User Guide Linksys EA-Series
Linksys EA-Series Contents Contents Product Overview How to customize Cisco Connect Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 EA2700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 EA3500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 EA4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Setting Up: Advanced How to manually set up your Internet connection How to create a home network . . . . . . . .
Linksys EA-Series Contents Using an External Drive Troubleshooting Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 How to attach a USB drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 How to use secured folder access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 During setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linksys EA-Series Product Overview EA2700 Product Overview The power of dual band Double your network bandwidth with simultaneous dual-band N (2.4 and 5 GHz). The dual-band feature is designed to avoid interference and optimize throughput for smoother and faster HD video streaming, file transfers, and wireless gaming. Advanced security Keep Wi-Fi freeloaders and Internet threats at bay with WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall to help keep your network protected.
Linksys EA-Series Product Overview Back view Port activity indicator Yellow network activity indicator Green connectivity indicator Power port Internet port Ethernet ports •• Network or Internet port Power indicator Wi-Fi Protected Setup button Ethernet ports—Connect Ethernet cables (also called network cables) to these Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) ports, color coded blue, and to wired Ethernet network devices on your network.
Linksys EA-Series EA3500 Product Overview The power of dual band Double your network bandwidth with simultaneous dual-band N (2.4 and 5 GHz). The dual-band feature is designed to avoid interference and optimize throughput for smoother and faster HD video streaming, file transfers, and wireless gaming. SpeedBoost Higher quality antenna technology helps maintain high speeds across greater distances throughout your home.
Linksys EA-Series Product Overview Parental controls •• Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ button—Press this button to easily configure wireless security on Wi-Fi Protected Setup-enabled network devices. For more information, see “How to connect a network device using Wi-Fi Protected Setup” on page 16. •• Power indicator—Stays on steadily while power is connected and following a Wi-Fi Protected Setup connection. Flashes slowly during bootup, firmware upgrades, factory reset, and Wi‑Fi Protected Setup.
Linksys EA-Series Product Overview Bottom view •• Reset button—Press and hold this button for 15 seconds (until the port lights flash at the same time) to reset the router to its factory defaults. You can also restore the defaults using the browser-based utility. For more information, see “How to restore factory defaults” on page 53.
Linksys EA-Series EA4500 Product Overview The power of dual band Double your network bandwidth with simultaneous dual-band N (2.4 and 5 GHz). The dual-band feature is designed to avoid interference and optimize throughput for smoother and faster HD video streaming, file transfers, and wireless gaming. SpeedBoost Higher quality antenna technology helps maintain high speeds across greater distances throughout your home.
Linksys EA-Series Product Overview Back view IPv6 enabled Supports the latest Internet protocol technology to future-proof your network. Easy to manage Cisco Connect software helps you customize your settings and quickly add multiple devices to your network: Separate guest network Ethernet ports Create a separate, password-protected network for guests.
Linksys EA-Series Product Overview •• Reset button—Press and hold this button for 15 seconds (until the port lights flash at the same time) to reset the router to its factory defaults. You can also restore the defaults using the browser-based utility. For more information, see “How to restore factory defaults” on page 53. •• Power port—Connect the included AC power adapter to this port. Caution Use only the adapter that came with your router.
Linksys EA-Series Setting Up: Basics Setting Up: Basics How to create a home network 2. Make sure that your modem is working. Your ISP can help you set up your modem and verify that it’s working correctly. 3. Set up your router. See “How to install your router” on page 10. What is a network? A network is any group of devices that can communicate with each other. A home network can also include Internet access, which requires a router like this one.
Linksys EA-Series How to install your router Setting Up: Basics The easiest and fastest way to install your router is to run the Setup software on the CD that came with your router or download it from the router’s support site at Linksys.com/support. Setup shows you how to connect your router to your home network, step by step. As part of the router setup process, you will be sent a verification e-mail.
Linksys EA-Series How to configure your router You can change router settings to make your network more secure or to work better with a device or game. Being able to adjust the settings while you’re away from home can help make router administration easier. You can configure your router from anywhere in the world by using Cisco Connect Cloud, but you can also configure your router directly from your home network.
Linksys EA-Series 3. Click the Administration tab, then deselect Allow remote access to Cisco Connect Cloud. Setting Up: Basics How to improve your wireless connection speed Follow these tips to improve your network’s wireless connection speed: •• Make sure that your router is in a good location: •• For the widest coverage area, install your router near the center of your home, and near the ceiling, if possible.
