Linksys WRT1900ACS setup – Manual – FAQ – Troubleshooting

Linksys WRT1900ACS setup is very easy.  You can do it in 2 different ways easily on your own. We will discuss about troubleshooting, FAQ and manual. I will show you how to setup Linksys WRT1900ACS router manually and using setup wizard.

2 Different methods for Linksys WRT1900ACS setup.

We will discuss both the methods step by step

First Method: WRT1900ACS Manual Setup.

Using web interface of the router, we can install this router manually by opening Linksys router setup page. And change the settings manually like other WRT series older routers. I think this is very simple process.

Second Method: WRT1900ACS setup using the Smart Setup Wizard.

Setting up the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router is made easy using the Smart Setup Wizard.  It is embedded in the firmware and is available even if the router does not have an Internet connection or is in its default settings.

Watch Linksys WRT1900ACS setup video

We will discuss about Linksys WRT1900ACS setup with or without CD or installation software.

Linksys WRT1900ACS setup without CD or manual installation.

Step 1: Check Internet connection

First make sure that your modem is working. Connect your main computer directly to the modem.

Make sure that your main computer is able to access Internet directly through the modem.

If you are not able to access internet directly through the modem then contact your service provider and get your modem working first.

In case of DSL connection, you may not be able to access the Internet directly through the modem. In this case you must have PPPoE User name and password from the DSL company.

Make sure that you have the correct PPPoE user name and password. if you do not have PPPoE user name and password then get in touch with your Internet service provider and get it.

Step 2: Make Connections to the router

Connect the computer and modem to the Linksys WRT1900ACS router with the Ethernet cable. Connect the modem to the Internet port (which is standing alone ) and computer to the Ethernet port.

If you connect the modem and computer to the wrong port, you will not be able to open the Linksys router setup page.

If you have computer connected to the WAN port then it will not communicate with the Linksys router.

Connection is very important. You will see 4 lights, Power, WAN, wireless and Ethernet.

Linksys router Connections video:

Step 3: Open the Setup page

Open browser and in the address bar type the number 192.168.1.1 . This is the default IP address of almost all the models.

However you can open the command prompt and check the IP address on your computer.

Enter your Router Password then click Log in.

The default password is admin. If you have changed it, enter the new password instead.

If the default password is not working then you can reset the device to the factory default.

Press and hold the reset button for 10 seconds. Release the reset button and wait for 30 seconds. Power cycle the router. Remember that you will lose all the settings of the router when you reset it. If this is a brand new device then you can start with resetting it.

You will see the Linksys WRT1900ACS router setup page on your screen.

Step 4: Change Internet connection settings

In the left panel, you will see all the options required to change the settings. Click on “Connectivity” under router settings section.

Click On Internet settings tab at the top.

Now according to your internet service provider, you can change the Internet connection settings.

Please check the images below for appropriate Internet service provider settings. There will be 2 types of ISPs.  Cable ISP and DSL ISP.

Internet settings for Cable ISP

You need to clone the MAC address of your computer, as shows in the image below. Then power cycle the network.

Internet settings for DSL ISP

You need to enter the PPPoE user name and password as shown in the image below.

Once you change the Internet connections, you wired computer will be able to access the Internet through the WR1900ACS router.

Step 5: Change wireless settings

Change the Wireless network Settings as shown in the image below.

As this is a Dual band router, you will see 2 different wireless networks.

SSID is the name of the wireless network. Change both SSIDs. Keep the names of both the SSIDs different so that you can identify them.

Change the password for the wireless network ( remember this password ). This will be the password of the wireless network and you will need this password / key when you will try to connect any wireless computer or device to the network.

Step 6: Connect to wireless network

You have created wirless network. Changed the network name and secured it with a password. Now you need to connect your wireless devices to the Wi-Fi network.

Look for wireless network on your Wi-Fi devices such as laptop, mobile, tablets. You will see newly created Wi-FI. Try to connect and it will ask you for the password. Enter the correct password and you will be connected to Wi-Fi.

Try to access Internet on Wireless devices.

Step 7: Create Guest network

Linksys WRT1900ACS router, does have feature to create guest network. This Guest network is a completely new network for guest only. You can allow guests to connect to Wi-Fi without letting them get in to your main Wi-Fi.

So your main Wi-Fi will be completely safe.

Open the router setup page. You will see Guest access. Turn it on. Set password for guest network and set the maximum number of guests to be connected. That’s it.

This is all about basic steps for Linksys WRT1900ACS setup.

Linksys WRT1900ACS setup using the Smart Setup Wizard.

Requirements before setting up your router

The following requirements should be met to avoid any problems during the setup:

• Browser requirements for the router setup and Linksys Smart Wi-Fi access:
  • Microsoft Edge™
  • Internet Explorer® 8 or higher
  • Latest version of Chrome™ and Firefox®
  • Safari® (for Mac® or iPad®)
  • Latest Adobe Flash® Player?
• Materials for setup – You should have the following items:
  • Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router
  • One (1) or two (2) Internet / Ethernet (RJ-45) cables
  • A wireless computer or a computer with an Ethernet port
• Active Internet connection – To check if you are able to access the Internet, connect the modem to the computer using an Ethernet cable as shown in the image below:

If you do not have modem then connect the cable (also called a patch or a fiber optic cable) provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) directly to the computer’s Ethernet port.

Step 1: If your router came with external antennas, connect the antennas to the router first and then plug in the router to a power source.  If your router has a power switch, make sure that the power switch is set to the | (ON) position.  Wait until the power LED is solid.

Step 2: Connect the Ethernet cable from your modem to the Internet port of the router.

Step 3: Connect to your secured wireless network.  You can locate the wireless credentials either at the bottom of the router or on the Quick Start Guide.  To prevent any problems during setup, make sure you have a good signal from the router or bring the wireless computer closer to the same room as the router.

NOTE:  If you are using a wired computer, skip Step 3 and proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: Launch your web browser and enter “http://linksyssmartwifi.com” in the Address bar then press [Enter].

Step 5: Tick the checkbox beside I have read and accepted the License Terms for using this software then click Next to proceed.

If the Smart Setup screen does not show up, press the Reset button at the back of the router for 10 seconds, turn the router OFF and then turn it back ON.  Wait a few seconds for the router to boot up and start at Step 1 again.

If no Internet connection is detected, then your Internet cable is not connected correctly, window will appear.  Follow the suggested troubleshooting steps on the screen to resolve your connection problem then click Next.

Follow the instructions and configure the router using the setup wizard.

Linksys WRT1900ACS Features

WRT1900ACS is a Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router   (2.4 + 5 GHz). It delivers a stronger connection at a wider range than a single band at speeds up to AC1900.

Equipped with a four-antenna configuration, the router provides exceptional signal strength and range. Advanced users also have the option of modifying the router with open source firmware.

The WRT1900ACS has four Gigabit Ethernet ports that are perfect for transferring large media libraries at speeds 10X faster than Fast Ethernet. To stream or send large files across your network at high speed, simply connect a flash drive to the USB 3.0 port or an external SATA storage device to the eSATA port. The eSATA port also serves as a USB 2.0 port.

Linksys WRT1900ACS manual:

Follow this link to download Linksys WRT1900ACS manual for the router and also firmware file if you want to upgrade firmware. Basically, the Linksys WRT1900ACS manual contains the device information which I think is mostly about device parts and functions.

WRT1900ACS Firmware upgrade:

First of check the correct hardware version of your device. On the rear side of the device you will see the model number of your devices.

Just after the model number, you will see the hardware version like 1.0 or 2.0 etc. Also connect the main computer to the router with the Ethernet cable.

Do not upgrade firmware of the device using wireless computer. Use wired computer.

Then download the firmware for the correct version of your device. Save it on your computer. Open the browser on your computer and in the address bar type 192.168.1.1.

Log in to your Linksys cloud account.  Go to Connectivity, there you will see Firmware update. Go to manual option. Select the downloaded firmware file and click Start.

WRT1900ACS Default password:

The default IP Address for this router is 192.168.1.1 and admin is the default for both Username and Password.

Types of passwords in the network: There are 3 types of passwords in the wireless network.

First is the router password. This password is used to open the setup page and change the network settings. Usually you do not required this password.

Second password is Wireless Network Key: If you are trying to connect to wifi network on a new device then you will require this wireless network password. You can find the wireless network key on the settings page.

Guest Network password: You can allow guests to use your Wifi network without allowing them to enter the main network. This separate network is called Guest Network. You can find the Guest Access password on the settings page.

So if you are trying to connect to Wifi and if it is asking you for a password then it is not router password, it is Wireless network password. Do not get confused with these passwords.

How To Reset WRT1900ACS

Before resetting your device, you need to know one main thing. When you reset the device, it comes back to factory default settings. And you will need to reconfigure it from the scratch. So if your network is already working properly then do not reset it and try to find other way to fix it.

On the rear side of the device, you will see a small reset button. Press it and hold it down for 15 seconds. You will see the power light is blinking. Release the reset button.

Unplug the power cable. Wait for 10 seconds. Plugin the Power cable. Wait for 30 seconds and let the device boot up properly.

After you Reset WRT1900ACS router, reconfigure as explained in the article above.

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