TP-Link Archer C5 User Manual
User Guide
AC1200 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router
Archer C5
1910012297 REV4.0.0
Contents
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1. 1. Product Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. 2. Panel Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. 2. 1. The Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. 2. 2. The Back Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2. Connect the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
2. 1. Position Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. 2. Connect Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 3. Log In to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 4. Set Up Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. 2. Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. 3. Test Internet Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4. 4. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 5. USB Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5. 1. Access the USB Storage Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5. 1. 1. Access the USB Device Locally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5. 1. 3. Customize the Access Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. 2. Media Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5. 3. 3G/4G Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5. 3. 1. As a Backup Solution for Internet Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chapter 6. Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chapter 7. Bandwidth Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7. 1. Configure the Bandwidth Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
7. 2. Controlling rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 8. Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
8. 1. Firewall & DoS Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
8. 2. Service Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
8. 3. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
8. 4. IP & MAC Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 9. NAT Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
9. 1. Translate Address and Port by ALG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
9. 2. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
9. 3. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9. 4. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9. 5. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chapter 10. VPN Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
10. 1. Use Open VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10. 1. 1. Step1. Set up OpenVPN Server on Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10. 1. 2. Step 2. Configure OpenVPN Connection on Your Remote Device . . . . 51
10. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
10. 2. 1. Step 1. Set up PPTP VPN Server on Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
10. 2. 2. Step 2. Configure PPTP VPN Connection on Your Remote Device. . . . 52
Chapter 11. Specify Your Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
11. 1. LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
11. 1. 1. Change the LAN IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
11. 1. 2. Use the Router as a DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
11. 1. 3. Reserve LAN IP Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
11. 2. IPv6 LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
11. 2. 1. Configure the RADVD Address Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
11. 2. 2. Configure the DHCPv6 Server Address Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
11. 3. Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
11. 3. 1. Use WPS for Wireless Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
11. 3. 2. Schedule Your Wireless Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
11. 3. 3. View Wireless Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
11. 3. 4. Advanced Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
11. 4. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
11. 5. Interface Grouping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
11. 6. Create Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
11. 7. Set Up the IPv6 Tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
11. 7. 1. Use the Public IPv6 Tunnel Service-6to4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
11. 7. 2. Specify the 6rd Tunnel with Parameters Provided by Your ISP . . . . . . . . 73
Chapter 12. Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
12. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
12. 2. Update the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. 2. 1. Local Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. 3. Back up and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. 4. Change the Administrator Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
12. 5. Local Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
12. 6. Remote Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
12. 7. System Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
12. 8. CWMP Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
12. 9. SNMP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
12. 10. Monitor the Internet Traffic Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
About This Guide
This guide is a complement of Quick Installation Guide. The Quick Installation Guide
instructs you on quick Internet setup, and this guide provides details of each function
and shows you the way to configure these functions appropriate to your needs.
When using this guide, please notice that features of the router may vary slightly
depending on the model and software version you have, and on your location, language,
and internet service provider. All screenshots, images, parameters and descriptions
documented in this guide are used for demonstration only.
Conventions
In this guide the following conventions are used:
Convention Description
Underlined
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 > MAC Filtering means the MAC Filtering
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 enable or disable the corresponding entry.
•
click to view more information about items on the page.
•
1
Chapter 1
Get to Know About Your Router
This chapter introduces what the router can do and shows its appearance.
It contains the following sections:
• Product Overview
• 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.
Moreover, it is simple and convenient to set up and use the TP-Link router due to its
intuitive web interface.
1. 2. Panel Layout
1. 2. 1. The Front Panel
The router’s LEDs (view from left to right) are located on the front. You can check the
router’s working status by following the LED Explanation table.
2
Chapter 1
LED Explanation
Name Status Indication
Get to Know About Your Router
On The system has started up successfully.
Power
2.4GHz
5GHz
Internet
Ethernet
USB
Flashing
Off Power is off.
On The 2.4GHz wireless band is enabled.
Off The 2.4GHz wireless band is disabled.
On The 5GHz wireless band is enabled.
Off The 5GHz wireless band is disabled.
Green On Internet service is available.
Orange On
Off The router’s Internet port is unplugged.
On
Off No powered-on device is connected to the router’s LAN port.
On The inserted USB device is ready to use.
Flashing A USB device is being identified.
