Tp-Link ARCHER AX11000 User Manual

User Guide

AX11000 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Gaming Router

Archer AX11000

REV1.1.0 1910012637

Contents

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

Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. 1. Product Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1. 2. Panel Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1. 2. 1. Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1. 2. 2. The Side and Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2. Connect the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

2. 1. Position Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2. 2. Connect Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 3. Log In to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 4. Set Up Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4. 2. Quick Setup via Bluetooth with TP-Link Tether App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4. 3. Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

4. 4. Set Up the Router as an Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

4. 5. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Chapter 5. TP-Link Cloud Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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

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

5. 3. Manage the User TP-Link IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

5. 3. 1. Add TP-Link ID to Manage the Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

5. 3. 2. Remove TP-Link ID(s) from Managing the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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

Chapter 6. Guest Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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

6. 2. Customize Guest Network Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 7. USB Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

7. 1. Access the USB Storage Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

7. 1. 1. Access the USB Device Locally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

7. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

7. 1. 3. Customize the Access Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

7. 2. Media Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

7. 3. Time Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 8. HomeCareTM – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus. . . . . . . . . 41

8. 1. Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

8. 1. 1. Scenario 1: Setting Up Access Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

8. 1. 2. Scenario 2: Monitoring Internet Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

8. 2. QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

8. 3. Antivirus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Chapter 9. Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

9. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

9. 2. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

9. 3. IP & MAC Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Chapter 10. NAT Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

10. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Port Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

10. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

10. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

10. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Chapter 11. VPN Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

11. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

11. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Chapter 12. Customize Your Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

12. 1. Change the LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

12. 2. Set Up Link Aggregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

12. 3. Configure to Support IPTV Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

12. 4. Specify DHCP Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

12. 5. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

12. 6. Create Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

12. 7. Specify Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

12. 8. Schedule Your Wireless Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

12. 9. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

12. 9. 1. Connect via the Client’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

12. 9. 2. Connect via the Router’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

12. 9. 3. Push the WPS Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

12. 10. Use WDS to Extend Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

12. 11. Advanced Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Chapter 13. Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

13. 1. Upgrade the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

13. 1. 1. Online Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

13. 1. 2. Local Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

13. 2. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

13. 3. Change the Login Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

13. 4. Password Recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

13. 5. Local Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

13. 6. Remote Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

13. 7. System Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

13. 8. Test the Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

13. 9. Set Up System Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

13. 10. Set the Router to Reboot Regularly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

13. 11. Control the LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

13. 12. Test Your Internet Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Chapter 14. Game Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

14. 1. Check Key Parameters through Dashboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

14. 2. Boost Game Speed through Game Accelerator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

14. 3. TP-Link Router Skill for Alexa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

14. 4. IFTTT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

14. 5. Game Protector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

14. 6. VPN Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

14. 7. Port Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

14. 8. Game Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

FAQ ............................................................................................................................. 109

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.

Note: Features available in the router may vary by model and software version. Router
availability may also vary by region or ISP. All images, steps, and descriptions in this
guide are only examples and may not reflect your actual Router experience.

Conventions

In this guide the following conventions are used:

Convention Description

Underlined

Teal

>

Note:

Tips:

symbols on the web

page

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

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 > WDS means the WDS function page is under
the Wireless menu that is located in the Advanced tab.

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

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

•

Click to edit the corresponding entry.

Click to delete the corresponding entry.

•

Click to view more information about items on the page.

•

*Maximum wireless signal rates are the physical rates derived from IEEE Standard

802.11 specifications. Actual wireless data throughput and wireless coverage are
not guaranteed and will vary as a result of 1) environmental factors, including building
materials, physical objects, and obstacles, 2) network conditions, including local
interference, volume and density of traffic, product location, network complexity, and
network overhead, and 3) client limitations, including rated performance, location,
connection, quality, and client condition.

*Use of MU-MIMO and 1024-QAM requires clients to also support those functions.

More Info

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

https://www.tp-link.com/support/download/.

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

1

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

TP-Link Community is provided for you to discuss our products and share knowledge at

https://community.tp-link.com.

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

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

2

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

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.

