Getting to know the Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream™ AC2600 Smart Wi-Fi Router

The Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream™ AC2600 Smart Wi-Fi Router is a 4T4R 802.11ac/n dual-band Smart Wi-Fi Router that supports data rates up to 800 Mbps for 2.4 GHz and 1733 Mbps for 5 GHz band with a combined data rate speed of up to 2.53 Gbps.  It has four (4) external detachable dual-band dipole antennas with R-SMA connectors that support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
 
Front view

 
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Product features:
  • Linksys Smart Wi-Fi software for setup and managing router
  • 802.11ac
  • Wi-Fi compatible with 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11a
  • Wi-Fi button for enabling/disabling Wi-Fi interfaces
  • Supports simultaneous Dual-band
  • PHY rate up to 800 Mbps on 2.4 GHz
  • PHY rate up to 1733 Mbps on 5 GHz
  • Up to 4x4 Spatial Streams
  • Four (4) LAN and one (1) WAN 10/100/1000 Mbps ports
  • USB ports
o One (1) USB 3.0
o One (1) eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port
  • Guest network (up to 50 guests)
  • Beamforming support
  • Wi-Fi Scheduler
  • Wireless Bridge Mode & Wireless Repeater mode
Back panel
 
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LEDs 
 
Below are the summary of the LEDs on your Linksys EA8500 and what each indicates: 
 
LEDColorActivityDescription
Power
(Linksys logo)
WhiteOFFPower OFF
Blinking (0.7Hz)Booting / system diagnostic test / firmware up-grade
Blinking
(1.67Hz)
Internet connection error
SolidConnected to the Internet
Wi-Fi Protected Setupâ„¢ (WPS)GreenOFFNo WPS activity
Blinking (1.0Hz)WPS in progress.  Up to 2 minutes
Blinking (2.0Hz)WPS error or session overlap.  Blinks for 15 seconds and then OFF


Ethernet (LAN)

 
Green (right) / Yellow (left)OFFNo physical link on the port
Blinking
(4.0Hz)
(Yellow)
Data is transmitting through the port
Solid
(Green)
Physical link is up on the port
Internet (WAN)Green (right) / Yellow (left)OFFNo physical link on the port
Blinking
(4.0Hz)
(Yellow)
Data is transmitting through the port
Solid
(Green)
Physical link is up on the port
Wi-FiGreenOFFWi-Fi is disabled
SolidWi-Fi is enabled
 
IMPORTANT:  In case the indicator light does not flash like any of the behavior stated above, you need to observe your connection first.  If the connection works fine, the unusual activity of the indicator light only pertains to an active network connection.  However, if you start experiencing intermittent to no connection, you may need to powercycle your router for one (1) to two (2) minutes.  If this does not fix the problem, you might need to update the firmware and reconfigure the settings of the router. 

SF156222-003_EN_v3.png Ethernet / LAN 1-4 (Green/Yellow) - These Ethernet ports connect the router to computers and other devices on your wired network using Ethernet cables.

SF156222-004_EN_v3.png Internet (Green/Yellow) - Using an Ethernet cable, the Internet port connects the router to your Internet connection, which is typically a Cable or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem.

SF156222-005_EN_v3.png Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS) button - If you have client devices, such as wireless printers, that support Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, you can press the WPS button to automatically configure wireless security for your wireless network.  To know how to connect devices using the WPS feature, click here.

SF156222-006_EN_v3.png Wi-Fi button - This button enables/disables the Wi-Fi capability of the router.

SF156222-007_EN_v3.png USB1 Port – USB 3.0

SF156222-008_EN_v3.png USB2/eSATA Port - eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port - The two (2) USB ports can be used for virtual printing and storage.

SF156222-009_EN_v3.png Reset - This button allows you to reset the router to its factory defaults.  Press and hold the Reset button for approximately 10 seconds.

SF156222-010_EN_v3.png Power - The power port connects to the power adapter that comes with your router.

Minimum system requirements

Browser:
  • Latest version of Internet Explorer®, Google Chromeâ„¢, Mozilla Firefox®, Safari® (for Mac® or iPad®)
  • Latest Adobe Flash Player
Operating system (for printer utility):
  • Windows® XP SP3, Windows Vista® SP1 or later, Windows® 7, Windows® 8, Windows® 10
  • OS X® Leopard 10.5.8 or later, Snow Leopard 10.6.1 or later, Lion 10.7, Mountain Lion 10.8, Mavericks 10.9, Yosemite 10.10
Mobile requirements:
  • Latest iOS or Androidâ„¢ mobile device 
  • Latest version of the Linksys app
 

Related Article:


Setting up the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router using the Smart Setup Wizard

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