Off No device is plugged into the USB port.
The system is starting up or the firmware is being upgraded. Do
not disconnect or power off your router.
The router’s Internet port is connected, but the internet service
is not available.
At least a powered-on device is connected to the router’s LAN
port.
WPS
On/Off
Flashing WPS connection is in progress. This may take up to 2 minutes.
This light remains on for 5 minutes when a WPS connection is
established, then turns off.
3
Chapter 1
1. 2. 2. The Back Panel
Get to Know About Your Router
The following parts (view from left to right) are located on the back panel.
Item Description
Press and hold this button for less than 5 seconds to enable the WPS
WPS/Wi-Fi On/Off
Button
Reset Button
Ethernet Ports (1/2/3/4) For connecting your wired devices to the router.
WAN Port For connecting to a DSL/Cable modem, or an Ethernet jack.
USB Port For connecting to a USB device.
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.
Antennas
function.
Press and hold this button for about 2 seconds to turn on or off the wireless
function of your router.
Press and hold this button for more than 5 seconds to reset the router to its
factory default settings.
Used for wireless operation and data transmit. Upright them for the best
Wi-Fi performance.
4
Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
This chapter contains the following sections:
• Position Your Router
• Connect Your Router
Chapter 2
ON/OFF
POWER
Connect the Hardware
2. 1. Position Your Router
• The product should not be located in a place where it will be exposed to moisture or
excessive heat.
• Place the router in a location where it can be connected to multiple devices as well as
to a power source.
• Make sure the cables and power cord are safely placed out of the way so they do not
create a tripping hazard.
• The router can be placed on a shelf or desktop.
• Keep the router away from devices with strong electromagnetic reference, such as
Bluetooth devices, cordless phones and microwaves.
2. 2. Connect Your Router
Follow the steps below to connect your router.
If your internet connection is through an Ethernet cable from the wall instead of through
a DSL / Cable / Satellite modem, connect the Ethernet cable directly to the router’s
WAN port, and then follow Step 4 and 5 to complete the hardware connection.
Power adapter
POWER
ON/OFF
USB
Power adapter
Internet
Modem
WAN
LAN1
LAN2
WiFi/
LAN3
WPS
LAN4
RESET
1
2
3
4
1. Turn off the modem, and remove the backup battery if it has one.
2. Connect the modem to your router’s WAN port with an Ethernet cable.
3. Turn on the modem, and then wait about 2 minutes for it to restart.
4. Connect the power adapter to the router and turn on the router.
6
Chapter 2
POWER
ON/OFFUSBWANLAN1LAN2LAN3LAN4RESET
Connections are available
Wireless Network Connection
Connect the Hardware
5. Verify that the following LEDs are on and solid before continuing with the configuration.
Note:
If the 2.4G LED
LEDs again a few seconds later.
and 5G LED are off, please press the WPS/Wi-Fi On/Off button for 2 seconds and check the
6. Connect your computer to the router.
• Method 1: Wired
Turn off the Wi-Fi on your computer and connect the devices as shown below.
Ethernet cable
• Method 2: Wirelessly
1 ) Find the SSID (Network Name) and Wireless Password printed on the label at
the bottom of the router.
2 ) Click the network icon of your computer or go to Wi-Fi Settings of your smart
device, and then select the SSID to join the network.
Computer Smart Device
TP-Link_XXXX
TP-Link_XXXX_5G
Connect automatically
Connect
OR
< Settings
Wi-Fi
CHOOSE A NETWORK...
TP-Link_XXXX
TP-Link_XXXX_5G
Other...
Wi-Fi
7
Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
• Method 3: Use the WPS button
Wireless devices that support WPS, including Android phones, tablets, and most USB
network adapters, can be connected to your router through this method.
Note:
• WPS is not supported by iOS devices.
• The WPS function cannot be configured if the wireless function of the router is disabled. Also, the WPS function will be
disabled if your wireless encryption is WEP. Please make sure the wireless function is enabled and is configured with
the appropriate encryption before configuring the WPS.
1 ) Tab the WPS icon on the device’s screen. Here we take an Android phone for
instance.
2 ) Within two minutes, press the WPS/Wi-Fi On/Off button on your router.