The revolutionary OFDMA is introduced to improve average throughput by 4× and cut
the latency. Powerful gaming features ensure your gaming stays immersive, and keep
your network as fast as your reaction speed

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. Top View

The router’s LED is located on the top. You can check the router’s working status by
following the LED Explanation table.

4

Chapter 1

LED Explanation

Name Status Indication

Get to Know About Your Router

Pulsing
orange

Solid white The router is working normally.

Solid red No internet connection.

Solid

orange

Pulsing

white

Off Power is off or the LED is turned off.

The system is starting up.

The router is connected to the internet, but the Wi-Fi is off.

The firmware is being upgraded, WPS connection is being
established or the router is being reset. Do not disconnect or
power off your router.

1. 2. 2. The Side and Back Panel

5

Chapter 1

Get to Know About Your Router

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

Item Description

USB 3.0 Ports

(Type A + Type C)

Reset Button

2.5 Giga WAN Port For connecting to a DSL/Cable modem, or an Ethernet jack.

Ethernet Ports For connecting your PC or other wired devices to the router.

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

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

For connecting your USB storage devices to the router.

Use a pin to press and hold this button until the LED blinks to reset the router
to its factory default settings.

Button Description

Name Description

Press this WPS button, and immediately press the WPS button on your client

(WPS Button)

(Wi-Fi Button)

(LED Button)

device. The
on, indicating successful WPS connection.

Press the Wi-Fi button to turn on or off the wireless function of your router.

Press the LED button to turn on or off the LEDs of your router.

LED of the router should change from pulsing white to solid

6

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Position Your Router

• Connect Your Router

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

2. 1. Position Your Router

• The router 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 interference, such as
Bluetooth devices, cordless phones and microwaves.

2. 2. Connect Your Router

Before you start, please turn off your modem if any, and remove the backup battery if it
has one. And hold the antennas from the base as shown below and install them

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 2.5
Giga WAN port, and then follow step 3 to complete the hardware connection.

1

Internet

3

2

8

Chapter 2

Connections are available

Wireless Network Connection

Connect the Hardware

1. Connect the modem to your router’s 2.5 Giga WAN port with an Ethernet cable.

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

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

4. Verify that the

LED is solid on (red or white) before moving on.

5. Connect your computer to the router.

• Method 1: Wired

Turn off the Wi-Fi on your computer and connect your computer to the router with an
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.

Computer Smart Device

Wi-Fi

TP-Link_XXXX

TP-Link_XXXX_5G

TP-Link_XXXX_5G_Gaming

√

Connect automatically Connect

or

< Settings

Wi-Fi

CHOOSE A NETWORK...

TP-Link_XXXX

TP-Link_XXXX_5G

TP-Link_XXXX_5G_Gaming

Other...

• 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 ) Tap the WPS icon on the device’s screen. Here we take an Android phone for

instance.

2 ) Within two minutes, press the

button on your router.

9

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

WLAN

On

TP-Link_2017

TP-Link_Home

My Home

My Network

Home Network

TP-Link_Network

TP-Link_Test

4G

close to

10

Chapter 3

Log In to Your Router

Chapter 3

Log In to Your Router

With a web-based utility, it is easy to configure and manage the router. The web-based
utility can be used on any Windows, Mac OS or UNIX OS with a web browser, such as
Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari.

Follow the steps below to log in to your router.

1. Set up the TCP/IP Protocol in Obtain an IP address automatically mode on your

computer.

2. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and create a login password for secure management

purposes. Then click Let’s Get Started to log in.

Note:

• If the login window does not appear, please refer to the FAQ Section.

• 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.

12

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

• Quick Setup via Bluetooth with TP-Link Tether App

• Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection

• Set Up the Router as an Access Point

• Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard

The Quick Setup Wizard will guide you 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. Follow the step-by-step instructions to complete Quick Setup configuration or go

to Advanced > Quick Setup for configuration to connect your router to the internet.

3. To enjoy a more complete service from TP-Link (remote management, TP-Link DDNS,

and more), log in with your TP-Link ID or click Sign Up 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 SKIP 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. Quick Setup via Bluetooth with TP-Link Tether

App

TP-Link Tether lets you set up the router via Bluetooth, avioding the hassle of rejoining
the configured wireless network.

