TP-Link Archer A2300, Archer C5400 User Manual

REV1.1.0 1910012198

User Guide

AC2300 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router

Archer C2300 / Archer A2300

Contents

About This Guide .........................................................................................................1

Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1. 1. Product Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. 2. Panel Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. 2. 1. The Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. 2. 2. The Side Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1. 2. 3. The Back Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter 5. Set Up the Router as an Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Chapter 6. TP-Link Cloud Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

6. 1. Register a TP-Link ID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

6. 2. Change Your TP-Link ID Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

6. 3. Manage the User TP-Link IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

6. 3. 1. Add TP-Link ID to Manage the Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

6. 3. 2. Remove TP-Link ID(s) from Managing the Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

6. 4. Manage the Router via the TP-Link Tether App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter 7. Guest Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

7. 1. Create a Network for Guests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

7. 2. Customize Guest Network Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 8. USB Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

8. 1. Access the USB Storage Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

8. 1. 1. Access the USB Device Locally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

8. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

8. 1. 3. Customize the Access Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

8. 2. Media Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

8. 3. Printer Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

8. 4. Time Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chapter 9. HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus. . . . . . . . . . . 43

9. 1. Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

9. 1. 1. Scenario 1: Setting Up Access Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

9. 1. 2. Scenario 2: Monitoring Internet Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

9. 2. QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

9. 3. Antivirus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter 10. Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

10. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

10. 2. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

10. 3. IP & MAC Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Chapter 11. NAT Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

11. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

11. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

11. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

11. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Chapter 12. VPN Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

12. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

12. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chapter 13. Customize Your Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

13. 1. Change the LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

13. 2. Set Up Link Aggregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

13. 3. Configure to Support IPTV Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

13. 4. Specify DHCP Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

13. 5. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

13. 6. Create Static Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

13. 7. Specify Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

13. 8. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

13. 8. 1. Method 1: Use the WPS Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

13. 8. 2. Method 2: Use the WPS Button on the Web Management Page . . . . . . 79

13. 8. 3. Method 3: Enter the Router’s PIN on Your Client Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

13. 8. 4. Method 4: Enter the Client Device’s PIN on the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

13. 9. Schedule Your Wireless Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Chapter 14. Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

14. 1. Set Up System Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

14. 2. Control LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

14. 3. Test the Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

14. 4. Set Up Port Mirroring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

14. 5. Upgrade the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

14. 5. 1. Online Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

14. 5. 2. Local Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

14. 5. 3. Restore Interrupted Upgrade after Power Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

14. 6. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

14. 7. Change the Administrator Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

14. 8. Default Password Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

14. 9. Local Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

14. 10. Remote Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

14. 11. System Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

FAQ ................................................................................................................................ 98

1

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

Underlined

Underlined words or phrases are hyperlinks. You can click to redirect to a
website or a specific section.

Teal

Contents to be emphasized and texts on the web page are in teal, including the
menus, items, buttons, etc.

>

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.

Note:

Ignoring this type of note might result in a malfunction or damage to the device.

Tips:

Indicates important information that helps you make better use of your device.

symbols on the web

page

• click to edit the corresponding entry.

• click to delete the corresponding entry.

• click to enable or disable the corresponding entry.

• click to view more information about items on the page.

More Info

The latest software, management app and utility can be found at Download Center at

http://www.tp-link.com/support.

The Quick Installation Guide can be found where you find this guide or inside the
package of the router.

Specifications can be found on the product page at http://www.tp-link.com.

A Technical Support Forum is provided for you to discuss our products at

http://forum.tp-link.com.

Our Technical Support contact information can be found at the Contact Technical

Support page at http://www.tp-link.com/support.

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

• Panel Layout

3

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. Panel Layout

1. 2. 1. The Front Panel

The router’s LEDs are located on the front. You can check the router’s working status by
following the LED Explanation table.

LED Explanation

Name Status Indication

(Power)

On The system has started up successfully.

Flashing

The system is starting up or the firmware is being upgraded. Do
not disconnect or power off your router.

Off Power is off.

(2.4GHz Wireless)

On The 2.4GHz wireless band is enabled.

Off The 2.4GHz wireless band is disabled.

4

Chapter 1

Get to Know About Your Router

LED Explanation

Name Status Indication

(5GHz Wireless)

On The 5GHz wireless band is enabled.

Off The 5GHz wireless band is disabled.

(Internet)

Blue On Internet service is available.

Orange On

The router’s Internet port is connected, but the internet service
is not available.

Off The router’s Internet port is unplugged.

(Ethernet)

On

At least one powered-on device is connected to the router’s LAN
port.

Off No powered-on device is connected to the router’s LAN port.

(WPS)

On/Off

This light remains on for 5 minutes when a WPS connection is
established, then turns off.

Flashing WPS connection is in progress. This may take up to 2 minutes.

(USB)

On The inserted USB device is ready to use.

Flashing A USB device is being identified.

Off No device is plugged into the USB port.

1. 2. 2. The Side Panel

The following parts (view from left to right) are located on the side panel.

Item Description

Wi-Fi On/Off Button

Press and hold the WiFi button for about 2 seconds to turn on or off the
wireless function of your router.

5

Chapter 1

Get to Know About Your Router

Item Description

Reset Button

Press and hold this button for more than 5 seconds to reset the router to its
factory default settings.

WPS Button Press this button to enable the WPS function.

USB 2.0 Port For connecting to a USB 2.0 device or a USB 2.0 printer.

USB 3.0 Port

For connecting to a USB 3.0 device or a USB 3.0 printer. It is also compatible
with USB 2.0 devices.

1. 2. 3. The Back Panel

The following parts (view from left to right) are located on the back panel.

Item Description

Power Port For connecting the router to a power socket via the provided power adapter.

Power On/Off Button Press this button to power on or off the router.

Internet Port For connecting to a DSL/Cable modem, or an Ethernet jack.

LAN Ports (1/2/3/4) For connecting your PC or other Ethernet network devices to the router.

Antennas

Used for wireless operation and data transmit. Upright them for the best
Wi-Fi performance.

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Position Your Router

• Connect Your Router

7

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 1, 5 and 6 to complete the hardware connection.

5

Modem

Power adapter

Power adapter

Router

2

1

3

4

Internet

1. Install the antennas.

2. Turn off the modem, and remove the backup battery if any.

3. Connect the modem to your router’s Internet port with an Ethernet cable.

8

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

4. Turn on the modem, and then wait about 2 minutes for it to restart.

5. Connect the power adapter to the router and turn on the router.

6. Verify that the following LEDs are on and solid to confirm the harware is connected

correctly.

Power

On

Internet

On

2.4GHz
On

5GHz

On

Note:

If the 2.4GHz LED and 5GHz LED are off, press and hold the Wi-Fi On/Off button on the side panel for about 2

seconds. Within a few seconds, both the LEDs shoud turn solid on.

7. 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.

Connections are available

Wireless Network Connection

Connect automatically Connect

√

TP-Link_XXXX

TP-Link_XXXX_5G

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

TP-Link_XXXX

TP-Link_XXXX_5G

CHOOSE A NETWORK...

Other...

< Settings

Smart Device

Computer

or

9

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

• Method 3: Use the WPS button

Wireless devices that support WPS, including Android phones, tablets, and most USB
network adapters, can be connected to your router through this method.

Note:

• WPS is not supported by iOS devices.

• 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.

WLAN

On

TP-LINK

YSL

David

Hotdog

Ts_5G

Sunny

Test

close to

Chapter 3

Log In to Your Router

11

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, Macintosh 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.

• If you have registered a TP-Link ID and bound your cloud router to it, the login password you created here will be

invalid. Please log in to the cloud router using your TP-Link ID.

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

This chapter introduces how to connect your router to the internet. The router is
equipped with a web-based Quick Setup wizard. It has necessary ISP information built
in, automates many of the steps and verifies that those steps have been successfully
completed. Furthermore, you can also set up an IPv6 connection if your ISP provides
IPv6 service.

It contains the following sections:

• Use Quick Setup Wizard

• Manually Set up Your Internet Connection

• Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection

13

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard

The Quick Setup Wizard will guide you through the process to set up your router.

Tips:

If you need the IPv6 internet connection, please refer to the section of Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection.

Follow the steps below to set up your router.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with the password you set for the router.

2. Click Quick Setup on the top of the page. Then follow the step-by-step instructions
to connect your router to the internet.

3. To enjoy a more complete service from TP-Link (remote management, TP-Link DDNS,
etc.), log in with your TP-Link ID or click Resigter Now to get one. Then follow the
instructions to bind the cloud router to your TP-Link ID.

Note:

• To learn more about the TP-Link Cloud service, please refer to the TP-Link Cloud Service section.

• If you do not want to register a TP-Link ID now, you may click Log In Later to proceed.

