Upgrading your Linksys Router Firmware

Before you start

Here are some important things to remember in upgrading your router's firmware:

  • Make sure that you have an active Internet connection.
  • Your computer must be connected to the router using an Ethernet cable when performing an upgrade
  • Make sure that you know the model and hardware version number of your router.
    • The model number will help you find the product page of your router in the Linksys Support Site.
    • The hardware version number will help you locate the specific downloads that your device uses. Take note that the downloadable items in the Linksys Support Site are categorized according to the hardware version of the product that you are using.
    • These details can be found on the product itself.

Checking the firmware version of your router

It is important to check the firmware version of your router first as it can be helpful in determining if you need to perform a firmware upgrade or a re-flash.

NOTE: There is a difference between upgrading and re-flashing the firmware. When you perform an upgrade, it means that you are currently using an older version and you want to update to the latest and greatest version. If you want to do a re-flash, it means that you are already using the latest version but you only need to re-load the firmware due to the file being corrupted or if there are other issues that would still arise.

Your router's firmware version can be found on the web-based setup page. To do this:

Step 1:
On your computer, open any web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Safari). Enter your router's IP Address on the address bar (192.168.1.1 is the default IP address of Linksys routers) then press [Enter] on your keyboard. Once the login prompt appears, enter your router's User name and Password on the fields provided.

IMPORTANT: If you have used Cisco Connect to set up your router, you may have to open the software to retrieve the username and password of your router. To retrieve your router User name and Password through Cisco Connect, go to Router Settings > Advanced Settings.

Step 2:
Once you are in the router's web-based setup page, look for the firmware version of your router on the upper-right side of the screen.

You can use your router's firmware version as a reference in downloading the updated firmware file for your device.

Before proceeding with the firmware upgrade

Once you proceed with a firmware upgrade, it is recommended to reset the router afterwards. This means that all your settings would be set back to the default ones and you need to reconfigure it again to your preference. Therefore, it is recommended to take note of your important router settings first.

Another way of avoiding this would be to use the backup and restore feature of your router. In this case, you can create a backup file before proceeding with the firmware upgrade and use it to restore your settings instead of setting up manually.

NOTE: However, firmware upgrades sometimes include added functionalities which might mess up the settings once restored from a backup. In case this happens, you might have to manually reconfigure the router.

Performing the upgrade

Step 1:
Go back to the web browser where you opened the web-based setup page. Click the Administration tab.

Step 2:
Click the Firmware Upgrade sub-tab then click the Browse button

Step 3:
Locate the firmware that you downloaded earlier then click Open.

If you are using a Mac computer:

Step 4:
Click the Start Upgrade button.

Wait for the upgrade process to finish, as indicated by the progress bar. Refer to the image below for an example.

Step 5:
Once the upgrade is complete, the following message will appear. Click Continue.

Completing the firmware upgrade

You need to reset your router after the upgrade process. Follow the instructions below to know how:

Step 1:
Close the web browser that you are using.

Step 2:
On your router, press and hold the Reset button for 10 seconds.

NOTE: If the image of your router is different from the one shown above, consult your router documentation for the location of the reset button. For older routers (WRT series), you may need to press and hold the Reset button up to 30 seconds or until the Power LED blinks.

Step 3:
Powercycle the router. To do this, unplug the power cord and wait 10 seconds before plugging it back in.

The firmware upgrade process is now complete.

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