1. Launch the Apple App Store or Google Play store and search “TP-Link Tether” or

simply scan the QR code to download and install the app.

14

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

OR

2. Enable your phone’s Bluetooth (and location for Android).

iOS Android

3. Launch the Tether app.

4. Tap the button on the upright corner and then select TP-Link AX11000 and follow

the steps to set up the internet connection.

Choose your device type

Router

Range Extender

Archer AX11000
Archer C5400X

5. Connect your devices to the newly configured wireless networks of the router and

enjoy the internet!

4. 3. 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 Internet.

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

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Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

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.

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Set Up Internet Connection

4 ) If you choose L2TP, enter the Username and Password and choose the

secondary connection (Dynamic IP or Static IP) 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 (Dynamic IP or Static IP) provided by your ISP. Different
parameters are needed according to the secondary connection you have
chosen.

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Set Up Internet Connection

5. Click SAVE .

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. 4. 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 > System > Operation Mode, select Access Point Mode and click

SAVE . The router will reboot and switch to Access Point mode.

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Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

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

4. Connect to the Wi-Fi of the router and log in again to the web management page

http://tplinkwifi.net, and go to Advanced > Quick Setup.

5. Configure your wireless settings and click Next.

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

Tips: Functions, such as Parental Controls, QoS and NAT Forwarding, are not supported in the Access Point mode.

4. 5. 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, 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.

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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 SAV E .

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

server. Click Advanced Settings 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 untick the PPPoE

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

connection.

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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 SAV E and skip to Step 6.

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Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

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 SAV E .

6. Click Status to check whether you have successfully set up an IPv6 connection.

Tips: Visit the FAQ section if there is no internet connection.

22

Chapter 5

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. 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

Chapter 5

TP-Link Cloud Service

5. 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 Advanced > TP-Link ID or click TP-Link ID on the very top of the page.

3. Click Sign Up and follow the instructions to register a TP-Link ID.

4. After activating your TP-Link ID, come back to the TP-Link ID 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.

• Once you have registered a TP-Link ID on the web management page, you can only register another TP-Link ID via the

Tether APP. Please refer to Manage the Router via the TP-Link Tether App to install the app.

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

Device Information section.

5. 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 Advanced > TP-Link ID, and focus on the Account Information section.

• 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.

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Chapter 5

TP-Link Cloud Service

• To change your password:

1. Click

behind the Password.

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

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Chapter 5

TP-Link Cloud Service

5. 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.

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

5. 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 Advanced > TP-Link ID, and focus on the Bound Accounts section.

3. Click

Note: If you need another TP-Link ID, please register a new one via the Tether app. Refer to Manage the Router via the

TP-Link Tether App to install the app and register a new TP-Link ID.

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

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

5. 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 Advanced > TP-Link ID, and focus on the Bound Accounts section.

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Chapter 5

TP-Link Cloud Service

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

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

The Tether app runs on iOS and Android devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

1. Launch the Apple App Store or Google Play store and search “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 you set for the router.

4. Manage your router as needed.

Note: If you need to remotely access your router from your smart devices, you need to:

• Log in with your TP-Link ID. If you don’t have one, refer to Register a TP-Link ID.

• Make sure your smartphone or tablet can access the internet with cellular data or a Wi-Fi network.

27

Chapter 6

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

Chapter 6

Guest Network

6. 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 > Wireless > Guest Network or click Wireless on the top page and

locate the Guest Network section.

3. Create a guest network as needed.

1 ) Tick the Enable checkbox for the 2.4GHz/5GHz-1/5GH-2 wireless 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, and customize your own password.

4. Click SAV E. Now your guests can access your guest network using the SSID and

password you set!

Tips: To view guest network information, go to Network Map, click the product picture and locate the Guest Network

section. You can turn on or off the guest network function, or click to transfer to the Guest Network page for

more settings.

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Chapter 6

Guest Network

6. 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 > Wireless > Guest Network. Locate the Guest Permissions section.