Linksys EA-Series How to change your network’s name and password You can change the name (SSID) and password of your network, but if you do so, all wireless devices connected to your router will lose their Internet connection until you reconnect them using the new network name and password. To change your router’s name and password: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Under Router Settings, click Wireless. Setting Up: Basics 4. Click OK to apply your changes.
Linksys EA-Series How to change your router’s time zone Your router’s time zone should be set to your local time zone. To set your router’s time zone: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. Setting Up: Basics How to test your Internet connection speed Note To run the speed test, you must be accessing the Internet by using the router you are testing. You cannot run the speed test remotely. 2. Click Connectivity under Router Settings. 3.
Linksys EA-Series Note Internet connection speeds are determined by a variety of factors, including ISP account type, local and worldwide Internet traffic, and number of devices in your home that are sharing the Internet connection. 4. Click Restart Test to run it again, and click Show History to display the results of past tests.
Linksys EA-Series 3. Under Select the type of device to add to your network, click USB Printer. The Add a USB printer screen opens. Setting Up: Basics Because of the wide variety of devices and methods of connecting, you must manually enter network information into the devices for a successful network connection.
Linksys EA-Series •• If the device has a Wi-Fi Protected Setup button, press that button, then click the Wi-Fi Protected Setup button in Cisco Connect Cloud or press the button on the back of your router. Setting Up: Basics How to view device details You can use Cisco Connect Cloud to view any network device’s network infomation. To view network device details: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Under Apps, click Device List. The Device List screen opens.
Linksys EA-Series Information about the device appears on the screen. Setting Up: Basics How to set parental controls To set parental controls: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Under Apps, click Parental Controls. The Parental Controls screen opens. 4. Click OK. How to set up parental controls With your router, you can use parental controls to: •• Set the times that Internet access is allowed.
Linksys EA-Series •• Click Edit to change the Internet access schedule. You can click and drag to select or deselect a block of time. Setting Up: Basics How to configure your guest network You can use your router’s guest network to provide your guests with access to the Internet, while restricting their access to other resources on your local network. To prevent unauthorized users from using your Internet access, your guest network requires that a password be entered for Internet access.
Linksys EA-Series To set up guest access to your network: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Under Apps, click Guest Access. Your guest network, which was set up during your router installation, is displayed. Setting Up: Basics 3. Click OK to apply your changes. Tip The first time your guest tries to access the Internet through a web browser, they will see the Guest access screen.
Linksys EA-Series Setting Up: Basics How to customize Cisco Connect Cloud Customizing the Device List You can customize your Cisco Connect Cloud home page by adding or removing widgets. Widgets are miniature versions of menus that let you change basic settings or check the status of your network. You can change the icon and text description of each device on your network. Using widgets To change the device appearance: 1. In the Device List, click the device you want to change the appearance for.
Linksys EA-Series Setting Up: Advanced Setting Up: Advanced How to manually set up your router How to manually set up your Internet connection Although running your router’s setup software is the easiest way to set up and maintain your router, advanced users may want to manually configure their router. Be careful when changing settings using this method. Running Setup configures your router’s Internet connection.
Linksys EA-Series 7. Select your ISP’s Internet connection type from the drop-down list. Complete the Optional Settings only if required by your ISP. Tip For field descriptions, click Help at the top of the screen. 8. Click OK. IPv6 Internet connection settings IPv6 is a new IP protocol that uses simplified packet headers and requires IPSec. It also has improved support for mobile IP and computing devices.
Linksys EA-Series How to get the most out of your dualband router I bought a dual band router, but I’m not sure that I’m getting the most out of it. What should I check? Of the many reasons for owning a dual-band router, the most common is to ensure available bandwidth for streaming highdefinition video. At the same time, owners want to make sure that their video streams won’t be interrupted by other wireless network traffic.
Linksys EA-Series d. Network mode—Your choice depends upon the clients that will connect to your network. If all of your devices are Wireless-N capable, you can select Wireless-N Only for either or both bands. On the 5 GHz band, you can select: •• Mixed (default), which accepts connections from 802.11a or 802.11n clients •• Wireless-N Only (802.11n only) •• Wireless-A Only (802.11a only) On the 2.
