generation-Tablo-s-Wi-Fi-Network) back to my home network, it won’t work. It stops at the screen with “Locating your Tablo for Wi-Fi Setup…”. Could you elaborate on how you switch the WiFi network?

UPDATE: I figured it out. It wasn’t listed in the instructions but I had to hit the reset button, tried a few times and force the device into WiFi set up mode (blinking blue light). I also tried connecting using Ethernet cable connected directly to the Internet Air modem. It does not work either. The device keeps blinking white light, which indicates it cannot connect to the internet.