3. Customize guest network options according to your needs.

• Allow guests to see each other

Tick this checkbox 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.

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Guest Network

• Allow guests to access my local network

Tick this checkbox 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!

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Chapter 7

USB Settings

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

The router supports USB external flash drives and hard drives.

It contains the following sections:

• Access the USB Storage Device

• Media Sharing

• Time Machine

Chapter 7

USB Settings

7. 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> USB Storage Device > Device Settings and click Remove.

7. 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

Go to Computer > Network, then click the Network Server Name (TP-

SHARE by default) in the Computer section.

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

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Chapter 7

Windows

computer

USB Settings

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

1 ) Select Go > Connect to Server.

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

3 ) Click Connect.

Mac

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

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.

Use a third-party app for network files management.

7. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely

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

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Chapter 7

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 > USB Storage Device.

3. Tick the Internet FTP checkbox, and then click SAV E .

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

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Chapter 7

Computer

USB Settings

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

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

Use a third-party app for network files management.

7. 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 > USB Storage Device.

• To customize the address of the USB disk:

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

1. In the Access Method section, make sure Samba for Windows is ticked, and enter a

Network/Media Server Name as you like, such as MyShare, then click SAV E .

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USB Settings

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

MyShare (for Mac).

• To only share specific content:

Focus on the File Sharing section and specify sharing folders and click SAVE .

• 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.

In the File Sharing section, enable Secure Sharing. The default accounts are admin and
visit. Click

to customize the username and a password.

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Chapter 7

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.

• 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:.

USB Settings

7. 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 inserted into the router, your DLNA-supported devices (such

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

2. Enable Media Sharing.

3. Refer to the following table for detailed instructions.

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Chapter 7

Windows

Computer

• Go to Computer > Network, then click the Media Server Name (Model

number-share by default) in the Media Devices section.

Note: Here we take Windows 7 as an example.

USB Settings

Tablet

• Use a third-party DLNA-supported player.

7. 3. 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 > Time Machine.

3. Tick the checkbox to enable Time Machine.

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Chapter 7

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

5. Set the Storage Limit for Backups.

Note: 0 means no limit for the space.

6. Click SAVE .

USB Settings

40

Chapter 8

TM

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

Chapter 8

HomeCareTM – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

8. 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.

8. 1. 1. Scenario 1: Setting Up Access Restrictions

I want to:

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 7 AM)
on school nights (from Thunday to Thursday).

How can I do that?

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 > HomeCare >Parental Controls or Game Center > Game Protector

>Parental Controls.

3. Click

4. Add basic profile information.

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

2 ) Under Devices, click

to create a profile for a family member.

.

3 ) Select the devices that belong to this family member. Access restrictions will be

applied to these devices. Click ADD when finished.

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.

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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 Category Filter list.

2 ) If needed, you can edit the blocked content by selecting the categories in the

Category Filter list.

3 ) You can also block a specific website or application using the Keyword

Filter. Enter a keyword (for example, “Facebook”) or a URL (for example,

“www.facebook.com”).

4 ) Click NEXT.

6. Set time restrictions on internet access.

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HomeCareTM – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

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 School Nights 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 .

Note: The effective time limits are based on the time of the router. You can go to Advanced > System > Time &

Language to modify the time.

Done!

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

8. 1. 2. Scenario 2: Monitoring Internet Usage

I want to:

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

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HomeCareTM – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

How can I do that?

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 > HomeCare >Parental Controls or Game Center > Game Protector

> 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 Add, 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 History to view a complete history.

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

Done!

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

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HomeCareTM – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

8. 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.

I want to:

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

How can I do that

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 > HomeCare > QoS.

3. If you already run a speed test and get the bandwidth value, just skip to step 4. If not,

click the edit button
test to get the value or manually enter the bandwidth provided by your internet
service provider.

to set the total bandwidth. You can choose to run a speed

4. It’s recommended to keep the Speed Test result, but if you think the QoS rule you

set does not achieve the expected result, you can manually set the upload and

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Chapter 8

5. Click Gaming to prioritize this online activity. The default is Standard, with no

6. Go to Game Center > Dashboard and locate the Device Priority section. Find your

download bandwidth to be a little bit lower than the value measured through Speed
Test.

application prioritized.

computer and toggle on Device Priority. Click the entry in the Timing column and
select 2 hours as the duration you want the device to be prioritized for.