• If you have changed the preset wireless network name (SSID) and wireless password during the Quick Setup process,

all your wireless devices must use the new SSID and password to connect to the router.

4. 2. Manually Set up Your Internet Connection

In this part, you can check your current internet connection settings. You can also
modify the settings according to the service information provided by your ISP.

Follow the steps below to check or modify your internet connection settings.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Basic > Internet.

3. Select your internet connection type from the drop-down list.

14

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

Note:

If you are unsure of what your connection type is, click Auto Detect. Since different connection types require different

cables and connection information, you can also refer to the demonstrations in Step 4 to determine your connection

type.

4. Follow the instructions on the page to continue the configuration. Parameters on the
figures are just used for demonstration.

1 ) If you choose Dynamic IP, you need to select whether to clone the MAC address.

Dynamic IP users are usually equipped with a cable TV or fiber cable.

2 ) If you choose Static IP, enter the information provided by your ISP in the

corresponding fields.

3 ) If you choose PPPoE, enter the username and password provided by your ISP.

PPPoE users usually have DSL cable modems.

15

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

4 ) If you choose L2TP, enter the username and password and choose the

Secondary Connection provided by your ISP. Different parameters are needed

according to the Secondary Connection you have chosen.

5 ) If you choose PPTP, enter the username and password, and choose the

Secondary Connection provided by your ISP. Different parameters are needed

according to the Secondary Connection you have chosen.

5. Click Save.

16

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

6. To check your internet connection, click Network Map on the left of the page. After
the connection succeeds, the screen will display as follows. Here we take PPPoE as
an example.

Note:

It may take 1-2 minutes to make the settings valid.

Tips:

• If your internet connection type is BigPond Cable, please go to Advanced > Network > Internet to set your router.

• If you use Dynamic IP and PPPoE and you are provided with any other parameters that are not required on the page,

please go to Advanced > Network > Internet to complete the configuration.

• If you still cannot access the internet, refer to the FAQ section for further instructions.

4. 3. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection

Your ISP provides information about one of the following IPv6 internet connection
types: PPPoE, Dynamic IP(SLAAC/DHCPv6), Static IP, 6to4 tunnel and Pass-Through
(Bridge).

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > IPv6.

3. Enable IPv6 and select the internet connection type provided by your ISP.

Tips:

If you do not know what your internet connection type is, contact your ISP or judge according to the already known

information provided by your ISP.

4. Fill in information as required by different connection types. Red blanks must be filled
in.

17

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

1 ) Static IP: Fill in blanks and click Save.

2 ) Dynamic IP(SLAAC/DHCPv6): Click Advanced to input further information if

your ISP requires. Click Save and then click Renew.

3 ) PPPoE: By default, the router uses the IPv4 account to connect to the IPv6

server. Click Advanced to input further information if your ISP requires. Click

Save and then click Connect.

Note:

If your ISP provides two separate accounts for the IPv4 and IPv6 connections, please uncheck the box for Use

the same session with IPv4 connection and manually enter the username and password for the IPv6 connection.

18

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

4 ) 6to4 Tunnel: An IPv4 internet connection type is a prerequisite for this

connection type (Manually Set up Your Internet Connection). Click Advanced to
input further information if your ISP requires. Click Save and then click Connect.

5 ) Pass-Through (Bridge): Click Save and skip to step 6.

5. Configure LAN ports. Windows users are recommended to choose from the first two
types. Fill in Address Prefix provided by your ISP, and click Save.

19

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

Tips:

Find Help on the management interface to know more about items.

6. Click Status to check whether you have successfully set up an IPv6 connection. The
following figure is an example of a successful PPPoE configuration.

Tips:

Visit the FAQ section if there is no internet connection.

Chapter 5

Set Up the Router as an
Access Point

In the Access Point mode, your router connects to a wired or wireless router via an
Ethernet cable and extends the wireless coverage of your existing network.

21

Chapter 5

Set Up the Router as an Access Point

The router can work as an access point, transforming your existing wired network to a
wireless one.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Operation Mode, select Access Point and click Save. The router
will reboot and switch to Access Point mode.

3. After rebooting, connect the router to your existing wired router via an Ethernet cable.

4. Log in again to the web management page http://tplinkwifi.net, and click Quick Setup.

5. Configure your wireless settings and click Next.

6. Confirm the information and click Finish. Now, you can enjoy Wi-Fi.

22

Chapter 5

Set Up the Router as an Access Point

Tips:

• Functions, such as Parental Controls, Qos and NAT Forwarding, are not supported in the Access Point mode.

• Functions, such as Guest Network and USB Sharing, are the same as those in the Router mode.

Chapter 6

TP-Link Cloud Service

TP-Link Cloud service provides a better way to manage your cloud devices. Log in to
your router with a TP-Link ID, and you can easily monitor and manage your home network
when you are out and about via the Tether app on your smartphone or tablet. To ensure
that your router stays new and gets better over time, the TP-Link Cloud will notify you
when an important firmware upgrade is avaliable. Surely you can also manage multiple
TP-Link Cloud devices with a single TP-Link ID.

This chapter introduces how to register a new TP-Link ID, bind or unbind TP-Link IDs
to manage your router, and the Tether app with which you can manage your home
network no matter where you may find yourself.

It contains the following sections:

• Register a TP-Link ID

• Change Your TP-Link ID Information

• Manage the User TP-Link IDs

• Manage the Router via the TP-Link Tether App

24

Chapter 6

TP-Link Cloud Service

6. 1. Register a TP-Link ID

If you have skipped the registration during the Quick Setup process, you can：

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud.

3. Click Register Now and follow the instructions to register a TP-Link ID.

4. After activating your TP-Link ID, come back to the TP-Link Cloud page to log in. The
TP-Link ID used to log in to the router for the first time will be automatically bound as
an Admin.

Note:

• To learn more about the Admin and User TP-Link ID, refer to Manage the User TP-Link IDs.

• Once the router is bound to your TP-Link ID, you need to log in to the router with the TP-Link ID.

• You can register another TP-Link ID via the Tether APP. Please refer to Manage the Router via TP-Link Tether App to

install the app and register a new one

• If you want to unbind the admin TP-Link ID from your router, please go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud, click Unbind in the

Device Information section.

6. 2. Change Your TP-Link ID Information

Follow the steps below to change your email address and password of your TP-Link ID
as needed.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID.

2. Go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud, and focus on the Account Information section.

¾ To change your email address:

1. Click behind the Email.

2. Enter the password of your TP-Link ID, then a new email address. And click Save.

25

Chapter 6

TP-Link Cloud Service

¾ To change your password:

1. Click behind the Password.

2. Enter the current password, then a new password twice. And click Save.

6. 3. Manage the User TP-Link IDs

The TP-Link ID used to log in to the router for the first time will be automatically bound
as the Admin account. An admin account can add or remove other TP-Link IDs to or
from the same router as Users. All accounts can monitor and manage the router locally
or remotely, but user accounts cannot:

• Reset the router to its factory default settings either on the web management page

or in the Tether app.

26

Chapter 6

TP-Link Cloud Service

• Add/remove other TP-Link IDs to/from the router.

6. 3. 1. Add TP-Link ID to Manage the Router

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID.

2. Go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud, and focus on the Bound Accounts section.

3. Click , enter another TP-Link ID as needed and click Save.

Note:

If you need another TP-Link ID, please refer to Manage the Router via TP-Link Tether App to install the app and register

a new one.

4. The new TP-Link ID will be displayed in the Bound Accounts table as a User.

6. 3. 2. Remove TP-Link ID(s) from Managing the Router

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID.

2. Go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud, and focus on the Bound Accounts section.

3. Tick the checkbox(es) of the TP-Link ID(s) you want to remove and click Unbind.

27

Chapter 6

TP-Link Cloud Service

6. 4. Manage the Router via the TP-Link Tether App

The Tether app runs on iOS and Android devices like smartphones and tablets.

1. Open the Apple App Store or Google Play and search the key word “TP-Link Tether”
or simply scan the QR code to download and install the app.

OR

2. Connect your device to the router’s wireless network.

3. Launch the Tether app, select the model of your router and log in with your TP-Link ID
or the password your set for the router.

4. Manage your router as needed.

Chapter 7

Guest Network

This function allows you to provide Wi-Fi access for guests without disclosing your
main network. When you have guests in your house, apartment, or workplace, you can
create a guest network for them. In addition, you can customize guest network options
to ensure network security and privacy.

It contains the following sections:

• Create a Network for Guests

• Customize Guest Network Options

29

Chapter 7

Guest Network

7. 1. Create a Network for Guests

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Guest Network. Locate the Wireless section.

3. Create a guest network as needed.

1 ) Tick the checkbox(es) to enable 2.4 GHz Wireless guest network or 5GHz

Wireless guest network.

