PLW400
Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender

Name: PLW400
Brand: Linksys
Rating: 29 (3 reviews)

Thumbnail for the Linksys PLW400 router with 300mbps WiFi, 1 100mbps ETH-ports and
0 USB-ports

The Linksys PLW400 router has 300mbps WiFi, 1 100mbps ETH-ports and 0 USB-ports.
It is also known as the Linksys Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender.

Quick links:
Default password/Login
User Manuals

PLW400 router specifications (specs)

System specs
CPU: n/a
RAM: 32 MiB
Flash: 8 MiB + 1 MiB
Custom firmwares: None

Connectivity
WiFi: 300mbps (bgn)
WiFi bands: 2.4GHz
WiFi throughput: n/a
WAN: None
ETH: 1 x 100mbps port
USB-ports: 0

Linksys PLW400 review (quick overview)

Here is the quick comparison of how the Linksys PLW400 compares to other routers on our site:

Average 29/100

Editor 80/100

WiFi 6/100

Hardware 3/100

Current price Find best price

For a full list of routers and how they compare to the PLW400, check the Router Buying Guide which will help you buy the most price-competitive router.

Hard reset instructions for Linksys PLW400

If your PLW400 router is not working as it should, dropping connections or not being responsive, you should first do a reset of the router to see if the problems persist. Other scenarios where you might want to reset your router is if you've forgotten the password or misconfigured it and can't get access anymore.
Your can reset your Linksys PLW400 in the following way(s):

Through the web interface

Open your browser and navigate to the router interface (check default settings below)
Under the Administration tab you will find a sub-tab called Factory defaults
On the Factory defaults page click the button labeled Restore Factory Defaults

With the reset button

Have your unit powered on
Press and hold the reset button for at least 10 seconds until the power light starts blinking, then release.
When the power light goes solid, unplug the power to the router for 10 seconds
Plug the power back in and start the router
When the power light goes solid again the router is ready to use.

The 30-30-30 reset

If the above instructions don't work you can always try the 30-30-30 reset as follows:

When router is powered on, press the reset button and hold for 30 seconds. (Use a paper clip or something sharp)
While holding the reset button pressed, unplug the power of the router and hold the reset button for 30 seconds
While still holding the reset button down, turn on the power to the unit again and hold for another 30 seconds.

This process usually works for resetting any router to it's factory setting. If that doesn't work be sure to check out the questions and answers incase someone else has had similar problems resetting their router.

Note: It is worth reading more about how to reset routers with the 30 30 30 reset and what the risks and considerations are when resetting your router this way, instead of just rebooting it.

Default factory settings for Linksys PLW400

If you have performed a reset of your PLW400 device or not changed the defaults, you should be able to access it with the following settings:

Default Network name (SSID): Cisco_Extender_XYXYXYXX
Default password: admin
Default subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Note: If you are using the default settings you should change them to increase security and prevent unathorized access to your network.

PLW400 Firmwares

Staying up to date with the latest firmware is a good idea to keep your router even more secure from various security flaws.
If you want to squeeze a little bit of extra functionality out of your router, consider flashing an open-source firmware like dd-wrt, openWRT or LEDE. Flashing a custom ROM can greatly increase the stability and functionality of your old router.
Following are the firmwares that we have identified existing for the Linksys PLW400:

Linksys stock firmware for the PLW400

Stock firmwares for the PLW400 are available under the download section on the modem's support page. You can also refer to the router's manual for instructions on how to upgrade the firmware.