Linksys EA8300 Frequently Asked Questions User Manual

: June 7, 2024
: Linksys

Table of Contents

HARDWARE INFORMATION
SETUP & INSTALLATION
WIRELESS CONNECTION & SECURITY
ADVANCED CONFIGURATION
TROUBLESHOOTING
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

HARDWARE INFORMATION

What is the Linksys EA8300 Max-Stream AC2200 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Router?
The Linksys EA8300 Max-Stream AC2200 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Router is ideal for busy families with multiple connected devices. This multi-user, multiple- input, multiple-output (MUMIMO) router offers ample bandwidth for simultaneous 4K and HD video streaming, next-gen online gaming, and other data-heavy activities. The router’s three dedicated bands help minimize lag even when multiple devices are connected. To know more about the Linksys EA8300, click here.
What are the features of the Linksys EA8300?
The Linksys EA8300 has the following features:
• Tri-Band
• 802.11ac
• Smart Wi-Fi
• MU-MIMO Support
• Beamforming Technology
• Seamless Roaming
• Speeds of up to 2.2 Gbps
• 2 x 2 simultaneous data streams for stronger and faster performance
• One USB 3.0 port for sharing a hard drive or USB Printer
• Four gigabit LAN ports
NOTE: Ports 1 and 2 on the router support Link Aggregation when enabled.
• One gigabit WAN port
• Quad-core CPU
• Wall mountable
• Power output: 12 V, 2 A
• Media Server
• Parental Controls
• Guest Access
• Quality of Service (QoS)
• Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS) support
• Wireless Repeater mode
• Wireless Bridge mode
• Airtime Fairness
• Link Aggregation
• All band steering
NOTE: The router must have the latest firmware with to enable the Link Aggregation and All band features.
What USB standard does the Linksys EA8300 support?
The Linksys EA8300 has one USB 3.0 port that is capable of supporting an external hard disk or flash drive with up to 1100 mA current draw.
What can I connect to the USB port of the router?
You can connect an external USB hard drive or a USB printer to share your printer in the network.
What are the minimum system requirements of the Linksys EA8300?
The Linksys EA8300 has the following minimum system requirements:
• Computer (Windows® or Mac®), smartphone or tablet
• For browser setup, latest version of:
o Google Chrome™
o Mozilla Firefox®
o Safari®
o Microsoft Edge™
o Internet Explorer®8 or newer
What do the lights on my Linksys EA8300 mean?
The lights indicate the different activities and behaviors of your router. For more information, click here.
How many antennas does the Linksys EA8300 have?
The Linksys EA8300 has four, external, dipole, and adjustable antennas.
Are the antennas detachable?
No. The four antennas are non-detachable.
What is the preferred antenna positioning for the Linksys EA8300?
It is recommended to position the antennas all straight up.
NOTE: The two antennas on the left of the Linksys EA8300 are dual-band antennas.
Can I wall mount the router?
Yes. To know how to wall mount the Linksys EA8300, click here.
What processor does the Linksys EA8300 have?
The Linksys EA8300 has a quad-core processor.

SETUP & INSTALLATION

How do I set up the Linksys EA8300?
Setting up the Linksys EA8300 is made fast and easy using the Smart Setup wizard. To learn how to set up the Linksys EA8300, click here.
Can I set up my router using my smartphone or tablet?
Yes, you can use a smartphone or a tablet to set up your router. For step-by- step instructions, click here.
What are the default settings of the Linksys EA8300?
The Linksys EA8300 has the following default settings:
• Default IP address is 192.168.1.1
• Default password is admin
• Default Wi-Fi names:
o Linksysxxxxx (for 2.4 GHz)
o Linksysxxxxx_5GHz (for 5 GHz)
NOTE: The xxxxx represents the last five digits of the router’s serial number. Also, the dafault
Wi-Fi credentials are on the label located at the bottom of the router.
• Default Guest Wi-Fi names:
o Linksysxxxxx_Guest (for 2.4 GHz)
o Linksysxxxxx5GHz_Guest (for 5 GHz)
NOTE: The xxxxx represents the last five digits of the router’s serial number.
• The Guest Wi-Fi is disabled out of the box. It will be enabled after the setup process is complete.