2 ) Customize the SSID. Don‘t select Hide SSID unless you want your guests to

manually input the SSID for guest network access.

3 ) Set Security to WPA/WPA2 Personal, keep the default Version and Encryption

values, and customize your own password.

4. Click Save. Now your guests can access your guest network using the SSID and
password you set!

Tips:

To view guest network information, go to Advanced > Status and locate the Guest Network section.

30

Chapter 7

Guest Network

7. 2. Customize Guest Network Options

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Guest Network. Locate the Settings section.

3. Customize guest network options according to your needs.

• Allow guests to see each other

Check this box if you want to allow the wireless clients on your guest network to
communicate with each other via methods such as network neighbors and Ping.

• Allow guests to access my local network

Check this box if you want to allow the wireless clients on your guest network
to communicate with the devices connected to your router’s LAN ports or main
network via methods such as network neighbors and Ping.

4. Click Save. Now you can ensure network security and privacy!

Tips:

To view guest network information, go to Advanced > Status and locate the Guest Network section.

Chapter 8

USB Settings

This chapter describes how to use the USB ports to share files, media and a printer
from the USB storage devices over your home network locally, or remotely through the
internet.

The router supports USB external flash drives, hard drives and USB printers.

It contains the following sections:

• Access the USB Storage Device

• Media Sharing

• Printer Sharing

• Time Machine

32

Chapter 8

USB Settings

8. 1. Access the USB Storage Device

Insert your USB storage device into the router’s USB port and then access files stored
there locally or remotely.

Tips:

• If you use USB hubs, make sure no more than 4 devices are connected to the router.

• If the USB storage device requires using bundled external power, make sure the external power has been connected.

• If you use a USB hard drive, make sure its file system is FAT32, exFat, NTFS or HFS+.

• Before you physically disconnect a USB device from the router, safely remove it to avoid data damage: Go to Advanced

> USB Settings > USB Storage Device and click .

8. 1. 1. Access the USB Device Locally

Insert your USB storage device into the router’s USB port and then refer to the following
table to access files stored on your USB storage device.

Windows

computer

¾ Method 1:

Go to Computer > Network, then click the Network Server Name
(ModelNumber-SHARE by default) in the Computer section.

Note:

Operations in different systems are similar. Here we take Windows 7 as an example.

33

Chapter 8

USB Settings

Windows

computer

¾ Method 2:

Open the Windows Explorer (or go to Computer) and type the server
address \\tplinkwifi.net or ftp://tplinkwifi.net in the address bar, and then
press Enter.

Mac

1 ) Select Go > Connect to Server

2 ) Type the server address smb://tplinkwifi.net

3 ) Click Connect

4 ) When prompted, select the Guest radio box. (If you have set up a

username and a password to deny anonymous access to the USB
disks, you should select the Registered User radio box. To learn how
to set up an account for the access, refer to To Set up Authentication

for Data Security.)

Tablet

Use a third-party app for network files management.

Tips:

You can also access your USB disk by using your Network/Media Server Name as the server address. Refer to To

Customize the Address of the USB Disk to learn more.

8. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely

You can access your USB disk outside the local area network. For example, you can:

34

Chapter 8

USB Settings

• Share photos and other large files with your friends without logging in to (and paying

for) a photo-sharing site or email system.

• Get a safe backup for the materials for a presentation.

• Remove the files on your camera’s memory card from time to time during the journey.

Note:

If your ISP assigns a private WAN IP address (such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x), you cannot use this feature because

private addresses are not routed on the internet.

Follow the steps below to configure remote access settings.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > USB Sharing > USB Storage Device page.

3. Tick the FTP(via Internet) checkbox, and then click Save.

4. Refer to the following table to access your USB disk remotely.

35

Chapter 8

USB Settings

Computer

1 ) Open the Windows Explorer (or go to Computer, only for Windows

users) or open a web browser.

2 ) Type the server address in the address bar:

Type in ftp://<WAN IP address of the router>:<port number> (such
as ftp://59.40.2.243:21). If you have specified the domain name
of the router, you can also type in ftp://<domain name>:<port

number> (such as ftp://MyDomainName:21)

3 ) Press Enter on the keyboard.

4 ) Access with the username and password you set in To Set up

Authentication for Data Security.

Tips:

You can also access the USB disk via a third-party app for network files management, which can

resume broken file transfers.

Tablet

Use a third-party app for network files management.

Tips:

Click Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account to learn how to set up a domain name for you router.

8. 1. 3. Customize the Access Settings

By default, all the network clients can access all folders on your USB disk. You can
customize your sharing settings by setting a sharing account, sharing specific contents
and setting a new sharing address on the router’s web management page.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > USB Sharing > USB Storage Device page.

¾ To Customize the Address of the USB Disk

You can customize the server name and use the name to access your USB disk.

1. On the Access Address part, make sure Network Neighborhood is ticked, and enter

a Network/Media Server Name as you like, such as MyShare,and then click Save.

36

Chapter 8

USB Settings

2. Now you can access the USB disk by visiting \\MyShare (for Windows) or smb://

MyShare (for Mac).

¾ To Only Share Specific Content

1. On the Sharing Contents and Security part, focus on the Sharing Contents section.

Click to change your settings.

2. Select the folder(s) you want to share.

3. Click Save.

¾ To Set up Authentication for Data Security

You can set up authentication for your USB device so that network clients will be
required to enter username and password when accessing the USB disk.

1. On the Sharing Contents and Security part, toggle on Access Authentication.

37

Chapter 8

USB Settings

2. The username and password of the admin account are both admin. Clients

accessing with the admin account can both read and write the contents of your
USB disk. If you only permit your clients to read the contents of your USB disk, they
might access with the visit account. Click to change the username and password
of the admin or visit account.

Note:

For Windows users, do not set the sharing username the same as the Windows username. Otherwise, Windows

credential mechanism may cause the following problems:

• If the sharing password is also the same as the Windows password, authentication will not work since the Windows

will automatically use its account information for USB access.

• If the sharing password is different from the Windows password, the Windows will be unable to remember your

credentials and you will always be required to enter the sharing password for USB access.

3. Click Save.

Note:

Due to Windows credential mechanism, you might be unable to access the USB disk after changing Authentication

settings. Please log out from the Windows and try to access again. Or you can change the address of the USB disk by
referring to To Customize the Address of the USB Disk.

38

Chapter 8

USB Settings

8. 2. Media Sharing

The feature of Media Sharing allows you to view photos, play music and watch movies
stored on the USB disk directly from DLNA-supported devices, such as your computer,
tablet and PS2/3/4.

1. When your USB disk is inseted into the router, your DLNA-supoorted devices (such

as your computer and pad) connected to the router can detect and play the media
files on the USB disks.

2. Refer to the following table for detailed instructions.

Windows

Computer

Go to Computer > Network, and click the Media Server Name
(ModelNumber-SHARE by default) in the Media Devices section.

Note:

Here we take Windows 7 as an example.

Tablet Use a third-party DLNA-supported player.

8. 3. Printer Sharing

The feature of Printer Sharing helps you share a printer with different computers
connected to the router.

Note:

Printers unlisted on this page may be incompatible with the router:

http://www.tp-link.com/common/compatible/print-server/.

1. Install the Driver of the Printer

39

Chapter 8

USB Settings

Make sure you have installed the driver of the printer on each computer that needs
printer service.

If you do not have the driver, contact the printer manufacturer.

2. Connect the Printer

Cable a printer to the USB port with the USB cable. Wait several seconds until the
USB LED becomes solid on.

3. Install the TP-Link USB Printer Controller Utility

TP-Link USB Printer Controller Utility helps you access the shared printer. Download
and Install the utility on each computer that needs printer service.

1 ) Visit http://www.tp-link.com/app/usb/.

2 ) Click PC Utility (for Windows users) or Mac Utility to download the installation

file and uncompress it.

3 ) Open the uncompressed folder, and then click TP-Link USB Printer Controller

Setup (for Windows users) or TP-Link UDS Printer Controller Installer (for Mac

users) to install the utility.

4. Access the Printer

You should set the shared printer as Auto-Connect Printer on every computer that
needs printer service.

1 ) Double- click the icon on your desktop to launch the USB Printer Controller.

2 ) Highlight the printer you share.

Windows

40

Chapter 8

USB Settings

Mac

3 ) Click the Auto-Connect for printing tab to pull down a list, then select Set Auto-

Connect Printer.

Windows

Mac

4 ) Select the printer you share, and then click Apply.

Windows

41

Chapter 8

USB Settings

Mac

5 ) You will see the printer marked as Auto-Connect Printer. Now you can print with

this printer.