Linksys EA-Series Tip MAC filtering is not strong security. The best way to secure your network is to use the router’s WPA2 security setting. Setting Up: Advanced 4. Select Enabled next to MAC Filters, then select Allow access for ONLY the listed MAC addresses. Example: Because each MAC filtering configuration is unique, the following procedure uses the simplified example of setting up MAC filtering to allow one wireless device access to the network.
Linksys EA-Series How to improve security using the built-in firewall Why would I need to change my security settings? By default, the firewall settings in your router have been optimized for most home environments, so no changes are needed. The SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewall is enabled by default. In addition, anonymous Internet requests and IDENT requests are filtered by default.
Linksys EA-Series Setting Up: Advanced Changing IPv6 firewall settings •• IPv6 Address—Enter the IPv6 address of the computer that should On some router models, the IPv6 firewall lets you customize IPv6 port services for applications. When users send these types of requests to your network via the Internet, the router will allow those requests to the appropriate computers. •• Allow—Select the range of port(s) used by incoming traffic.
Linksys EA-Series 3. Click the Local Network tab. Setting Up: Advanced How to set up DHCP reservation Why would I use it? DHCP reservation allows you to assign a unique, fixed IP address to a specific device on your network. Assigning a fixed IP address is a good way to manage devices such as print servers, web cameras, network printers, and game consoles.
Linksys EA-Series 5. Click Edit to change the reservation details, or click Delete to delete the reservation. Setting Up: Advanced 3. Under Router Settings, click Security, then click the Apps and Gaming tab. The DDNS screen opens. Tip For field descriptions, click Help at the top of the screen.
Linksys EA-Series How to clone a MAC address On any home network, each network device has a unique MAC (Media Access Control) address. Some ISPs register the MAC address of the device (usually a router or a computer) connected directly to the modem. If your computer’s MAC address is registered with your ISP and you do not want to re-register the MAC address, then you can clone the address (assign the registered MAC address of your previous device to your new router).
Linksys EA-Series 3. Enable each setting that you want to change. •• IPSec Passthrough – IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) is a suite of protocols used to implement secure exchange of packets at the IP layer. The VPN clients on the local network can establish an IPSec VPN tunnel through the router. This option is enabled by default. •• PPTP Passthrough – PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) allows Setting Up: Advanced To configure media prioritization: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud.
Linksys EA-Series 5. To prioritize an application or game, select the name in the drop-down list, then click and drag the icon next to the name to the High Priority list. Setting Up: Advanced a. Set the maximum Downstream Bandwidth. If you set the bandwidth lower than the actual bandwidth of your router, performance may be limited. b. Set the maximum Upstream Bandwidth. c. To help manage traffic priority with devices that support WMM, turn on WMM Support.
Linksys EA-Series To configure the router for VoIP: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Under Router Settings, click Connectivity, then click the Administration tab. Setting Up: Advanced How to configure UPnP What is UPnP? UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) allows devices connected to a network to discover each other and automatically create working configurations.
Linksys EA-Series Setting Up: Advanced How to use a router as an access point To view your new router’s settings: How can I use this new router as an access point? If you have a large area to cover with your wireless signal, or if part of your home has weak signals due to interference, you can use this router to extend the range of your old router’s wireless network. 2. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. To set up your new router as an access point: 1.
Linksys EA-Series b. Change the network name (SSID) to match the name of your new network. Having the same network name and security settings enables you to seamlessly roam between your new router and your old router. c. Change the security mode to match the security mode on your new router. d. Change the passphrase (sometimes called the pre-shared key) on your old router to match the passphrase on your new router. e. Change the wireless channel to a non-conflicting channel.
Linksys EA-Series To share an Internet connection Note This is a complex process, so this procedure assumes that you have some networking knowledge. Setting Up: Advanced To determine the address range by using a Mac computer: a. Connect your computer into your upstream network’s router. b. From the Dock, click System preferences, click Network, then click Ethernet in the window to the left. A network status window opens.
Linksys EA-Series 2. Connect an Ethernet network cable to a LAN/Ethernet port on your upstream network to the yellow Internet port on your router. Caution Connect the upstream network to your router’s yellow Internet port, not one of the blue Ethernet ports. If you connect to an Ethernet port, you create IP addressing problems for the office network. Tips An office network often has a wall plate with an Ethernet port that you can connect to.
Linksys EA-Series To extend your network This topic covers cases three and four above. Note This is a complex process, so this procedure assumes that you have some networking knowledge. To extend your network or add wireless capabilities: 1. If you want to extend your network, you may also follow the instructions above. One example of this might be to provide a separate wireless network for your children to keep their wireless network traffic separate from your wireless network.