HomeCareTM – Parental Controls, QoS, Antivirus

Done!

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

8. 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.

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• Intrusion Prevention System

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.

• 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 Advanced > HomeCare > Antivirus or Game Center > Game Protector >

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.

48

Chapter 9

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

Chapter 9

Network Security

9. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks

The SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) Firewall protects the router from cyber attacks
and validate the traffic that is passing through the router based on the protocol. This
function is enabled by default.

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. It’s recommended to keep the default settings.

9. 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).

I want to:

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

How can I do that?

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

list.

To block specific device(s):

1 ) Select Blacklist.

2 ) Click .

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Network Security

3 ) Select devices you want to be blocked and Click ADD.

4 ) The Operation Succeeded message will appear on the screen, which means the

selected devices have been successfully added to the blacklist.

To allow specific device(s):

1 ) Select Whitelist and click SAVE in the lower page.

2 ) Your own device is in the whitelist by default and cannot be deleted. Click

to add other devices to the whitelist.

• Add connected devices

1 ) Click Select From Device List.

2 ) Select the devices you want to be allowed and click ADD.

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Network Security

3 ) The Operation Succeeded message will appear on the screen, which means the

selected devices have been successfully added to the whitelist.

• Add unconnected devices

1 ) Click Add Manually.

2 ) Enter the Device Name and MAC Address of the device you want to be allowed

and click ADD.

3 ) The Operation Succeeded message will appear on the screen, which means the

device has been successfully added to the whitelist.

Done!

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

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9. 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.

I want to:

Prevent ARP spoofing and ARP attacks.

How can I do that?

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):

1 ) Click

2 ) Click VIEW CONNECTED DEVICES and select the device you want to bind. The

MAC Address and IP Address fields will be automatically filled in.

in the Binding List section.

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3 ) Click SAVE .

To bind the unconnected device:

Network Security

1 ) Click

in the Binding List section.

2 ) Enter the MAC Address and IP Address that you want to bind.

3 ) Click SAVE .

Done!

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

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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 Port Forwarding, Port Triggering, UPNP
and DMZ.

It contains the following sections:

• Share Local Resources on the Internet by Port Forwarding

• Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering

• Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ

• Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP

Chapter 10

NAT Forwarding

10. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Port

Forwarding

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

Port Forwarding 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.

I want to:

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 Router

INTERNET

WAN: 218.18.232.154LANHome

How can I do that?

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 > Port Forwarding or Game Center > Port

Forwarding.

4. Click

.

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5. Click VIEW COMMON SERVICES and select HTTP. The External Port, Internal Port

and Protocol will be automatically filled in.

6. Click VIEW CONNECTED DEVICES and select your home PC. The Device IP

Address will be automatically filled in. Or enter the PC’s IP address 192.168.0.100

manually in the Device IP Address field.

7. Click SAV E .

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 common services list, you can enter the corresponding parameters

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

• You can add multiple port forwarding rules if you want to provide several services in a router. Please note that the

External Port should not be overlapped.

Done!

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.

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10. 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

3. Click VIEW COMMON SERVICES, and select the desired application. The Triggering

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

picture takes application MSN Gaming Zone as an example.

.

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4. Click SAVE .

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.

10. 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.

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.

I want to:

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.

How can I do that?

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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. Click VIEW CONNECTED DEVICES and select your PC. The Device IP

Address will be automatically filled in. Or enter the PC’s IP address 192.168.0.100

manually in the DMZ Host IP Address field.

5. Click SAV E .

Done!

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.

10. 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.

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.

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XBOX

Router

NAT Forwarding

LAN WAN

Internet

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.

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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

Chapter 11

VPN Server

11. 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.

INTERNET

Remote DeviceHome Network Router

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 or Game Center > VPN Server > OpenVPN,

and tick the Enable box of 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.

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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.

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 function 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.

11. 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.