Windows

Mac

Tips:

The Print Server also allows different clients to share the scan feature of MFPs (Multi-Function Printers). To scan

with TP-Link USB Printer Controller, right-click the printer and select Network Scanner. Then, a scanning window

will pop up. Finish the scanning process by following on-screen instructions.

42

Chapter 8

USB Settings

8. 4. Time Machine

Time Machine backs up all files on your Mac computer to a USB storage device
connected to your router.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > USB Sharing > Time Machine page.

3. Tick the checkbox to enable Time Machine.

4. Click Select to select a location for Time Machine backups.

5. Set the Size Limit for Backups.

Note:

0 means no limit for the space.

6. Click Save.

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental
Controls, QoS, Antivirus

TP-Link HomeCareTM powered by Trend MicroTM provides a kit of features to help
you create a personalized network that caters for the whole family. You can ensure
appropriate internet access for everyone with Parental Controls, save bandwidth for
the things that matter with QoS and keep your network secure with built-in Antivirus.

It contains the following sections:

• Parental Controls

• QoS

• Antivirus

44

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

9. 1. Parental Controls

Parental Controls allows you to set up unique restrictions on internet access for each
member of your family. You can block inappropriate content, set daily limits for the total
time spent online and restrict internet access to certain times of the day.

9. 1. 1. Scenario 1: Setting Up Access Restrictions

Block access to inappropriate online content for my child’s
devices, restrict internet access to 2 hours every day and block
internet access during bed time (10 PM to 6 AM) on weekdays.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Basic > HomeCare > Parental Controls or Advanced >

Parental Controls.

3. Click to create a profile for a family member.

4. Add basic profile information.

1 ) Enter a Name for the profile to make it easier to identify.

2 ) Under Devices, click .

3 ) Select the devices that belong to this family member.

Access restrictions will be applied to these devices. Click

Add when finished.

I want to:

How can I
do that?

45

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

Note: Only devices that have previously been connected to your router’s network

are listed here. If you are unable to find the device you want to add, connect it to your

network and then try again.

4 ) Click Next.

5. Block content for this profile.

1 ) Select a filter level based on the age of the family member

this profile belongs to. Blocked content will then be
displayed in the Filter Content list.

2 ) If needed, you can edit the blocked content by clicking

and to move categories between the Filter Content

and Available Categories lists.

3 ) You can also block a specific website or application

by clicking next to Filter Content. Enter a keyword
(for example, “Facebook”) or a URL (for example,
“www.facebook.com”), then click Add.

46

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

4 ) Click Next.

6. Set time restrictions on internet access.

1 ) Enable Time Limits on Monday to Friday and Saturday &

Sunday then set the allowed online time to 2 hours each
day.

2 ) Enable Bed Time on Monday to Friday and use the up/

down arrows or enter times in the fields. Devices under
this profile will be unable to access the internet during
this time period.

3 ) Click Save.

The amount of time your child spends online is controlled and
inappropriate content is blocked on their devices.

9. 1. 2. Scenario 2: Monitoring Internet Usage

Check which websites my child has visited and how much time
they have spent online recently.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

Done!

I want to:

How can I
do that?

47

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

2. Go to Basic > HomeCare > Parental Controls or Advanced >

Parental Controls.

3. Find the correct profile and click in the Insights column.

Note: If you have not set up a profile for your child yet, you should do that first by

clicking , then follow the steps to create a profile. Refer to Scenario 1: Setting Up

Access Restrictions for detailed instructions.

4. Use the drop-down menu to view the websites visited and
time spent online for any of the last 7 days. Click to view a
complete history.

Tip: Click to block the corresponding content for this profile.

You can now check up on your child’s online activities.

9. 2. QoS

QoS (Quality of Service) allows you to prioritize the internet traffic of specific online
activities, such as gaming or streaming. Activities set as high priority will be allocated
more bandwidth and so continue to run smoothly even when there is heavy traffic on
the network. You can also prioritize the connection of specific devices for a set duration.

Ensure a fast connection while I play online games with friends
on my computer for the next 2 hours.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Basic > HomeCare > QoS or Advanced > QoS.

Done!

I want to:

How can I
do that?

48

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

3. In the Application Priority tab, click Gaming to prioritize this
online activity. The default is Standard, with no application
prioritized.

4. In the Device Priority tab, find your computer and toggle on

Priority. Click the entry in the Timing column and select 2

hours as the duration you want the device to be prioritized
fo r.

Yo u can now enjoy playing games without lag on your computer
for the next 2 hours.

9. 3. Antivirus

Your router supports built-in Antivirus powered by Trend MicroTM. It provides malicious
content filtering and intrusion prevention for your home network, as well as a quarantine
for infected devices. An active database protects every connected device from external
threats.

Antivirus includes the following protection:

• Malicious Content Filter

Blocks malicious websites listed in Micro Trend’s database. The database is automatically
updated so new malicious websites are blocked when they go live.

• Intrusion Prevention System

Done!

49

Chapter 9

HomeCare – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

Identifies and blocks potential threats from attackers and fixes vulnerabilities in the
network.

• Infected Device Quarantine

Prevents infected devices from sending your sensitive information to clients outside
your network or spreading security threats.

¾ To access your router’s Antivirus settings:

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Basic > HomeCare > Antivirus or Advanced > Security > Antivirus.

3. Choose the protection types you want to enable. It is recommended to keep them all
enabled to ensure the best protection for your network.

4. Click to view threats that have been detected and resolved.

Chapter 10

Network Security

This chapter guides you on how to protect your home network from cyber attacks
and unauthorized users by implementing these three network security functions. You
can protect your home network against DoS (Denial of Service) attacks from flooding
your network with server requests using DoS Protection, block or allow specific client
devices to access your network using Access Control, or you can prevent ARP spoofing
and ARP attacks using IP & MAC Binding.

It contains the following sections:

• Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks

• Access Control

• IP & MAC Binding

51

Chapter 10

Network Security

10. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks

The SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) Firewall and DoS (Denial of Service) Protection
protect the router from cyber attacks.

The SPI Firewall can prevent cyber attacks and validate the traffic that is passing
through the router based on the protocol. This function is enabled by default, and it’s
recommended to keep the default settings.

DoS Protection can protect your home network against DoS attacks from flooding your
network with server requests. Follow the steps below to configure DoS Protection.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Security > Firewall & Dos Protection.

3. Enable DoS Protection.

4. Set the level (Off, Low, Middle or High) of protection for ICMP-FLOOD Attack

Filtering, UDP-FlOOD Attack Filtering and TCP-SYN-FLOOD Attack Filtering.

• ICMP-FLOOD Attack Filtering - Enable to prevent the ICMP (Internet Control
Message Protocol) flood attack.

• UDP-FlOOD Attack Filtering - Enable to prevent the UDP (User Datagram
Protocol) flood attack.

• TCP-SYN-FLOOD Attack Filtering - Enable to prevent the TCP-SYN (Transmission
Control Protocol-Synchronize) flood attack.

Tips:

The level of protection is based on the number of traffic packets. The protection will be triggered immediately

when the number of packets exceeds the preset threshold value (the value can be set on Advanced > System

Tools > System Parameters > DoS Protection Level Settings), and the vicious host will be displayed in the Blocked

DoS Host List.

52

Chapter 10

Network Security

5. If you want to ignore the ping packets from the WAN port, select Ignore Ping Packet

From WAN Port; if you want to ignore the ping packets form the LAN port, select
Ignore Ping Packet From LAN Port.

6. Click Save.

10. 2. Access Control

Access Control is used to block or allow specific client devices to access your network
(via wired or wireless) based on a list of blocked devices (Blacklist) or a list of allowed
devices (Whitelist).

Block or allow specific client devices to access my network (via
wired or wireless).

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Security > Access Control.

3. Enable Access Control.

4. If you also want to control access of the devices connected

to the guest network, toggle on Guest Devices Control.

5. Select the access mode to either block (recommended) or
allow the device(s) in the list.

To block specific device(s)

1 ) Select Blacklist and click Save.

I want to:

How can I
do that?

53

Chapter 10

Network Security

2 ) Select the device(s) to be blocked in the Online Devices

table by ticking the box.

3 ) Click Block above the Online Devices table. The selected

devices will be added to Devices in Blacklist automatically.

To allow specific device(s)

1 ) Select Whitelist and click Save.

2 ) Click Add in the Devices in Whitelist section. Enter the

Device Name and MAC Address (You can copy and paste

the information from the Online Devices list if the device
is connected to your network).

3 ) Click OK.

Now you can block or allow specific client devices to access your
network (via wired or wireless) using the Blacklist or Whitelist.

Done!

54

Chapter 10

Network Security

10. 3. IP & MAC Binding

IP & MAC Binding, namely, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) Binding, is used to bind
network device’s IP address to its MAC address. This will prevent ARP Spoofing and
other ARP attacks by denying network access to an device with matching IP address in
the Binding list, but unrecognized MAC address.