Linksys EA-Series Setting Up: Advanced 4. Click the setting for DMZ to turn it on. 5. Select Enabled. 6. In the Source IP Address section, select Any IP Address to allow access to your DMZ device from the entire Internet, or select the alternate button and enter a range of allowed source addresses. 7. In the Destination IP Address section, enter the last three digits of the IP address of the device that will be in the DMZ. The rest of the IP address is already completed.
Linksys EA-Series Using an External Drive For EA3500 EA4500 Overview You can attach most USB drives (including a thumb drive or a high-capacity external drive) to the USB port on your router. You can then use the drive as networked storage, as a media server (for media-enabled devices such as a networked TV), and as an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server. You can also specify which users can access the content on the drive. (The media server feature is not available on the EA3500.
Linksys EA-Series How to use secured folder access For EA3500 EA4500 4. In the Authorized users list, type a Username and Password for each new user. Why would I need to use secured folder access? By default, when you connect a USB drive to your router, the entire contents of the drive are available for read and write access to anyone on your local network (no login credentials are required).
Linksys EA-Series 8. If you need to set up the shared folder: a. Click Create new share. The Create New Share dialog box opens. 9. Click Add User. 10. In the Authorized users list, you can also: •• Click Edit to change a user’s credentials. •• Click Shares to change the shares that a user can access. •• Click Delete to delete the user account. How to access shared folders To access shared folders while on your network: 1. While in Cisco Connect Cloud, click USB Storage under Apps. 2.
Linksys EA-Series TIPS File managers display content in many ways, but you can usually use these common actions to navigate through folders: •• •• •• Click or double-click a folder name to open it. Click, double-click, or right-click a file to open, copy, or view it. Drag a file from another window and drop it into the shared folder’s window to copy it to the shared folder. (To copy a file to the shared folder, your user account must have write access.) To configure your router as a media server: 1.
Linksys EA-Series 5. Click Add New Folder. The Add a new folder dialog box opens. How to connect your UPnP device to the media server After you set up your router’s media server, you need to connect an UPnPcompatible device (such as an UPnP-compatible game console or digital media player) to the network so that you can play the media server’s content. To connect an UPnP device to your router’s media server: 1.
Linksys EA-Series How to remotely access storage For EA3500 EA4500 8. Note the information under FTP Server. This is the information you will need to access the attached storage remotely. Why would I need to access my router’s storage remotely? After you enable the router’s FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server, you can access the attached drive’s files from anywhere by using either a web browser or FTP software. To set up the FTP server: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud.
Linksys EA-Series TIPS FTP software and web browsers display FTP content in many ways, but you can usually use these common actions to navigate through FTP folders: Click a folder name to open it. Click a double period (..) or Up to a higher level directory to open a parent folder. •• Click or right-click a file to download or view it. •• Drag a file from another window and drop it into the FTP window to upload it. (To upload a file, your user account must have write access.
Linksys EA-Series Port Forwarding and Port Triggering Port Forwarding and Port Triggering How to set up port forwarding Why would I use port forwarding? Port forwarding is a feature that forwards inbound traffic from the Internet on a specific port or ports to a specific device or port on your local network.
Linksys EA-Series How to set up port forwarding for multiple ports Why would I set up port forwarding for multiple ports? Port forwarding is a feature that forwards inbound traffic from the Internet on a specific port to a single device on your local network. Unlike a web camera that typically only requires a single port to be forwarded, some applications require forwarding of multiple ports.
Linksys EA-Series To set up port range forwarding: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Set up a DHCP reservation for the IP address of the computer on which you installed the software. (See “How to set up the DHCP server on your router” on page 28). In this example, the IP address of the desktop computer with BitTorrent installed is 192.168.1.140. 3. Under Router Settings, click Security. 4. Click the Apps and Gaming tab. 5. Click Port Range Forwarding.
Linksys EA-Series Port Forwarding and Port Triggering 3. Under Router Settings, click Security. 4. Click the Apps and Gaming tab. 5. Click Port Range Triggering. The Port Range Triggering screen opens. 6. Click Add a new Port Range Triggering. 7. In the Device or Application field, enter a descriptive name (such as PS3 Headset). 8. For single ports, enter the same port number in each Triggered range and Forwarded range field. 9.
