Linksys AC1200 setup – E5400 setup – Features – FAQs

Linksys AC1200 setup is very easy. You do not need any CD or installation program for initial configuration. You can do it manually. Linksys E5400 setup is nothing but the same process.

The Linksys AC1200 router is easy to set up and can be done in a matter of minutes. Connect the router to your modem with an Ethernet cable first. Connect your computer or mobile device to the router’s Wi-Fi network or another Ethernet wire after that.

Like old school Linksys wireless routers, you can open the setup page of the Linksys E5400 router and change the settings manually.

So let’s start with Linksys E5400 AC1200 setup!

Watch Linksys AC1200 setup video

Linksys AC1200 setup without CD

As I said earlier, the AC1200 router setup is effortless, and you can do it manually. It works on browser-based installation which you can do using a mobile or computer.

If you are installing this router for the first time, then I will suggest you reset the router first. Or if you want to install it from scratch, reset it.

Step 1: Check the Internet connection.

First of all, make sure that you have active internet connection through the modem. Connect your main computer directly to the mode and see if you are getting internet directly through the modem. If not, then get in touch with the Internet Service provider and fix the internet issue.

If the internet is working through the modem properly, then we will start setting up Linksys AC1200 router.

Step 2: Make connections

There are 5 ports on Linksys AC1200 router. 1 Internet/WAN port and 4 ports to connect computers.

Connect the internet modem to the Internet/WAN port of Linksys E5400 router. The main computer will be connected to one of the 4 Ethernet ports on the router.

Connect the power cable to the modem and router and turn them ON.

Check the status of Lights. You will see 4 lights (power, wireless, Internet, and one of the 4 ports).

Step 3: Open Linksys AC1200 setup wizard

The default IP address of AC1200 router is 192.168.1.1. And the default login password is admin.

Open the Internet browser on your computer and in the address bar type the number 192.168.1.1. It will ask you for the Login password.

Enter the default password admin and click next. If you have this router configured already, then try your password to log in.

If the router is not configured, then it will go through the setup process.

Agree to the Terms and conditions and click Next.

On the next Window, it will ask you to change the Wifi settings. Enter the Wifi network name and password. It is a dual-band router. So you will see 2 different wireless networks.

I will suggest you to keep different Wifi Names and keep the password same for both the networks.

On the next step, change the router password. Enter a new password for the router login. And remember this password as you may need this password in future.

On the Next step, Save the new settings. Then it will ask you to register the product. You can enter Email address to register the product or skip the step.

Finally, click on DONE.

Now you will be on the actual setup page of the Linksys E5400 router.

Step 4: Check Internet connection settings.

Try to access the Internet on your main computer which is connected to the router with the Ethernet cable.

If you are able to access the Internet, then Internet connection settings are good.

If internet is not working through the router, then you will need to check the Internet connection settings done during Linksys AC1200 setup process.

You are already on the setup page.

At the top click on “Configuration” tab. Then go to “WAN setup” in the left panel.

You will need to change the settings according to your Internet service provider.

For Cable ISP

Click on “MAC address clone” in the left panel. Enable the MAC address clone. Then click on the button, “Clone My PC’s MAC”. You will see some numbers in there. At the bottom, click on Save.

Now try to access internet on the main computer and see if that works.

For DSL ISP

If you ISP is DSL and you have a user name and password to connect to the Internet, then you must be having PPPoE connection.

On the WAN Setup page, change the Internet setup type to PPPoE. Enter the PPPoE user name and password given by your Internet service provider. Click Save at the bottom.

Now try to access Internet on your main computer and see if that works.

Step 5: Change Wireless Network settings

Once your wired computer is able to access internet through the router, the internet connection settings are working properly.

Now you will need to change the wireless network settings. Create your own wireless network with security and password.

Click on WiFi tab. There you will see 2 different wireless networks 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Change the Network name for both of them. Name them differently so that you can identify which one is 2.4 and which one 5 Ghz.

Under Wireless tab, click on wireless security sub tab. Change the security mode to WPA2 and change the password for wireless network.

Here you can use same password for both the WiFi networks. No need to create different passwords.

Step 6: Connect to Wireless network

Now try to connect to the wireless network on your wireless laptop or mobile.

You will see the newly created Wifi Network. It will ask you for the password or wireless network key. Enter the correct password.

Do not get confused with the router password and wireless network password. Both are different.

Once you are connected to the Wifi network, it is all working good.

You are done with the Linksys AC1200 setup process for the wired and wireless devices.

Wasn’t that easy?

Step 6: Create Guest Network Access

Linksys E5400 router has Guest Network access feature. Using this feature, you can allow your guests to connect to a completely different network than your primary wifi network.

So the guests will not be part of your primary wifi network. They will be connected to separate Wifi.

How to setup Guest Access?

Login to Linksys AC1200 setup page using 192.168.1.1.

Go to “Configuration” tab at the top. The go to “WiFi” tab in the left panel. Under Wifi tab, you will see the “Guest Access” sub tab.

Open Guest Access tab.

Enable the button “Allow Guest Access”.

Enter password for Guest Network. Keep it different from your main Wifi Password.

Set the number of guests to be allowed to connect. And Click Save at the bottom.

Step 7: Make a note of all the passwords for future reference

There are 3 types of passwords for this router.

• Router password – This is the main password to log in to the router setup that we used to open the setup page 192.168.1.1. The default router password is admin .
• Wireless network password: This is the password to get connect to the wireless network. There are 2 Wi-Fi networks 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and you can keep the same password for both Wi-Fi, as I suggested earlier.
• Guest Network access: This is the password to connect to the Guest network.

So make a note of all these passwords and stick it on the router itself. Because if you forget any password then you may need to reset the router to factory default settings and re-configure if from the scratch.

How to reset Linksys AC1200 router?

There is a small reset button available on Linksys E5400 router. It is at the bottom of the device. It is in red color.

Press and hold it down for 10 – 15 seconds.

Release the reset button. Wait for 15 seconds. Now unplug the power to the router. Wait for 15 seconds.

Plugin the power cable to the router. Wait for 30 seconds. Wait for all the lights to lit up and power light to become solid.

Once you reset the router, it will come back to factory default settings, and you will lose all the settings. You will need to reconfigure the router from scratch, as explained above.

Linksys AC1200 firmware upgrade

Linksys E5400 router does not have an auto-upgrade feature. You have to upgrade the firmware manually. However, it does have a function which will let you know if there is any firmware update available.

Login to Linksys AC1200 setup page. Go to “Configuration” tab. The “Administration” tab in the left panel.

Click on “Firmware upgrade” sub tab.

If there is any update available then it will show you on this page.

First, you need to download the latest firmware file from Linksys website. Save it on your computer. Make sure that your computer is connected to the router with the Ethernet cable. Do not update firmware using a wireless computer.

Now “browse” the firmware file that you have downloaded. Start Upgrade.

Buy New Linksys Router

Features of Linksys AC1200 – E5400 router

Dual Band Router: With its dedicated 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, the AC1200 Dual-Band WiFi 5 Router doubles the bandwidth to maximize throughput while keeping interference to a minimum. The result is a stable, reliable connection across all your devices.

Safe network: Featuring WPA2 encryption and an SPI firewall, the AC1200 Dual-Band WiFi 5 Router uses advanced security technologies to help keep your network safely connected.

WPS: Easy push-button WiFi connection (WPS) allows you to add devices to your WiFi network with just the push of a button.

Guest Access: Allows you to create separate wireless network for guests.

Parental Controls: Ensure a safe Internet experience for your kids. Restrict access to inappropriate or distracting content, control usage, and block specific devices from accessing the Internet.