Prevent ARP spoofing and ARP attacks.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Security > IP & MAC Binding.

3. Enable IP & MAC Binding.

4. Bind your device(s) according to your need.

To bind the connected device(s):

Click to add the corresponding device to the Binding List.

To bind the unconnected device

1 ) Click Add in the Binding List section.

2 ) Enter the MAC address and IP address that you want to

bind. Enter a Description for this binding entry.

3 ) Check the box for Enable This Entry and click OK.

Now you don’t need to worry about ARP spoofing and ARP
attacks!

I want to:

How can I
do that?

Done!

Chapter 11

NAT Forwarding

The router’s NAT (Network Address Translation) feature makes devices on the LAN use
the same public IP address to communicate with devices on the internet, which protects
the local network by hiding IP addresses of the devices. However, it also brings about
the problem that an external host cannot initiatively communicate with a specified
device on the local network.

With the forwarding feature the router can penetrate the isolation of NAT and allows
devices on the internet to initiatively communicate with devices on the local network,
thus realizing some special functions.

The TP-Link router supports four forwarding rules. If two or more rules are set, the
priority of implementation from high to low is Virtual Servers, Port Triggering, UPNP and
DMZ.

It contains the following sections:

• Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual Servers

• Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering

• Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ

• Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP

56

Chapter 11

NAT Forwarding

11. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual
Servers

When you build up a server on the local network and want to share it on the internet,
Virtual Servers can realize the service and provide it to internet users. At the same time
Virtual Servers can keep the local network safe as other services are still invisible from
the internet.

Virtual Servers can be used for setting up public services on your local network, such as
HTTP, FTP, DNS, POP3/SMTP and Telnet. Different services use different service ports.
Port 80 is used in HTTP service, port 21 in FTP service, port 25 in SMTP service and port
110 in POP3 service. Please verify the service port number before the configuration.

Share my personal website I’ve built in local network with my
friends through the internet.

For example, the personal website has been built on my home

PC (192.168.0.100). I hope that my friends on the internet can
visit my website in some way. The PC is connected to the router
with the WAN IP address 218.18.232.154.

Personal Website

Home

Router

WAN: 218.18.232.154LAN

1. Assign a static IP address to your PC, for example

192.168.0.100.

2. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

3. Go to Advanced > NAT Forwarding > Virtual Servers.

4. Click Add. Click View Existing Services and select HTTP. The

External Port, Internal Port and Protocol will be automatically

filled in. Enter the PC’s IP address 192.168.0.100 in the

Internal IP field.

5. Click OK.

I want to:

How can I
do that?

INTERNET

57

Chapter 11

NAT Forwarding

Tips:

• It is recommended to keep the default settings of Internal Port and Protocol if you are

not clear about which port and protocol to use.

• If the service you want to use is not in the Service Type, you can enter the

corresponding parameters manually. You should verify the port number that the
service needs.

• You can add multiple virtual server rules if you want to provide several services in a

router. Please note that the External Port should not be overlapped.

Users on the internet can enter http:// WAN IP (in this example:
http:// 218.18.232.154) to visit your personal website.

Tips:

• The WAN IP should be a public IP address. For the WAN IP is assigned dynamically by

the ISP, it is recommended to apply and register a domain name for the WAN referring
to Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account. Then users on the internet can use

http:// domain name to visit the website.

• If you have changed the default External Port, you should use

http:// WAN IP: External Port or http:// domain name: External Port to visit the website.

11. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering

Port Triggering can specify a triggering port and its corresponding external ports.
When a host on the local network initiates a connection to the triggering port, all the
external ports will be opened for subsequent connections. The router can record the
IP address of the host. When the data from the internet return to the external ports, the
router can forward them to the corresponding host. Port Triggering is mainly applied to
online games, VoIPs, video players and common applications including MSN Gaming
Zone, Dialpad and Quick Time 4 players, etc.

Follow the steps below to configure the Port Triggering rules:

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > NAT Forwarding > Port Triggering and click Add.

Done!

58

Chapter 11

NAT Forwarding

3. Click View Existing Applications, and select the desired application. The Triggering

Port, External Port and Protocol will be automatically filled in. The following picture

takes application MSN Gaming Zone as an example.

4. Click OK.

Tips:

• You can add multiple port triggering rules according to your network need.

• The triggering ports can not be overlapped.

• If the application you need is not listed in the Existing Applications list, please enter the parameters manually. You

should verify the external ports the application uses first and enter them into External Port field according to the

format the page displays.

11. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction

by DMZ

When a PC is set to be a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) host on the local network, it is totally
exposed to the internet, which can realize the unlimited bidirectional communication
between internal hosts and external hosts. The DMZ host becomes a virtual server with
all ports opened. When you are not clear about which ports to open in some special
applications, such as IP camera and database software, you can set the PC to be a DMZ
host.

59

Chapter 11

NAT Forwarding

Note:

When DMZ is enabled, the DMZ host is totally exposed to the internet, which may bring some potential safety hazards. If

DMZ is not in use, please disable it in time.

Make the home PC join the internet online game without port
restriction.

For example, due to some port restriction, when playing the

online games, you can login normally but cannot join a team with
other players. To solve this problem, set your PC as a DMZ host
with all ports open.

1. Assign a static IP address to your PC, for example

192.168.0.100.

2. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

3. Go to Advanced > NAT Forwarding > DMZ and select Enable

DMZ.

4. Enter the IP address 192.168.0.100 in the DMZ Host IP

Address filed.

5. Click Save.

The configuration is completed. You’ve set your PC to a DMZ
host and now you can make a team to game with other players.

11. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by
UPnP

The UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) protocol allows applications or host devices
to automatically find the front-end NAT device and send request to it to open the
corresponding ports. With UPnP enabled, the applications or host devices on the
local network and the internet can freely communicate with each other thus realizing
the seamless connection of the network. You may need to enable the UPnP if you
want to use applications for multiplayer gaming, peer-to-peer connections, real-time
communication (such as VoIP or telephone conference) or remote assistance, etc.

I want to:

How can I
do that?

Done!

60

Chapter 11

NAT Forwarding

Tips:

• UPnP is enabled by default in this router.

• Only the application supporting UPnP protocol can use this feature.

• UPnP feature needs the support of operating system (e.g. Windows Vista/ Windows 7/ Windows 8, etc. Some of

operating system need to install the UPnP components).

For example, when you connect your Xbox to the router which has connected to

the internet to play online games, UPnP will send request to the router to open the
corresponding ports allowing the following data penetrating the NAT to transmit.
Therefore, you can play Xbox online games without a hitch.

XBOX Router

Internet

LAN WAN

If necessary, you can follow the steps to change the status of UPnP.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > NAT Forwarding > UPnP and toggle on or off according to your

needs.

Chapter 12

VPN Server

The VPN (Virtual Private Networking) Server allows you to access your home network in
a secured way through internet when you are out of home. The router offers two ways
to setup VPN connection: OpenVPN and PPTP (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol) VPN.

OpenVPN is somewhat complex but with greater security and more stable. It is suitable
for restricted environment, such as campus network and company intranet.

PPTP VPN is more easily used and its speed is faster, it’s compatible with most
operating systems and also supports mobile devices. Its security is poor and your
packets may be cracked easily, and PPTP VPN connection may be prevented by some
ISP.

It contains the following sections, please choose the appropriate VPN server
connection type as needed.

• Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network

• Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network

62

Chapter 12

VPN Server

12. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network

In the OpenVPN connection, the home network can act as a server, and the remote
device can access the server through the router which acts as an OpenVPN Server
gateway. To use the VPN feature, you should enable OpenVPN Server on your router,
and install and run VPN client software on the remote device. Please follow the steps
below to set up an OpenVPN connection.

¾ Step1. Set up OpenVPN Server on Your Router

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > VPN Server > OpenVPN, and select Enable VPN Server.

Note:

• Before you enable VPN Server, we recommend you configure Dynamic DNS Service (recommended) or assign a

static IP address for router’s WAN port and synchronize your System Time with internet.

• The first time you configure the OpenVPN Server, you may need to Generate a certificate before you enable the VPN

Server.

3. Select the Servive Type (communication protocol) for OpenVPN Server: UDP, TCP.

4. Enter a VPN Service Port to which a VPN device connects, and the port number

should be between 1024 and 65535.

5. In the VPN Subnet/Netmask fields, enter the range of IP addresses that can be leased

to the device by the OpenVPN server.

63

Chapter 12

VPN Server

6. Select your Client Access type. Select Home Network Only if you only want the

remote device to access your home network; select Internet and Home Network if
you also want the remote device to access internet through the VPN Server.