Step 1. Set up PPTP VPN Server on Your Router

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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 or Game Center > VPN Server >PPTP, and tick

the Enable box of PPTP.

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 field, enter the range of IP addresses (up to 10) that can be

leased to the devices by the PPTP VPN server.

4. Set the PPTP connection permission according to your needs.

• Select Allow Samba (Network Place) access to allow your VPN device to access
your local Samba server.

• Select Allow NetBIOS passthrough to allow your VPN device to access your
Samba server using NetBIOS name.

• Select Allow Unencrypted connections to allow unencrypted connections to
your VPN server.

5. Click SAVE .

6. Configure the PPTP VPN connection account for the remote device. You can create
up to 16 accounts.

1 ) Click .

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2 ) Enter the Username and Password to authenticate devices to the PPTP VPN

Server.

3 ) Click ADD.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

• Schedule Your Wireless Function

• Use WPS for Wireless Connection

• Use WDS to Extend Network

• Advanced Wireless Settings

Chapter 12

Customize Your Network Settings

12. 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 Port Forwarding, 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.

12. 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.

3. Enable Link Aggregation. The router will reboot to apply the settings and the LAN
ports 2 and 3 will be used for Link Aggregation.

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12. 3. Configure to Support IPTV Service

I want to:

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

How can I do that?

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/VLAN.

3. If your ISP provides the networking service based on IGMP technology, e.g., British

Telecom(BT) and Talk Talk in UK:

1 ) Tick the IGMP Proxy checkbox 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/VLAN.

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.

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3 ) After you have selected a mode, the necessary parameters, including the LAN

4 ) Click SAVE .

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

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

or you have specified in Step 3.

Customize Your Network Settings

Done!

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

12. 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.

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• To specify the IP address that the router assigns:

1. Tick the Enable checkbox.

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.

Customize Your Network Settings

4. Click SAVE .

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

1. Click Add in the Address Reservation section.

2. Click VIEW CONNECTED DEVICES and select the you device you want to reserve an
IP for. Then the MAC Address will be automatically filled in. Or enter the MAC address
of the client device.

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

4. Click SAVE .

12. 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

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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 Register Now.

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 selected TP-Link, and enter the

Domain Name as needed.

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

5. Click SAVE .

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

12. 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.

I want to:

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

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

Router A

LAN: 192.168.0.1

Switch

192.168.0.100

Router B

WAN: 172.30.30.100

LAN: 192.168.0.2

PC

Company’s server

172.30.30.1

How can I do that?

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 Advanced > Network > 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 address, so here enter 172.30.30.1.

Subnet Mask: Determines the destination network with the destination IP address.

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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 SAV E .

6. Check the Routing Table below. If you can find the entry you’ve set, the static routing

is set successfully.

Customize Your Network Settings

Done!

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

12. 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.

• To enable or disable the wireless function:

1. Go to Wireless or Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

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2. The wireless function is enabled by default. If you want to disable the wireless function
of the router, just untick the Enable checkbox of each wireless network. In this case,
all the wireless settings will be invalid.

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

1. Go to Wireless or Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

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.

• To hide SSID:

1. Go to Wireless or Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

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.

• To use OFDMA function:

The OFDMA feature enables multiple users to transmit data simultaneously, and thus
greatly improves speed and efficiency.

Note:

Only when your clients also support OFDMA can you fully enjoy the benefits.

1. Go to Wireless or Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

2. Enable OFDMA.

• To use the smart connect function:

The smart connect function lets you to enjoy a more high-speed network by assigning
your devices to best wireless bands based on actual conditions to balance network
demands.

1. Go to Wireless or Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

2. Enable Smart Connect.

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

• To change the security option:

1. Go to Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

2. 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

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

The default and recommended setting is High.

• 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.

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

recommended to just leave it as default.

• To enable the MU-MIMO feature:

A router with the MU-MIMO feature serves multiple devices simultaneously while a
traditional router serves only one user at a time. That means MU-MIMO can provide a
faster, more efficient Wi-Fi network for multiusers.

Note:

Devices supporting 5GHz wireless band can enjoy the MU-MIMO service.

