u/ElectricBummer40

In case anyone is still in possession of a Linksys E8450 and hasn't tossed it out the window out of spite due to the setup interface repeatedly telling you "authentication required" despite having already entered the admin password correctly for the millionth time, here the fix.

If you are using Windows 10/11:

1. Open Edge. If you've uninstalled it for some reason, reinstall it because you won't be able to proceed to the next step until you do.

2. Go to "..." -> Settings -> Default Browser (URI: edge://settings/defaultBrowser).

3. Look for Internet Explorer mode pages, then click "Add a page".

4. In the dialogue box, type in "http://192.168.1.1" then click "Add".

5. Go to "http://192.168.1.1". You should see Edge indicating that it is showing the page in Internet Explorer mode. Enter your admin password, and you should be now able to access the setup without a hitch.

If you are still using Windows 7 or older:

1. Why?

2. Open Internet Explorer, then skip straight to Step #5 above.

If you are using a non-Windows system:

1. I'm sorry.

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Backstory:

It so happened that I had an E8450 landed on my desk today. Long story short, I was initially pretty stumped by the login loop. So, I came here hoping someone on Reddit would shed some light on the subject. That of course turned out to be a total bust.

Then I saw the copyright notice at the bottom of the login page and thought to myself, "'Belkin International', huh? No way that's the problem!"

Well, since my work computer was a Mac, I borrowed one of my colleague's Windows computer and tried my luck with it, and lo and behold, IE mode worked!

Now, what the heck did IE mode have to do with Belkin? In case some people here didn't know or didn't remember, Cisco sold the Linksys brand to Belkin in 2013, and rather than every Belkin router turning into a Linksys, the consequence of that acquisition was every Linksys turning into a Belkin. This is also where you'll have to excuse my bluntness because, in all honesty, Belkin routers are hot garbage.

Consider how long the world has already moved on from IE. The E8450 (a rebadged Belkin RT3200) is supposed to be a Wifi 6 router, yet, with Belkin, it is perfectly reasonable to expect the web interface to contain hacks and workarounds for old browsers from back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. New browsers of course don't understand any of that nonsense, so, naturally, they crap out, refresh, and drop you back into the login page as soon as you move past it and reach the landing page (i.e. the "status" page). It's absolutely mind-blowing this is the quality of things Belkin deems acceptable for their latest up-to-date firmware since 2020, but that kind of insanity is also why I'm never too concerned with being out of a job.