7. Click Save.

8. Click Generate to get a new certificate.

Note:

If you have already generated one, please skip this step, or click Generate to update the certificate.

9. Click Export to save the OpenVPN configuration file which will be used by the remote

device to access your router.

¾ Step 2. Configure OpenVPN Connection on Your Remote Device

1. Visit http://openvpn.net/index.php/download/community-downloads.html to

download the OpenVPN software, and install it on your device where you want to run
the OpenVPN client utility.

Note:

You need to install the OpenVPN client utility on each device that you plan to apply the VPN funxtion to access your

router. Mobile devices should download a third-party app from Google Play or Apple App Store.

2. After the installation, copy the file exported from your router to the OpenVPN client

utility’s “config” folder (for example, C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config on Windows).
The path depends on where the OpenVPN client utility is installed.

3. Run the OpenVPN client utility and connect it to OpenVPN Server.

12. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network

PPTP VPN Server is used to create a VPN connection for remote device. To use the VPN
feature, you should enable PPTP VPN Server on your router, and configure the PPTP
connection on the remote device. Please follow the steps below to set up a PPTP VPN
connection.

¾ Step 1. Set up PPTP VPN Server on Your Router

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > VPN Server > PPTP VPN, and select Enable VPN Server.

64

Chapter 12

VPN Server

Note:

Before you enable VPN Server, we recommend you configure Dynamic DNS Service (recommended) or assign a static

IP address for router’s WAN port and synchronize your System Time with internet.

3. In the Client IP Address filed, enter the range of IP addresses (up to 10) that can be

leased to the devices by the PPTP VPN server.

4. Enter the Username and Password to authenticate clients to the PPTP VPN server.

5. Click Save.

¾ Step 2. Configure PPTP VPN Connection on Your Remote Device

The remote device can use the Windows built-in PPTP software or a third-party PPTP
software to connect to PPTP Server. Here we use the Windows built-in PPTP software
as an example.

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.

2. Select Set up a new connection or network.

3. Select Connect to a workplace and click Next.

65

Chapter 12

VPN Server

4. Select Use my Internet connection (VPN).

5. Enter the internet IP address of the router (for example: 218.18.1.73) in the Internet

address field. Click Next.

66

Chapter 12

VPN Server

6. Enter the User name and Password you have set for the PPTP VPN server on your

router, and click Connect.

7. The PPTP VPN connection is created and ready to use.

67

Chapter 12

VPN Server

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network
Settings

This chapter guides you on how to configure advanced network features.

It contains the following sections:

• Change the LAN Settings

• Set Up Link Aggregation

• Configure to Support IPTV Service

• Specify DHCP Server Settings

• Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account

• Create Static Routes

• Specify Wireless Settings

• Use WPS for Wireless Connection

• Schedule Your Wireless Function

69

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

13. 1. Change the LAN Settings

The router is preset with a default LAN IP 192.168.0.1, which you can use to log in to
its web management page. The LAN IP address together with the Subnet Mask also
defines the subnet that the connected devices are on. If the IP address conflicts with
another device on your local network or your network requires a specific IP subnet, you
can change it.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Network > LAN.

3. Type in a new IP Address appropriate to your needs. And leave the Subnet Mask as

the default settings.

4. Click Save.

Note:

If you have set the Virtual Server, DMZ or DHCP address reservation, and the new LAN IP address is not in the same

subnet with the old one, then you should reconfigure these features.

13. 2. Set Up Link Aggregation

The Link Aggregation feature combines two ports together to make a single
highbandwidth data path, thus sustaining a higher-speed and more stable wired
network.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for

the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Network > LAN.

70

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

3. Enable Link Aggregation.

4. Select aggregation Mode and Hash Algorithm.

5. Specify two ports for link aggregation.

6. Click Save.

13. 3. Configure to Support IPTV Service

Configure IPTV setup to enable Internet/IPTV/Phone service
provided by my internet service provider (ISP).

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Network > IPTV.

3. If your ISP provides the networking service based on IGMP
technology, e.g., British Telecom(BT) and Talk Talk in UK:

1 ) Check the box for IGMP Proxy and select the IGMP

Version, either V2 or V3, as required by your ISP.

2 ) Click Save.

3 ) After configuring IGMP proxy, IPTV can work behind your

router now. You can connect your set-top box to any of
the router’s Ethernet port.

If IGMP is not the technology your ISP applies to provide
IPTV service:

1 ) Tick Enable IPTV.

I want to:

How can
I do that?

71

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

2 ) Select the appropriate Mode according to your ISP.

• Select Bridge if your ISP is not listed and no other
parameters are required.

• Select Custom if your ISP is not listed but provides
necessary parameters.

3 ) After you have selected a mode, the necessary

parameters, including the LAN port for IPTV connection,
are predetermined. If not, select the LAN type to
determine which port is used to support IPTV service.

4 ) Click Save.

5 ) Connect the set-top box to the corresponding LAN port

which is predetermined or you have specified in Step 3.

Your IPTV setup is done now! You may need to configure your
set-top box before enjoying your TV.

Tips:

Qos and IPTV cannot be enabled at the same time.

13. 4. Specify DHCP Server Settings

By default, the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Server is enabled and
the router acts as a DHCP server; it dynamically assigns TCP/IP parameters to client
devices from the IP Address Pool. You can change the settings of the DHCP Server if
necessary, and you can reserve LAN IP addresses for specified client devices.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Network > DHCP Server.

¾ To specify the IP address that the router assigns:

Done!

72

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

1. Check the box for Enable DHCP Server.

2. Enter the starting and ending IP addresses in the IP Address Pool.

3. Enter other parameters if the ISP offers. The Default Gateway is automatically filled in
and is the same as the LAN IP address of the router.

4. Click Save.

¾ To reserve an IP address for a specified client device:

1. Click Add in the Address Reservation section.

2. Click Scan or enter the MAC address of the client device.

3. Enter the IP address to reserve for the client device.

4. Enter the Description for this entry.

5. Tick the Enable This Entry checkbox and click OK.

73

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

13. 5. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account

Most ISPs assign a dynamic IP address to the router and you can use this IP address
to access your router remotely. However, the IP address can change from time to time
and you don’t know when it changes. In this case, you might apply the DDNS (Dynamic
Domain Name Server) feature on the router to allow you and your friends to access your
router and local servers (FTP, HTTP, etc.) using a domain name without checking and
remembering the IP address.

Note:

DDNS does not work if the ISP assigns a private WAN IP address (such as 192.168.1.x) to the router.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Network > Dynamic DNS.

3. Select the DDNS Service Provider (TP-Link, NO-IP or DynDNS). It is recommended
to select TP-Link so that you can enjoy TP-Link’s superior DDNS service. Otherwise,
please select NO-IP or DynDNS. If you don’t have a DDNS account, you have to
register first by clicking Go to register.

Note:

To enjoy TP-Link’s DDNS service, you have to log in with a TP-Link ID. If you have not logged in with one, click Log in.

4. Click Register in the Domain Name List if you have chosen TP-Link, and enter the

Domain Name as needed.

74

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

If you have chosen NO-IP or DynDNS, enter the username, password and domain name
of your account.

5. Click Login and Save.

Tips:

If you want to use a new DDNS account, please click logout first, and then log in with a new account.

13. 6. Create Static Routes

Static routing is a form of routing that is configured manually by a network administrator
or a user by adding entries into a routing table. The manually-configured routing
information guides the router in forwarding data packets to the specific destination.

Visit multiple networks and servers at the same time.

For example, in a small office, my PC can surf the internet through

Router A, but I also want to visit my company’s network. Now I
have a switch and Router B. I connect the devices as shown in
the following figure so that the physical connection between my
PC and my company’s server is established. To surf the internet

I want to:

75

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

and visit my company’s network at the same time, I need to
configure the static routing.

Company’s server

PC

Router B

Router A

Switch

LAN: 192.168.0.1

192.168.0.100

LAN: 192.168.0.2

WAN: 172.30.30.100

172.30.30.1

1. Change the routers’ LAN IP addresses to two different IP
addresses on the same subnet. Disable Router B’s DHCP
function.

2. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or
the password you set for Router A.

3. Go to Network > Static Routing.

4. Click Add and finish the settings according to the following

explanations:

Network Destination: The destination IP address that you want

to assign to a static route. This IP address cannot be on the same
subnet with the WAN IP or LAN IP of Router A. In the example,
the IP address of the company network is the destination IP

How can
I do that?

76

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

address, so here enter 172.30.30.1.

Subnet Mask: Determines the destination network with the

destination IP address. If the destination is a single IP address,
enter 255.255.255.255; otherwise, enter the subnet mask of
the corresponding network IP. In the example, the destination
network is a single IP, so here enter 255.255.255.255.