Linksys EA-Series Maintaining and Monitoring Maintaining and Monitoring How to back up and restore your router configuration Why do I need to back up my router configuration? As with any valuable data, you should back up your router configuration. Your router might contain many customized settings. Those settings would be lost if you reset your router to its factory defaults, and you would need to re-enter all of them manually. If you back up your router configuration, restoring settings is easy.
Linksys EA-Series Maintaining and Monitoring How to upgrade the router’s firmware How to restore factory defaults Why would I need to upgrade my router’s firmware? Linksys may periodically publish a firmware upgrade either to fix a problem or to add features to your router. If you’ve tried previous troubleshooting steps and your network still doesn’t work, you may need to restore your router’s factory defaults.
Linksys EA-Series To reset your router to factory defaults using Cisco Connect Cloud: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud. (See “How to configure your router” on page 11. 2. Under Router Settings, click Troubleshooting. Maintaining and Monitoring 3. Click the Status tab. Detailed information about your router status is displayed. Tip For field descriptions, click Help at the top of the screen. 3. Click the Diagnostics tab. 4. Under Factory reset, click Reset. A confirmation screen opens. 4.
Linksys EA-Series Maintaining and Monitoring How to disable the Ethernet port status lights How to test your Internet connection Why would I want to disable the Ethernet port status lights? Depending on the placement of the router in a home, you might find the lights distracting. You can easily disable the lights using Cisco Connect Cloud.
Linksys EA-Series b. Select a number of times to ping from the Number to ping dropdown list. c. Click Start to Ping. A window opens showing the ping test results. You will see a response for each successful ping. Maintaining and Monitoring How to configure and use logs What kind of logging capabilities does my router have? Your router can track all traffic for your Internet connection and record that information in a log. To enable and view logs: 1. Log into Cisco Connect Cloud.
Linksys EA-Series Troubleshooting Troubleshooting This chapter can help you solve common setup issues and connect to the Internet. You can find more help from our award-winning customer support at linksys.com/support.
Linksys EA-Series Troubleshooting Your Internet cable is not plugged in message If you get a “Your Internet cable is not plugged in” message when trying to set up your router, follow these troubleshooting steps. 2. Make sure that your modem is connected to power and is turned on. If it has a power switch, make sure that it is set to the ON or l position. 3. If your Internet service is cable, verify that the cable modem’s CABLE port is connected to the coaxial cable provided by your ISP.
Linksys EA-Series 3. Click your own network name, then click Connect. In the example below, the computer was connected to another wireless network named JimsRouter. The name of the Linksys E-Series network, BronzeEagle in this example, is shown selected. Troubleshooting 4. If you are prompted to enter a network key, type your password (Security Key) into the Network key and Confirm network key fields, then click Connect.
Linksys EA-Series 3. Type your wireless network password (Security Key) into the Password field, then click OK. Troubleshooting Rebooting your router To reboot your router using the power cord: 1. Disconnect the power cord from the router and the modem. 2. Wait 10 seconds, then reconnect the power cord to the modem. Make sure it has power. 3. Wait until the modem’s Online indicator has stopped flashing, or wait two minutes, then reconnect the power cord to the router. 4.
Linksys EA-Series Troubleshooting 5. Click Yes to confirm. The router reboots. While the router is rebooting, all connected devices will lose their Internet connection. Cisco Connect Cloud does not open in your web browser The latest versions of the most common web browsers work with Cisco Connect Cloud.
Linksys EA2700 Specifications Specifications Linksys EA2700 Environmental Model Name Linksys EA2700 Description Dual-Band N600 Router with Gigabit Model Number EA2700 Switch Port Speed 10/100/1000 Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) Radio Frequency 2.
Linksys EA3500 Specifications Linksys EA3500 Environmental Model Name Linksys EA3500 Description Dual-Band N750 Router with Gigabit and USB Model Number EA3500 Switch Port Speed 10/100/1000 Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) Radio Frequency 2.
Linksys EA4500 Specifications Linksys EA4500 Environmental Dimensions 8.86” x 0.98” x 6.30” (225 x 25 x 160 mm) Unit Weight 12.7 oz (360 g) Power 12V, 2A Certifications FCC, IC, CE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Windows 7, DLNA 6 (3 per band) Operating Temp. 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C) Ports Power, USB, Internet, Ethernet (1-4) Storage Temp.
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