WIRELESS CONNECTION & SECURITY

What is the maximum PHY data rate for each Wi-Fi band?
The Linksys EA8300 has PHY data rates of up to 400 Mbps (2.4 GHz band, two spatial streams) and up to 867 Mbps for each 5 GHz band (5 GHz1 and 5 GHz2, two spatial streams).
What is Band Steering?
Band Steering assigns wireless devices to the Wi-Fi band that can provide them with the best performance. This feature balances your Wi-Fi devices across all three bands effectively reducing co-channel interference and increasing the available bandwidth for dual-band clients as the 5 GHz has more channels. The router must have the latest firmware with All band steering support to enable this feature. It is recommended to use the default All band steering option, however if you need to make any changes to the Wi-Fi settings, click here to know how.
Does the Guest Wi-Fi support band steering?
No.
How do I configure Parental Controls?
The Parental Controls Tool allows you to block a device by a specific time or restrict internet sites on specific devices for users within your network. To know how to block internet sites on specific devices in your network, click here.
How many radios does the Linksys EA8300 support?
The Linksys EA8300 supports three radios (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz1 and 5 GHz2).
How many Guest Wi-Fi can I set up on my Linksys EA8300?
The Linksys EA8300 can support up to 50 clients. The router allows you to have two Guest networks, one for 2.4 GHz band and one for the 5 GHz band. With these, your visitors at home can access the internet but not the local network (e.g., shared storage devices, printer access).
Does the Linksys EA8300 work with the Amazon Alexa™?
Yes. To know more about this feature, click here.
What is DFS, and does the Linksys EA8300 support it?
Yes. The Linksys EA8300 supports Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) on the 5 GHz band. DFS is a spectrum-sharing mechanism that allows wireless LANs (WLANs) to coexist with radar systems. It automatically selects a frequency that does not interfere with certain radar systems while operating in the 5 GHz band.
Which channels on the 5 GHz of the Linksys EA8300 support DFS?
Channels 52-64 and as well as channels 100-140 on the 5 GHz band are the DFS channels.

ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

Does the Linksys EA8300 allow VPN tunnels using IPSec, L2TP or PPTP to pass through the router?
Yes. The Linksys EA8300 allows Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels using Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) or Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) to pass through the router.
Does the Linksys EA8300 support SPI firewall?
Yes. The Linksys EA8300 supports Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall.
What DDNS providers does the Linksys EA8300 support?
The Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) feature of the Linksys EA8300 supports Dyn.com and NO-IP.com.
Does the Linksys EA8300 support Seamless Roaming?
Yes. All Linksys Max-Stream routers support Seamless Roaming.
Does the Linksys EA8300 support Wireless Repeater or Wireless Bridge mode?
Yes, the Linksys EA8300 supports Wireless Repeater or Wireless Bridge mode configuration. Click the links below to learn how:
Configuring the Wireless Repeater mode on most Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers
Configuring the Wireless Bridge mode on most Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers
What is Airtime Fairness?
The slowest device in your network will not determine the Wi-Fi speed anymore. With Airtime Fairness, faster devices transmit at faster speed. Airtime Fairness gives equal amounts of air time (instead of equal number of frames) to each client regardless of its theoretical data rate.
Does the Linksys EA8300 support Airtime Fairness?
**** Yes, the Linksys EA8300 supports Airtime Fairness.
How do I enable Airtime Fairness?
Log in to your router and go to WiFi-Settings > Advanced and turn ON the Airtime Fairness option.
Does the Linksys EA8300 support Link Aggregation?
The Linksys EA8300 router supports Link Aggregation on ports 1 and 2 only. The router must have the latest firmware with Link Aggregation support to enable this feature. To know how to set up Link Aggregation on the Linksys EA8300, click here.

TROUBLESHOOTING

How can I reset my router to factory defaults?
There are two ways to reset the Linksys EA8300 to factory defaults:
• Hardware Reset – Press and hold the Reset button on the back panel of the Linksys EA8300 for about 10 seconds.
• Software Reset – Log in to your Linksys cloud account. Under Router Settings, click Troubleshooting > Diagnostics. Click Reset under Factory reset. (login/Reset instructions)
How do I upgrade my router’s firmware?
Upgrading the firmware of your router allows you to fully enjoy its complete features. The upgrade can be done either manually or automatically. The Linksys EA8300 has Router Firmware Update feature that can be set to Automatic to update the router automatically whenever there is a new firmware available. Click on the links below for step-by-step instructions:
How to automatically update the firmware of the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers
How to manually upgrade a Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router’s firmware
I have unique Wi-Fi names for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band but my dual-band wireless devices could not see the 5 GHz band, what could be the problem?
If you have selected a DFS channel on your router and your wireless devices do not detect the 5 GHz Wi-Fi name, it’s possible your devices do not support DFS channels. You can contact the vendor to determine if your devices support DFS channels. You would also need to change the channel on the 5 GHz to a fixed non-DFS channel. To know how, follow these steps: