Linksys EA-Series User manual

User Guide
Linksys EA-Series

i
Contents
Linksys EA-Series
i
Product Overview
EA2700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
EA3500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
EA4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
EA6500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Setting Up: Basics
How to create a home network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
What is a network? 12
How to set up a home network 12
Where to nd more help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How to install your router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How to congure your router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
How to connect to Cisco Connect Cloud 14
How to connect directly to your router 15
How to improve your wireless connection speed 15
How to change your network’s name and password 16
How to change your router’s local access password 16
How to change your router’s time zone 17
How to test your Internet connection speed . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
How to connect devices to your network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How to connect a computer to your network 18
How to connect a USB printer 18
How to connect other devices 19
How to view device details 20
How to set up parental controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
How to set parental controls 21
How to congure your guest network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
How to back up your router conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
How to customize Cisco Connect Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Using widgets 24
Customizing the Device List 24
Using an External Drive
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
How to attach a USB drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
How to use secured folder access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
How to set up authorized users and shared folders 26
How to access shared folders 27
How to set up your router as a media server . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
How to connect your UPnP device to the media server 29
How to remotely access storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Setting Up: Advanced
How to manually set up your router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
How to manually set up your Internet connection 32
How to associate a router with your
Cisco Connect Cloud account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
How to get the most out of your dual-band router . . . . . . . . 34
How to control access to your network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
How to improve security using the built-in rewall 37
How to set up the DHCP server on your router . . . . . . . . . . . 38
How to set up DHCP reservation 39
How to access your network on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
How to clone a MAC address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
How to connect to your corporate oce using a VPN . . . . . . 41
How to optimize your router for gaming and voice . . . . . . . . 42
Contents

ii
Contents
Linksys EA-Series
How to enable Voice over IP on your network . . . . . . . . . . . 43
How to congure UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
How to use a router as an access point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
How to put your new router behind an existing router. . . . . . 46
To add your router to an existing router or gateway 46
To share an Internet connection 47
To extend your network 49
How to expose a device to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Port Forwarding and Port Triggering
How to set up port forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
How to set up port forwarding for a single port 51
How to set up port forwarding for multiple ports 52
How to set up port forwarding for a range of ports 52
How to set up port range triggering for online gaming . . . . . 53
Maintaining and Monitoring
How to back up and restore your router conguration. . . . . . 55
How to upgrade the router’s rmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
How to restore factory defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
How to check the status of your router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
How to disable the Ethernet port status lights 58
How to test your Internet connection 58
How to congure and use logs 59
Troubleshooting
During setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Your router was not successfully set up 60
Windows XP Service Pack update 60
Your Internet cable is not plugged in message 61
Cannot access your router message 61
After setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Internet appears to be unavailable 63
Cisco Connect Cloud does not open in your web browser 64
You cannot access Cisco Connect Cloud 64
All other troubleshooting has been unsuccessful 64
Specications
Linksys EA2700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Linksys EA3500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Linksys EA4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Linksys EA6500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

1
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
1
Product Overview
EA2700
Package contents
In addition to your router, your router package includes:
•Network (Ethernet) cable
•AC power adapter
•Setup CD containing router setup software and documentation
Features
Wireless-N technology
Built with leading 802.11n technology, create a powerful home wireless network
with double the capacity for surfing the Internet, streaming multimedia, and
running applications simultaneously. Connect your computers, Internet-ready
TVs, game consoles, smartphones, and other Wi-Fi devices at fast transfer rates
for an unrivaled experience.
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.
Benefits of gigabit
Use the four Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) ports for quick file sharing (up to
10× faster than standard Ethernet) between other Gigabit-enabled devices like
computers and servers.
Network ready
Connect computers, printers, scanners, and more to your wireless network and
the Internet. QoS traffic prioritization technology delivers maximum speed and
performance so you can enjoy fast downloads and reliable VoIP.
Easy to manage
Cisco Connect software helps you customize your settings and quickly add
multiple devices to your network:
Separate guest network
Create a separate, password-protected network for guests.
Parental controls
Limit access time and websites with parental controls.
IPv6 enabled
Supports the latest Internet protocol technology to future-proof your network.

2
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
Back view
Ethernet ports Wi-Fi Protected Setup button
Internet port
Power port
Power indicator
•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.
NOTE
For best performance, use CAT5E or higher rated cables on the
Ethernet ports.
•Internet port—Connect an Ethernet cable (also called a network or
Internet cable) to this port, color coded yellow, and to your modem.
• 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 19.
•Power indicator—Stays on steadily while power is connected and
following a successful Wi-Fi Protected Setup connection. Flashes slowly
during bootup, firmware upgrades, factory reset, and Wi-Fi Protected
Setup. Flashes quickly when there is a Wi-Fi Protected Setup error.
•Power port—Connect the included AC power adapter to this port.
CAUTION
Use only the adapter that came with your router.
Port activity indicator
Green connectivity
indicator
Yellow network
activity indicator
Network or Internet port
•Green connectivity indicator—On Ethernet ports, turns on when a
cable connects the port to another Gigabit Ethernet port. On the Internet
port, turns on while connected to a modem.
•Yellow activity indicator—Flashes to indicate network activity over
that port.
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 56.