WLAN
On
TP-Link
Home
Oce
TP-Link_123
TP-Link_abc
MyHome
Test
close to
Wi-Fi/
WPS
POWER
ON/OFFUSBWANLAN1LAN2LAN3LAN4RESET
8
Chapter 3
Log In to Your Router
Chapter 3
Log In to Your Router
With a web management page, it is easy to configure and manage the modem router.
The web management page can be used on any Windows, Macintosh or UNIX OS with a
Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari.
Follow the steps below to log into your router.
1. If the TCP/IP Protocol on your computer is set to the static (fixed) IP address, you
need to change it to obtain an IP address automatically. Refer to Troubleshooting to
configure your computer.
2. Launch a web browser and go to http://tplinkwifi.net or http://192.168.0.1. Create a
strong password and click Let’s Get Started to log in.
10
Chapter 4
Set Up Internet Connection
This chapter introduces how to connect your router to the internet. The router is
equipped with a web-based Quick Setup wizard. It has necessary ISP information built
in, automates many of the steps and verifies that those steps have been successfully
completed. Furthermore, you can also set up an IPv6 connection if your ISP provides
IPv6 service.
It contains the following sections:
• Use Quick Setup Wizard
• Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection
• Test Internet Connectivity
• 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.
Follow the steps below to set up your router.
1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net or http://192.168.0.1, and log in with the password you set
for the router.
2. Click Quick Setup on the top of the page. Then follow the step-by-step instructions
to connect your router to the internet.
Note:
• If you have changed the preset wireless network name (SSID) and wireless password during the Quick Setup process,
all your wireless devices must use the new SSID and password to connect to the router.
4. 2. Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection
In this part, you can check your current internet connection settings. You can also
modify the settings according to the service information provided by your ISP.
Follow the steps below to check or modify your internet connection settings.
1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net or http://192.168.0.1, and log in with your the password you
set for the router.
2. Go to Basic > Internet.
3. Select your internet connection type from the drop-down list.
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 don’t need to set any parameters. 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.
12
Chapter 4
Set Up Internet Connection
3 ) If you choose PPPoE, enter the Username and Password provided by your ISP.
PPPoE users usually have DSL cable modems.
4 ) If you choose L2TP, enter the Username and Password and choose the IP
Address Type provided by your ISP. Different parameters are needed according
to the IP Address Type you have chosen.
5 ) If you choose PPTP, enter the Username and Password, and choose the IP
Address Type provided by your ISP. Different parameters are needed according
to the IP Address Type you have chosen.
13
Chapter 4
Set Up Internet Connection
5. Click Save.
6. To check your internet connection, click Network Map on the left of the page. After
the connection succeeds, the screen will display as follows. Here we take PPPoE as
an example.
Note:
It may take 1-2 minutes to make the settings valid.
Tips:
• If your internet connection type is BigPond Cable, please go to Advanced > Network > Internet to set your router.
• If you use Dynamic IP and PPPoE and you are provided with any other parameters that are not required on the page,
please go to Advanced > Network > Internet to complete the configuration.
• If you still cannot access the internet, refer to the Troubleshooting section for further instructions.
14
Chapter 4
Set Up Internet Connection
4. 3. Test Internet Connectivity
After manually setting up the Internet connection, you need to test the Internet
connectivity. The router provides a diagnostic tool to help you locate the malfunction.
1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net orhttp://192.168.0.1, and log in with the account you set for
the router.
2. Go to Advanced > System Tools > Diagnostics Page.
3. Click Start to test the Internet connectivity and you will see the test result in the gray
box.
4. 4. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection
If your ISP provides IPv6 connection and some detailed IPv6 parameters, you can
manually set up an IPv6 connection.
If your ISP provides an IPv4-only connection or IPv6 tunnel service, permit IPv6
connection by referring to Set Up the IPv6 Tunnel.
Follow the steps below to set up an IPv6 connection:
1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net or http://192.168.0.1, and log in with the password you set
for the router.
2. Go to Advanced > Network > Internet page.
3. Select your WAN Interface Name (Status should be Connected) and click the
(Edit) icon.
15
Chapter 4
Set Up Internet Connection
4. Scroll down the page, enable IPv6, and configure the IPv6 parameters.
• Addressing Type: Consult your ISP for the addressing type, DHCPv6 or SLAAC.