1. Go to Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings.

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2. Locate the 5GHz-1 or 5GHz-2 network.

3. Tick the Enable box for MU-MIMO.

4. Click SAVE .

12. 8. Schedule Your Wireless Function

The wireless network can be automatically off at a specific time 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. Enable the Wireless Schedule feature.

4. Click Add to specify a wireless off period during which you need the wireless off
automatically, and click SAVE .

Note:

• The Effective Time Schedule is based on the time of the router. You can go to Advanced > System > Time & Language

to modify the time.

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

12. 9. Use WPS for Wireless Connection

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) provides an easier approach to set up a security-protected
Wi-Fi connection.

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

2. Make sure the Wi-Fi of your router is on and go to Advanced > Wireless > WPS.

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12. 9. 1. Connect via the Client’s PIN

Enter the PIN of your device and click Connect. Then your device will get connected to
the router.

12. 9. 2. Connect via the Router’s PIN

Select Router’s PIN in Method 1 to enable Router’s PIN. You can use the default PIN or
generate a new one.

Note:

PIN (Personal Identification Number) is an eight-character identification number preset to each router. WPS supported

devices can connect to your router with the PIN. The default PIN is printed on the label of the router.

12. 9. 3. Push the WPS Button

Click Start WPS on the screen. Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your
device. Success will appear on the above screen and the
change from pulsing white to solid on, indicating successful WPS connection.

LED of the router should

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12. 10. Use WDS to Extend Network

WDS (Wireless Distribution System) Bridging feature allows you to bridge a router with
an access point to extend the wireless network coverage. The access point should also
support the WDS Bridging feature.

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 > WDS.

3. Select Enable WDS Bridging of 2.4GHz WDS, 5GHz-1 WDS or 5GHz-2 WDS.

4. Survey the SSID to be bridged.

• Click SURVEY to scan all available networks and select the network you want
to bridge. The SSID (network name) and MAC Address will be automatically
populated. you can also manually fill in these parameters.

• Manually enter these parameters.

5. Select a Security type and enter the related parameters, which should be the same
as the network to be bridged.

6. Click SAVE .

Note:

• The IP address of the extended router needs to be in the same subnet with the root router.

• You need to enable and configure the WDS Bridging feature for the access point as well.

• WDS and Guest Network cannot be enabled at the same time.

12. 11. Advanced Wireless Settings

Check advanced wireless settings for your device.

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 > Additional Settings.

3. Configure advanced wireless settings.

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Customize Your Network Settings

• WMM - WMM function can guarantee the packets with high-priority messages being

transmitted preferentially.

• Short GI - It is recommended to enable this function, for it will increase the data

capacity by reducing the guard interval time.

• AP Isolation - This function isolates all connected wireless stations so that wireless

stations cannot access each other through WLAN.

• Airtime Fairness - This function can improve the overall network performance by

sacrificing a little bit of network time on your slow devices.

• Zero Wait DFS - Zero Wait DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) allows the router to

immediately reselect a new channel once the radar signal is detected on a channel
allocated to radar devices to ensure lag-free network experience.

• Beacon Interval - Enter a value between 40 and 1000 in milliseconds to determine the

duration between beacon packets that are broadcasted by the router to synchronize
the wireless network. The default value is 100 milliseconds.

• RTS Threshold- Enter a value between 1 and 2346 to determine the packet size of

data transmission through the router. By default, the RTS (Request to Send) Threshold
size is 2346. If the packet size is greater than the preset threshold, the router will send
RTS frames to a particular receiving station and negotiate the sending of a data frame.

• DTIM Interval - The value determines the interval of DTIM (Delivery Traffic Indication

Message). Enter a value between 1 and 15 intervals. The default value is 1, which
indicates the DTIM Interval is the same as Beacon Interval.

• Group Key Update Period - Enter a number of seconds (minimum 30) to control the

time interval for the encryption key automatic renewal. The default value is 0, meaning
no key renewal.