Default Gateway: The IP address of the gateway device to which

the data packets will be sent. This IP address must be on the
same subnet with the router’s IP which sends out data. In the
example, the data packets will be sent to the LAN port of Router
B and then to the Server, so the default gateway should be

192.168.0.2.

Interface: Determined by the port (WAN/LAN) that sends out

data packets. In the example, the data are sent to the gateway
through the LAN port of Router A, so LAN should be selected.

Description: Enter a description for this static routing entry.

5. Click Save.

6. Check the System Routing Table below. If you can find the

entry you’ve set, the static routing is set successfully.

Open a web browser on your PC. Enter the company server’s IP
address to visit the company network.

13. 7. Specify Wireless Settings

The router’s wireless network name (SSID) and password, and security option are preset
in the factory. The preset SSID and password can be found on the label of the router.
You can customize the wireless settings according to your needs.

Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for the
router.

¾ To enable or disable the wireless function:

1. Go to Basic > Wireless.

Done!

77

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

2. The wireless radio is enabled by default. If you want to disable the wireless function of
the router, just uncheck the box for Enable Wireless Radio. In this case, all the wireless
settings will be invalid.

¾ To change the wireless network name (SSID) and wireless password:

1. Go to Basic > Wireless.

2. Create a new SSID in Network Name (SSID) and customize the password for the
network in Password. The value is case-sensitive.

Note:

If you change the wireless settings with a wireless device, you will be disconnected when the settings are effective.

Please write down the new SSID and password for future use.

¾ To hide SSID:

1. Go to Basic > Wireless.

2. Select Hide SSID, and your SSID won’t display when you scan for local wireless
networks on your wireless device and you need to manually join the network.

¾ To use the smart connect function

The smart connect function helps devices run faster by assigning them to best wireless
bands based on actual conditions to balance network demands.

1. Go to Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

2. Enable Smart Connect and click Save.

3. Keep the default or set a new SSID and password, and click Save. This SSID and
password will be applied both for 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks.

78

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

¾ To change the security option:

1. Go to Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

2. Select the wireless network 2.4GHz or 5GHz.

3. Select an option from the Security drop-down list. We recommend you don’t change
the default settings unless necessary. If you select other options, configure the
related parameters according to the help page.

In addition

• Mode - Select a transmission mode according to your wireless client devices. It is

recommended to just leave it as default.

• Channel Width - Select a channel width (bandwidth) for the wireless network.

• Channel - Select an operating channel for the wireless network. It is recommended

to leave the channel to Auto, if you are not experiencing the intermittent wireless
connection issue.

• Transmit Power - Select either High, Middle or Low to specify the data transmit power.

The default and recommended setting is High.

¾ To enable the Airtime Fairness feature

The Airtime Fairness feature can improve the overall network performace by sacrificing
a little bit of network time on your slow devices. Enable Airtime Fairness when you wish
to sacrifice some of the networking time from the slow devices, so that your faster
devices can achieve better quality of service.

For example, you have a gaming computer next to the router in the living room, and a
slower family computer upstairs. Enable the airtime fairness feature so that your gaming
computer can perform as optimally as possible.

1. Go to Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

2. Select the wireless network 2.4GHz or 5GHz.

3. Tick the Enable Airtime Fairness checkbox.

4. Click Save.

13. 8. Use WPS for Wireless Connection

You can use WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) feature to add a new wireless device to your
existing network quickly.

13. 8. 1. Method 1: Use the WPS Button

Use this method if your client device has a WPS button.

1. Press the WPS button of the router for 1 second.

79

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

2. Press the WPS button of the client device directly.

3. The WPS LED flashes for about 2 minutes during the WPS process.

4. When the WPS LED is on, the client device has successfully connected to the router.

13. 8. 2. Method 2: Use the WPS Button on the Web Management Page

Use this method if your client device has a WPS button.

1. Visit http://tplinkmodem.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set
for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Wireless > WPS.

3. Click Start WPS.

4. Press the WPS button of the client device directly.

5. The WPS LED of the router flashes for about 2 minutes during the WPS process.

6. When the WPS LED is on, the client device has successfully connected to the router.

13. 8. 3. Method 3: Enter the Router’s PIN on Your Client Device

Use this method if your client device asks for the router’s PIN.

1. Visit http://tplinkmodem.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set
for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Wireless > WPS. Click Method Two--PIN.

3. Take a note of the router’s PIN. You can also click Generate to get a new PIN.

80

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

4. On the client device, enter the router’s PIN. (The default PIN is also printed on the
label of the router.)

5. The WPS LED flashes for about two minutes during the WPS process.

6. When the WPS LED is on, the client device has successfully connected to the router.

Note:

The WPS function cannot be configured if the wireless function of the modem router is disabled. Please make sure the

wireless function is enabled before configuring the WPS.

13. 8. 4. Method 4: Enter the Client Device’s PIN on the Router

1. Visit http://tplinkmodem.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set
for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Wireless > WPS. Click Method Two--PIN.

3. Select Client’s PIN.

4. Enter the client device’s PIN in the field. Then click the Connect button.

5. Connect successfully will appear on the above screen, which means the client device
has successfully connected to the router.

13. 9. Schedule Your Wireless Function

This feature allows you to turn off the wireless netowrks at a specific time automatically
when you do not need the wireless connection.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Schedule.

3. Toggle on the button to enable the Wireless Schedule feature.

81

Chapter 13

Customize Your Network Settings

4. Click Add to set the Wireless Off Time, and click Save.

5. Repeat Step 3 and 4 to set another entry if needed.

Note:

• Make sure that the time of the router is correct before applying this function. For details, refer to Set Up System Time.

• The wireless LEDs (2.4GHz and 5GHz) will be off if the wireless schedule takes effect.

• The wireless network(s) will be automatically turned on after the time period you have set.

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

This chapter will show you the configuration for managing and maintaining your router.

It contains the following sections:

• Set Up System Time

• Control LEDs

• Test the Network Connectivity

• Set Up Port Mirroring

• Upgrade the Firmware

• Backup and Restore Configuration Settings

• Change the Administrator Account

• Default Password Recovery

• Local Management

• Remote Management

• System Log

83

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

14. 1. Set Up System Time

System time is the time displayed while the router is running. The system time you
configure here will be used for other time-based functions like Parental Controls. You
can choose the way to obtain the system time as needed.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Time Settings.

3. If you want the time to be displayed in 24-hour format, toggle on the 24-Hour Time
button.

¾ To get time from the Internet:

1. In the Set Time field, select Get from the Internet.

2. Select your local Time Zone from the drop-down list.

3. In the NTP Server I fileld, enter the IP address or domain name of your desired NTP
Server.

4. (Optional) In the NTP Server II fileld, enter the IP address or domain name of the
second NTP Server.

5. Click Obtain to get the current internet time and click Save.

¾ To get time from PC

1. In the Set Time field, select Get from PC.

2. The current system time and date of your PC will display below. Click Save.

Tips:

Make sure the time on your PC is correct if you want to get the PC’s system time.

84

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

¾ To manually set the time:

1. In the Set Time field, select Manually.

2. Set the current Date (In MM/DD/YYYY format).

3. Set the current Time (In HH/MM/SS format).

4. Click Save.

¾ To set up Daylight Saving Time:

1. Select Enable Daylight Saving Time.

85

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

2. Select the correct Start date and time when daylight saving time starts at your local
time zone.

3. Select the correct End date and time when daylight saving time ends at your local
time zone.

4. Click Save.

14. 2. Control LEDs

The router‘s LEDs indicate router’s activities and status. You can turn on or turn off the
LEDs either from the web management page or by pressing the LED button.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > LED Control.

3. Tick the Night Mode checkbox.

4. Specify a time period in the LED Off Time as needed, and the LEDs will be off during
this period.

5. Click Save.

14. 3. Test the Network Connectivity

Diagnostics is used to test the connectivity between the router and the host or other
network devices.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Diagnostics.

86

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

3. Enter the information with the help of page tips:

1 ) Choose Ping or Traceroute as the diagnostic tool to test the connectivity;

• Ping is used to test the connectivity between the router and the tested host,
and measure the round-trip time.

• Traceroute is used to display the route (path) your router has passed to reach
the tested host, and measure transit delays of packets across an Internet
Protocol network.

2 ) Enter the IP Address or Domain Name of the tested host.

4. Click Start to begin the diagnostics.

Tips:

Click Advanced, you can modify the ping count, ping packet size or the Traceroute Max TTL. It’s recommended to keep

the default value.

The figure below indicates the proper connection between the router and the Yahoo
server (www.Yahoo.com) tested through Ping.

The figure below indicates the proper connection between the router and the Yahoo
server (www.Yahoo.com) tested through Traceroute.