3
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
EA3500
Package contents
In addition to your router, your router package includes:
•Network (Ethernet) cable
•AC power adapter
•Setup CD containing router setup software and documentation
Features
Wireless-N technology
Built with leading 802.11n technology, create a powerful home wireless
network optimized for video, music, and multi-player gaming. Connect your
computers, Internet-ready TVs, game consoles, smartphones, and other Wi-Fi
devices at blazingly fast transfer rates for an unrivaled experience.
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.
Advanced security
Keep Wi-Fi freeloaders and Internet threats at bay with WPA2 encryption and
SPI firewall to help keep your network protected.
Benefits of gigabit
Use the four Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) ports for quick file sharing (up to
10× faster than standard Ethernet) between other Gigabit-enabled devices like
computers and servers.
Built-in USB port
The USB port lets you add an external USB drive to your network and share files
at home or over the Internet. You can also connect a USB printer and share it
across your network.
Home theater ready
Bring the ultimate entertainment experience to your home by connecting
computers, Internet-ready TVs, game consoles, media players, and more to
your wireless network and the Internet. Simultaneous dual-band N and QoS
traffic prioritization technology delivers maximum speed and performance so
you can enjoy fast downloads, smooth video and music streaming, and reliable
gaming and VoIP.
Easy to manage
Cisco Connect software helps you customize your settings and quickly add
multiple devices to your network:
Separate guest network
Create a separate, password-protected network for guests.

4
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
Parental controls
Limit access time and websites with parental controls.
IPv6 enabled
Supports the latest Internet protocol technology to future-proof your network.
Back view
Ethernet ports Wi-Fi Protected Setup button
Internet port
Power port
Power indicatorUSB port
•USB port—To easily share disk storage with other users on your network
or on the Internet, connect a USB drive to this port. For more information,
see “Using an External Drive” on page 25. You can also connect a USB
printer and share it across your network. For more information, see “How
to connect a USB printer” on page 18.
•Ethernet ports—Connect Ethernet cables (also called network cables)
to these Gigabit (10/100/1000) ports, color coded blue, and to wired
Ethernet network devices on your network.
NOTE
For best performance, use CAT5E or higher rated cables on the
Ethernet ports.
•Internet port—Connect an Ethernet cable (also called a network or
Internet cable) to this port, color coded yellow, and to your modem.
• 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 19.
•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.
Flashes quickly when there is a Wi-Fi Protected Setup error.
•Power port—Connect the included AC power adapter to this port.
CAUTION
Use only the adapter that came with your router.
Port activity indicators
Green connectivity
indicator
Yellow network
activity indicator
Network or Internet port
•Green connectivity indicator—On Ethernet ports, turns on when a
cable connects the port to another Gigabit Ethernet port. On the Internet
port, turns on while connected to a modem.
•Yellow activity indicator—Flashes to indicate network activity over
that port.

5
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
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 56.

6
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
EA4500
Package contents
In addition to your router, your router package includes:
•Network (Ethernet) cable
•AC power adapter
•Setup CD containing router setup software and documentation
Features
Wireless-N technology
Built with leading 802.11n wireless technology, your router offers maximum
speed and range to create an ultra-powerful network designed for home
theater performance. Connect your computers, Internet-ready TVs, game
consoles, smartphones and other Wi-Fi devices at blazingly fast transfer rates
for an unrivaled experience.
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.
Advanced security
Keep Wi-Fi freeloaders and Internet threats at bay with WPA2 encryption and
SPI firewall to help keep your network protected.
Benefits of gigabit
Use the four Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) ports for quick file sharing (up to
10× faster than standard Ethernet) between other Gigabit-enabled devices like
computers and servers.
Built-in USB port and DLNA media server
The USB storage port lets you add an external USB drive to your network and
share files at home or over the Internet. It also features a built-in DLNA media
server for seamless streaming of your video and media files to an Xbox 360,
PS3, or other DLNA-compatible device. You can also connect a USB printer and
share it across your network.
Home theater ready
Bring the ultimate entertainment experience to your home by connecting
computers, Internet-ready TVs, game consoles, media players, and more to
your wireless network and the Internet. Simultaneous dual-band N and QoS
traffic prioritization technology delivers maximum speed and performance so
you can enjoy fast downloads, smooth video and music streaming, and reliable
gaming and VoIP.
Quick to install
Cisco Connect software helps you easily set up your router.

7
Product Overview
Linksys EA-Series
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
Create a separate, password-protected network for guests.
Parental controls
Limit access time and websites with parental controls.
Top view
Indicator light
•Indicator light—Stays on steadily while power is connected and
following a successful Wi-Fi Protected Setup connection. Pulses slowly
during bootup, firmware upgrades, factory reset, and Wi-Fi Protected
Setup. Flashes quickly when there is a Wi-Fi Protected Setup error.
Back view
Ethernet ports
Wi-Fi Protected Setup button
Internet port Power port
Reset button
USB port
•Ethernet ports—Connect Ethernet cables (also called network cables)
to these Gigabit (10/100/1000) ports, color coded blue, and to wired
Ethernet network devices on your network.
NOTE
For best performance, use CAT5E or higher rated cables on the
Ethernet ports.
•Internet port—Connect an Ethernet cable (also called a network or
Internet cable) to this port, color coded yellow, and to your modem.
•Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ button—Press this button to add Wi-Fi
Protected Setup-enabled devices automatically. For more information,
see “How to connect a network device using Wi-Fi Protected Setup” on
page 19.
•USB port—To easily share disk storage with other users on your network
or on the Internet, connect a USB drive to this port. For more information,
see “Using an External Drive” on page 25. You can also connect a USB
printer and share it across your network. For more information, see “How
to connect a USB printer” on page 18.