SLAAC is the most commonly used addressing type.
Note: If your ISP has provided the IPv6 address, click Advanced to reveal more settings. Check to use IPv6
specified by ISP and enter the parameters provided by your ISP.
5. Click Save to make the settings effective. Now IPv6 service is available for your
network.
16
Chapter 5
USB Settings
This chapter describes how to use the USB ports to share files, media and a printer
from the USB storage devices over your home network locally, or remotely through the
internet.
The router supports USB external flash drives, hard drives and USB printers.
It contains the following sections:
• Access the USB Storage Device
• Media Sharing
• 3G/4G Settings
Chapter 5
USB Settings
5. 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 Sharings > USB Storage Devices and click .
5. 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.
¾ Method 1:
Windows
computer
Go to Computer > Network, then click the Network Server Name
(ARCHER_model number 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 5
Windows
computer
USB Settings
¾ Method 2:
Open the Windows Explorer (or go to Computer) and type the server
address \\tplinkwifi.net or ftp://tplinkwifi.net in the address bar, 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:.)
Smart
device
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.
5. 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 5
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 the password you set for the router.
2. Go to Advanced > USB Sharing > USB Storage Device page.
3. Tick the FTP (via Internet) checkbox, and then click Save.
4. Refer to the following table to access your USB disk remotely.
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Chapter 5
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:
3 ) 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)
4 ) Press Enter on the keyboard.
5 ) 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.
Smart
device
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.
5. 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 the password you set for the router.
2. Go to Advanced > USB Sharing > USB Storage Device page.
¾ To customize the address of the USB disk:
You can customize the server name and use the name to access your USB disk.
1. On the Sharing Settings part, make sure Network Neighborhood is ticked, and
enter a Network/Media Server Name as you like, such as MyShare, then click Save.
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Chapter 5
USB Settings
2. Now you can access the USB disk by visiting \\MyShare (for Windows) or smb://
MyShare(for Mac).
¾ To only share specific content:
1. Focus on the Folder Sharing section. Click the button to disable Share All, then click
Add to add a new sharing folder.
2. Select the Volume Name and Folder Path, then enter a Folder Name as you like.
3. Decide the way you share the folder:
• Enable Authentication: Tick to enable authentication for this folder sharing, and
you will be required to log in to the Sharing Account to access the USB disk.
Refer to To set up authentication for data security: to learn more.
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Chapter 5
USB Settings
• Enable Write Access: If you tick this checkbox, network clients can modify this
folder.
• Enable Media Sharing: Tick to enable media sharing for this folder, and you can
view photos, play music and watch movies stored on the USB disk directly from
DLNA-supported devices. Click Media Sharing to learn more.
4. Click Save.
Tips:
The router can share 32 volumes at most.
¾ To set up authentication for data security:
You can set up authentication for your USB device so that network clients will be
required to enter username and password when accessing the USB disk.
1. On the Sharing Accout part, Choose Use Default Account or Use New Account. The
username is admin and the password is admin for Default Account. If your choose
Use New Account, you have to customize the username and a password.
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Chapter 5
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.
USB Settings
2. Enable Authentication to apply the account you just set.
• If you leave Share All enabled, click the button to enable Authentication for all
folders.
• If Share All is disabled, enable Authentication for specific folders.
Note:
Due to Windows credential mechanism, you might be unable to access the USB disk after changing Authentication
settings. Please log out from the Windows and try to access again. Or you can change the address of the USB disk by
referring to To customize the address of the USB disk:.
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Chapter 5
USB Settings
5. 2. Media Sharing
The feature of Media Sharing allows you to view photos, play music and watch movies
stored on the USB disk directly from DLNA-supported devices, such as your computer,
tablet and PS2/3/4.
1. When your USB disk is inseted into the router, your DLNA-supoorted devices (such
as your computer and pad) connected to the router can detect and play the media
files on the USB disks.
2. Refer to the following table for detailed instructions.
• 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.
Windows
Computer
Smart
device
• Use a third-party DLNA-supported player.
5. 3. 3G/4G Settings
The router can be used as a 3G/4G wireless router if you have a 3G/4G USB modem. You
can use your 3G/4G network as a backup solution for Internet access:
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