87

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

14. 4. Set Up Port Mirroring

Port Mirroring refers to the process of forwarding copies of packets from a mirrored port
to a mirroring port. Usually, the mirroring port is connected to a data diagnose device,
which is used to analyze the mirrored packets for monitoring and troubleshooting the
network.

¾ To forward copies of packets to the designated port:

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Diagnostics, and focue on the Port Mirroring
section.

3. Enable Port Mirroring.

4. Select the desired port(s) as Source Port(s).

5. Select a desired port as Target Port.

6. Click Save.

Note:

A port cannot be set as the Source Port and the Target Port simultaneously.

14. 5. Upgrade the Firmware

TP-Link aims at providing better network experience for users.

We will inform you throught the web management page if there’s any update firmware
available for your router. Also, the latest firmware will be released at the TP-Link official
website www.tp-link.com, and you can download it from the Support page for free.

Note:

• Make sure you remove all attached USB devices from the router before the firmware upgrade to prevent data loss.

• Backup your router configuration before firmware upgrade.

• Do NOT turn off the router during the firmware upgrade.

88

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

14. 5. 1. Online Upgrade

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. When the latest firmware is available for your router, the update icon will display
in the top-right corner of the page. Click the icon to go to the Firmware Upgrade page.

Alternatively, you can go to Advanced > System Tools > Firmware Upgrade, and click

Check for upgrade to see whether the latest firmware is released.

3. Focus on the Online Upgrade section, and click Upgrade.

4. Wait a few minutes for the upgrade and reboot to complete.

Tips:

If there’s a new and important firmware update for your router, you will see the notification (similar as shown below) on

your computer as long as a web browser is opened. Click Upgrade now, and log into the web management page with the

username and password you set for the router. You will see the Firmware Upgrade page.

14. 5. 2. Local Upgrade

1. Download the latest firmware file for the router from www.tp-link.com.

2. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

3. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Firmware Upgrade.

89

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

4. Focus on the Device Information section. Make sure the downloaded firmware file is
matched with the Hardware Version.

5. Focus on the Local Upgrade section. Click Browse to locate the downloaded new
firmware file, and click Upgrade.

6. Wait a few minutes for the upgrade and reboot to complete.

14. 5. 3. Restore Interrupted Upgrade after Power Failure

If your router cannot start up after an upgrade interruption due to power failure, follow
the steps below to restore the interrupted upgrade. Otherwise, your router cannot work
again.

1. Make sure you have the latest firmware file in your computer. If not, try another way
to connect your computer to the Internet and download the latest firmware file from

www.tp-link.com.

2. Connect your computer to the router with an Ethernet cable.

3. Visit 192.168.0.1 and you will see the following upgrade page.

4. Click Browse and select the downloaded firmware file.

5. Click Upgrade and wait for a few minutes until the router completes the upgrading
and restarts.

14. 6. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings

The configuration settings are stored as a configuration file in the router. You can
backup the configuration file to your computer for future use and restore the router to
a previous settings from the backup file when needed. Moreover, if necessary you can
erase the current settings and reset the router to the default factory settings.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

90

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Backup & Restore.

¾ To backup configuration settings:

Click Backup to save a copy of the current settings to your local computer. A ‘.bin’ file of
the current settings will be stored to your computer.

¾ To restore configuration settings:

1. Click Browse to locate the backup configuration file stored on your computer, and
click Restore.

2. Wait a few minutes for the restoring and rebooting.

Note: During the restoring process, do not turn off or reset the router.

¾ To reset the router except your login password and bound TP-Link ID:

1. Click Restore under the Factory Default Restore session.

2. Wait a few minutes for the resetting and rebooting.

Note:

• During the resetting process, do not turn off the router.

• After reset, you can still use the current login password or the TP-Link ID to log in to the web management page.

¾ To reset the router to factory default settings:

1. Click Factory Restore to reset the router.

91

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

2. Wait a few minutes for the resetting and rebooting.

Note:

• During the resetting process, do not turn off or reset the router.

• We strongly recommend you backup the current configuration settings before resetting the router.

14. 7. Change the Administrator Account

The account management feature allows you to change your login password of the web
management page.

Note:

If you are using a TP-Link ID to log in to the web management page, the account management feature will be disabled.

To manage the TP-Link ID, go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with the password you set for the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Administration and focus on the Account

Management section.

3. Enter the old password, then a new password twice (both case-sensitive). Click Save.

4. Use the new password for future logins.

14. 8. Default Password Recovery

This feature allows you to recover the login password you set for you router in case you
forget it.

Note:

If you are using a TP-Link ID to log in to the web management page, the Password Recovery feature will be disabled. To

manage the TP-Link ID, go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with the password you set for the router.

92

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Administration and focus on the Default Password

Recovery section.

3. Check the box for Enable Default Password Recovery.

4. Specify a mailbox (From) for sending the recovery letter and enter its SMTP Server
address. Specify a mailbox (To) for receiving the recovery letter. If the mailbox (From)
to send the recovery letter requires encryption, select Enable Authentication and
enter its username and password.

Tips:

• SMTP server is available for users in most webmail systems. For example, the SMTP server address of Gmail is

smtp.gmail.com. You can refer to their Help page to learn the SMTP server address.

• Generally, Enable Authentication should be selected if the login of the mailbox requires username and

password.

5. Click Save.

You can click Test Email to test whether the configuration is successful.

To recover the login password, please visit http://tplinkwifi.net, click Forgot Password?
on the login page and follow the instructions to set a new password.

14. 9. Local Management

This feature allows you to limit the number of client devices on your LAN from accessing
the router by using the MAC address-based authentication.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Administration and complete the settings In Local

Management section as needed.

¾ Allow all LAN connected devices to manage the router:

93

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

Toggle on Access for All LAN Connected Devices.

¾ Allow specific devices to manage the router:

1. Toggle off Access for All LAN Connected Devices.

2. Click Add.

3. Click Scan and select the device to manage the router from the Existing Devices list,
or enter the MAC address of the device manually.

4. Specify a Description for this entry.

5. Tick the Enable This Entry checkbox.

6. Click Save.

14. 10. Remote Management

This feature allows you to control remote devices’ authority to manage the router.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Administration and complete the settings in

Remote Management section as needed.

94

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

¾ Forbid all devices to manage the router remotely:

Select Disable Remote Management and click Save.

¾ Allow all devices to manage the router remotely:

1. Select Enable Remote Management for All Devices.

2. Enter Web Management Port (1024-65535 or 80).

3. Click Save.

Devices on the Internet can log in to http://Router’s WAN IP address:port number (such
as http://113.116.60.229:1024) to manage the router.

Tips:

• You can find the WAN IP address of the router on Basic > Network Maps > Internet.

• The router’s WAN IP is usually a dynamic IP. Please refer to Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account if you want to log

in to the router through a domain name.

¾ Allow specific devices to manage the router remotely:

1. Select Enable Remote Management for Specified Devices.

2. Enter Web Management Port (1024-65535 or 80).

3. In Remote Management IP address, enter the IP address of the remote device to
manage the router.

4. Click Save.

Devices using this WAN IP can manage the router by logging in to http://Router’s WAN

IP:port number (such as http://113.116.60.229:1024).

Tips:

The router’s WAN IP is usually a dynamic IP. Please refer to Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account if you want to log in

to the router through a domain name.

14. 11. System Log

When the router does not work normally, you can save the system log and send it to the
technical support for troubleshooting.

95

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

¾ To save the system log in local:

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in your TP-Link ID or the password you set for the
router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > System Log.

3. Choose the type and level of the system logs as needed.

4. Click Save Log to save the system logs to local.

¾ To send the system log to a mailbox at a fixed time:

For example, I want to check my router’s working status at a fixed time every day,

however, it’s too troublesome to log in to the web management page every time I want
to go checking. It would be great if the system logs could be sent to my mailbox at 8
a.m. every day.

1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.

2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > System Log.

3. Click Mail Settings.

4. Enter the information required:

96

Chapter 14

Manage the Router

1 ) From: Enter the email address used for sending the system log.

2 ) To: Enter the recipient’s email address, which can be the same as or different

from the sender’s email address.

3 ) SMTP Server: Enter the SMTP server address.

Tips: SMTP server is available for users in most webmail systems. For example, the SMTP server address of

Hotmail is smtp-mail.outlook.com. You can refer to their Help page to learn the SMTP server address.

4 ) Select Enable Authentication.

Tips: Generally, Enable Authentication should be selected if the login of the mailbox requires username and

password.

5 ) Username: Enter the email address used for sending the system log.

6 ) Password: Enter the password to login the sender’s email address.

7 ) Select Enable Auto Mail.

Tips: The router will send the system log to the designated email address if this option is enabled.

8 ) Set a fixed time. The recipient will receive the system log sent at this time every

day.

5. Click Save.