TP Link A6 Users Manual
User Guide
AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router
Archer A6
REV2.0.0 1910012499
Contents
About This Guide |
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Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. 1. Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 1. 2. Appearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 1. 2. 1.The Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 1. 2. 2.The Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Chapter 2. Connect the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. 1. Position Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
2. 2. Connect Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Chapter 3. Log In to Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 4. Set Up Internet Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4. 2. Manually Set up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4. 3. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4. 4. Configure the Router in Access Point Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chapter 5. Guest Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. 1. Create a Network for Guests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 5. 2. Customize Guest Network Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 6. Parental Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 7. QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7. 1. Prioritize Internet Traffic with QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 8. Network Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
8. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 8. 2. Access Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 8. 3. IP & MAC Binding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chapter 9. NAT Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
9. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 9. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 9. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 9. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 10.VPN Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
10. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 10. 1. 1.Step1. Set up OpenVPN Server on Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 10. 1. 2.Step 2. Configure OpenVPN Connection on Your Remote Device. . . . 44
10. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 10. 2. 1.Step 1. Set up PPTP VPN Server on Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 10. 2. 2.Step 2. Configure PPTP VPN Connection on Your Remote Device . . . 46
Chapter 11.Customize Your Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
11. 1. Change the LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 11. 2. Configure to Support IPTV Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 11. 3. Specify DHCP Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 11. 4. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 11. 5. Create Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 11. 6. Specify Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 11. 7. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
11. 7. 1.Set the Router’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 11. 7. 2.Use the WPS Wizard for Wi-Fi Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 11. 8. Schedule Your Wireless Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
11. 9. TxBF, MU-MIMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Chapter 12.Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
12. 1. Set Up System Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 12. 2. Control LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 12. 3. Test the Network Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 12. 4. Upgrade the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 12. 5. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 12. 6. Set the Router to Reboot Regularly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 12. 7. Change the Login Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 12. 8. Password Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 12. 9. Local Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 12. 10. Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 12. 11. System Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 12. 12. Monitor the Internet Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 12. 13. Configure the System Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
12. 13. 1.Wireless Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 12. 13. 2.WDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 12. 13. 3.WPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 12. 13. 4.NAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 12. 13. 5.DoS Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 12. 13. 6.Duplex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
FAQ................................................................................................................................. |
79 |
About This Guide
This guide is a complement of Quick Installation Guide. The Quick Installation Guide instructs you on quick Internet setup, and this guide provides details of each function and shows you the way to configure these functions appropriate to your needs.
When using this guide, please notice that features of the router may vary slightly depending on the model and software version you have, and on your location, language, and Internet service provider. All screenshots, images, parameters and descriptions documented in this guide are used for demonstration only.
Conventions
In this guide the following conventions are used:
Convention |
Description |
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Underlined |
Underlined words or phrases are hyperlinks. You can click to redirect to a |
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website or a specific section. |
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Teal |
Contents to be emphasized and texts on the web page are in teal, including the |
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menus, items, buttons, etc. |
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The menu structures to show the path to load the corresponding page.
>For example, Advanced > Wireless > MAC Filtering means the MAC Filtering function page is under the Wireless menu that is located in the Advanced tab.
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Ignoring this type of note might result in a malfunction or damage to the device. |
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Tips: |
Indicates important information that helps you make better use of your device. |
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• click to edit the corresponding entry. |
symbols on the web |
• click to delete the corresponding entry. |
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page |
• click to enable or disable the corresponding entry. |
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• click to view more information about items on the page. |
*Maximum wireless signal rates are the physical rates derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual wireless data throughput and wireless coverage are not guaranteed and will vary as a result of network conditions, client limitations, and environmental factors, including building materials, obstacles, volume and density of traffic, and client location.
*Use of MU-MIMO requires clients to also support MU-MIMO.
More Info
The latest software, management app and utility can be found at Download Center at https://www.tp-link.com/support.
Specifications can be found on the product page at https://www.tp-link.com.
A Technical Support Forum is provided for you to discuss our products at https://forum.tp-link.com.
Our Technical Support contact information can be found at the Contact Technical Support page at https://www.tp-link.com/support.
1
Chapter 1
Get to Know About Your Router
This chapter introduces what the router can do and shows its appearance. It contains the following sections:
•Product Overview
•Appearance
Chapter 1 |
Get to Know About Your Router |
1. 1. Product Overview
The TP-Link router is designed to fully meet the need of Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) networks and users demanding higher networking performance. The powerful antennas ensure continuous Wi-Fi signal to all your devices while boosting widespread coverage throughout your home, and the built-in Ethernet ports supply high-speed connection to your wired devices.
Moreover, it is simple and convenient to set up and use the TP-Link router due to its intuitive web interface and the powerful Tether app.
1. 2. Appearance
1. 2. 1. The Front Panel
The router’s LEDs (view from left to right) are located on the front panel. You can check the router’s working status by following the LED Explanation table.