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Manage the Router

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

It contains the following sections:

• Upgrade the Firmware

• Backup and Restore Configuration Settings

• Change the Login Password

• Backup and Restore Configuration Settings

• Password Recovery

• Local Management

• Remote Management

• System Log

• Test the Network Connectivity

• Set Up System Time

• Set the Router to Reboot Regularly

• Control the LED

• Test Your Internet Speed

Chapter 13

Manage the Router

13. 1. Upgrade the Firmware

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

We will inform you through 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.

13. 1. 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 upgrade icon
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 > Firmware Upgrade, and click

CHECK FOR UPGRADES to see whether the latest firmware is released.

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

will

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

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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, and log into the web management page

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

Manage the Router

13. 1. 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 > Firmware Upgrade.

4. Focus on the Local Upgrade section. Click BROWSE to locate the downloaded new
firmware file, and click UPGRADE.

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

Note: If you fail to upgrade the firmware for the router, please contact our Technical Support.

13. 2. 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.

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

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• To backup configuration settings:

Click BACK UP 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.

• 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.

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

1. In the Factory Default Restore section, click RESTORE.

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.

• To reset the router to factory default settings:

1. Click FACTORY RESTORE to reset the router.

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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.

13. 3. Change the Login Password

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 Advanced > TP-Link ID.

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

2. Go to Advanced > System > Administration and focus on the Change Password
section.

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

4. Use the new password for future logins.

13. 4. 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 Advanced > TP-Link ID.

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

2. Go to Advanced > System > Administration and focus on the Password Recovery
section.

3. Tick the Enable box of 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, Tick the Enable box of 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.

• Generally, Authentication should be enabled if the login of the mailbox requires username and password.

5. Click SAVE .

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.

13. 5. 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 > Administration and complete the settings In Local

Management section as needed.

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• Access the router via HTTPS and HTTP:

Tick the Enable box of Local Management via HTTPS to access the router via HTTPS
and HTTP, or keep it disabled to access the router only via HTTP.

• Allow all LAN connected devices to manage the router:

Select All Devices for Local Managers.

• Allow specific devices to manage the router:

1. Select All Devices for Local Managers and click SAVE .

2. Click Add Device.

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3. Click VIEW CONNECTED DEVICES and select the device to manage the router from
the Connected Devices list, or enter the MAC address of the device manually.

4. Specify a Description for this entry.

5. Click SAVE .

Manage the Router

13. 6. 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 > Administration and complete the settings in Remote

Management section as needed.

• Forbid all devices to manage the router remotely:

Do not tick the Enable checkbox of Remote Management.

• Allow all devices to manage the router remotely:

1. Tick the Enable checkbox of Remote Management.

2. Keep the HTTPS and HTTP port as default settings (recommended) or enter a value
between 1024 and 65535.

3. Select All Devices for Remote Managers.

4. Click SAVE .

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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 Network Map > 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.

• Allow a specific device to manage the router remotely:

1. Tick the Enable checkbox of Remote Management.

2. Keep the HTTPS and HTTP port as default settings (recommended) or enter a value
between 1024 and 65535.

3. Select Specified Device for Remote Managers.

4. In the Only this IP Address field, enter the IP address of the remote device to manage
the router.

5. 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.

13. 7. System Log

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

• To save the system log locally:

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

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2. Go to Advanced > System > System Log.

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

Manage the Router

4. In the Save Log section, click SAVE TO LOCAL to save the system logs to a local disk.

• 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. In the Save Log section, click MAIL LOG.

4. Enter the information required:

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

2 ) Select Require Password.

Tips: Generally, Require Password should be selected if the login of the mailbox requires username and password.

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

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

5 ) 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.

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

different from the sender’s email address.

7 ) Select Mail Log Automatically.

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

8 ) Frequency: This determines how often the recipient will receive the system log .

5. Click SAVE .

13. 8. Test the Network Connectivity

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

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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 > Diagnostics or Game Center > Game Diagnostics.

3. Enter the information:

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.

3 ) Modify the Ping Count number and the Ping Packet Size. It’s recommended to

keep the default value.

4 ) If you have chosen Traceroute, you can modify the Traceroute Max TTL. It’s

recommended to keep the default value.

4. Click START to begin the diagnostics.

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

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