LED Explanation
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Status |
Indication |
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On |
The system has started up successfully. |
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(Power) |
Flashing |
The system is starting up or the firmware is being upgraded. Do |
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Off |
Power is off. |
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Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
Name |
Status |
Indication |
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(2.4GHz Wireless) |
On |
The 2.4GHz wireless band is enabled. |
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Off |
The 2.4GHz wireless band is disabled. |
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(5GHz Wireless) |
On |
The 5GHz wireless band is enabled. |
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Off |
The 5GHz wireless band is disabled. |
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(Ethernet) |
On |
At least one Ethernet port is connected to a powered-on device. |
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Off |
No powered-on device is connected to the router’s corresponding |
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Ethernet port. |
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Green On |
Internet service is available. |
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(Internet) |
Orange On |
The router’s Internet port is connected, but the internet service |
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is not available. |
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Off |
The router’s Internet port is unplugged. |
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On/Off |
This light remains on for 5 minutes when a WPS connection is |
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(WPS) |
established, then turns off. |
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Flashing |
WPS connection is in progress. This may take up to 2 minutes. |
1. 2. 2. The Back Panel
The router’s ports (view from left to right) are located on the rear panel.
Item |
Description |
Power Port |
For connecting the router to a power socket via the provided power adapter. |
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Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
Item |
Description |
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Power On/Off Button |
Press this button to power on or off the router. |
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Reset Button |
Press and hold this button for more than 2 seconds to reset the router to its |
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Press this button, and immediately press the WPS button on your device. The |
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WPS LED of the router should change from flashing to solid on, indicating |
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WPS/Wi-Fi On/Off |
successful WPS connection. |
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Press and hold the Wi-Fi button for about 3 seconds to turn on or off the |
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wireless function of your router. |
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Internet Port |
For connecting to a DSL/Cable modem, or an Ethernet jack. |
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Ethernet Ports (1/2/3/4) |
For connecting your PC or other Ethernet network devices to the router. |
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Antennas |
Used for wireless operation and data transmit. Upright them for the best |
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Wi-Fi performance. |
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5
Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
This chapter contains the following sections:
•Position Your Router
•Connect Your Router
Chapter 2 |
Connect the Hardware |
2. 1. Position Your Router
•The product should not be located in a place where it will be exposed to moisture or excessive heat.
•Place the router in a location where it can be connected to multiple devices as well as to a power source.
•Make sure the cables and power cord are safely placed out of the way so they do not create a tripping hazard.
•The router can be placed on a shelf or desktop.
•Keep the router away from devices with strong electromagnetic reference, such as Bluetooth devices, cordless phones and microwaves.
2. 2. Connect Your Router
Follow the steps below to connect your router.
If your internet connection is through an Ethernet cable directly from the wall instead of through a DSL / Cable / Satellite modem, connect the Ethernet cable to the router’s Internet port, and then follow Step 4 and 5 to complete the hardware connection.
Power adapter
Internet |
Power |
Internet
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Power adapter
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On /
Off
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1.Turn off the modem, and remove the backup battery if it has one.
2.Connect the modem to your router’s Internet port with an Ethernet cable.
3.Turn on the modem, and then wait about 2 minutes for it to restart.
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Chapter 2 |
Connect the Hardware |
4.Connect the power adapter to the router and turn on the router.
5.Verify that the following LEDs are on and solid to confirm the hardware is connected correctly.
Power |
2.4G |
5G |
Internet |
On |
On |
On |
On |
Note:
If the 2.4G LED and 5G LED are off, press and hold the WPS/Wi-Fi On/Off button on the back for about 3 seconds and then release the button. Both LEDs should turn solid on.
6. Connect your computer to the router.
• Method 1: Wired
Turn off the Wi-Fi on your computer and connect the devices as shown below.
Ethernet cable
•Method 2: Wirelessly
1) Find the SSID (Network Name) and Wireless Password printed on the label at the bottom of the router.
2) Click the network icon of your computer or go to Wi-Fi Settings of your smart device, and then select the SSID to join the network.
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Wi-Fi |
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Wi-Fi |
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Wireless Network Connection |
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CHOOSE A NETWORK... |
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TP-Link_XXXX |
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TP-Link_XXXX_5G |
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TP-Link_XXXX |
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√ Connect automatically |
Connect |
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Other...
• Method 3: Use the WPS button
Wireless devices that support WPS, including Android phones, tablets, and most USB network cards, can be connected to your router through this method.
Note:
• WPS is not supported by iOS devices.
8
Chapter 2 |
Connect the Hardware |
•The WPS function cannot be configured if the wireless function of the router is disabled. Also, the WPS function will be disabled if your wireless encryption is WEP. Please make sure the wireless function is enabled and is configured with the appropriate encryption before configuring the WPS.
1 ) Tab the WPS icon on the device’s screen. Here we take an Android phone for instance.
2 ) Within two minutes, press the Reset/WPS button on your router.
close to
9
Chapter 3
Log In to Your Router
Chapter 3 |
Log In to Your Router |
With a web-based utility, it is easy to configure and manage the router. The web-based utility can be used on any Windows, Mac OS or UNIX OS with a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari.
Follow the steps below to log in to your router.
1.Set up the TCP/IP Protocol in Obtain an IP address automatically mode on your computer.
2.Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and create a login password for secure management purposes. Then click Let’s Get Started to log in.
Note:
If the login window does not appear, please refer to the FAQ Section.
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