TP-LINK EC440-G4u User Manual

User Guide

AC2600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router

EC440-G4u

1910020863 REV1.0.0

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

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

1. 1. Product Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1. 2. Physical Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1. 2. 1. Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1. 2. 2. Back Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2. Connect the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

2. 1. Position Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2. 2. Connect Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 3. Log In to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter 4. Set Up Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4. 2. Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4. 3. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 5. Multi-SSID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Chapter 6. USB Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

6. 1. Access the USB Storage Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 6. 1. 1. Access the USB Device Locally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 6. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 6. 1. 3. View USB Storage Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 6. 1. 4. Customize the Access Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

6. 2. Media Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 7. Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 8. QoS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Chapter 9. Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

9. 1. Firewall & DoS Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

9. 2. Service Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

9. 3. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

9. 4. IP & MAC Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 10.NAT Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

10. 1. Translate Address and Port by ALG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 10. 2. Share Local Resources over the Internet by Virtual Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 10. 3. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 10. 4. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 10. 5. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Chapter 11.VPN Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

11. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 11. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Chapter 12.Customize Your Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

12. 1. Change LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 12. 1. 1. Change the LAN IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 12. 1. 2. Use the Router as a DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 12. 1. 3. Reserve LAN IP Addresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

12. 2. Configure IPv6 LAN Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 12. 2. 1. Configure the RADVD Address Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 12. 2. 2. Configure the DHCPv6 Server Address Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

12. 3. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 12. 4. Create Static Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 12. 5. Set Up the IPv6 Tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 12. 5. 1. Use the Public IPv6 Tunnel Service-6to4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 12. 5. 2. Specify the IPv6 Tunnel with Parameters Provided by Your ISP. . . . . 70

12. 6. Specify Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 12. 6. 1. Specify Basic Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 12. 6. 2. View Wireless Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 12. 6. 3. Advanced Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

12. 7. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 12. 7. 1. Method 1: Use the WPS button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 12. 7. 2. Method 2: Use the WPS button on the web management page . . . . 75 12. 7. 3. Method 3: Enter the router’s PIN on your client device . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 12. 7. 4. Method 4: Enter the client device’s PIN on the router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

12. 8. Schedule Your Wireless Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Chapter 13.Manage Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

13. 1. Set System Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 13. 2. Test Internet Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 13. 3. Update the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 13. 4. Back Up and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 13. 5. Administration Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

	13. 5. 1.	Change the Login Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. 82
	13. 5. 2.	Local Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	82
	13. 5. 3.	Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	83
13. 6.	13. 5. 4.	ICMP Ping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	84
	System Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		85
13. 7.	CWMP Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		86
13. 8.	SNMP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		88
13. 9.	Monitor the Internet Traffic Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		89
FAQ	. . . . . . . .	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	90

About This Guide

This guide is a complement to Quick Installation Guide. The Quick Installation Guide provides instructions for quick internet setup, while this guide contains details of each function and demonstrates how to configure them.

Please note that features of your router may vary slightly depending on the model and software version you have, and on your location, language and internet service provider. All 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			Hyperlinks are in teal and underlined. You can click to redirect to a website or a
				specific section.
		Teal		Key information appears in teal, including management page text such as
				menus, items, buttons and so on.

The menu structures to show the path to load the corresponding page. For

>example, Advanced > Wireless > Wireless Settings means the Wireless Settings function page is under the Wireless menu that is located in the Advanced tab.

			Note:		Ignoring this type of note might result in a malfunction or damage to the device.
				Tips:	Indicates important information that helps you make better use of your device.
Symbols on the					• click to edit the corresponding entry.
					• click to delete the corresponding entry.
web page					• click to enable or disable the corresponding entry.
					• click to view more information about items on the page.

More Info

The latest firmware is available from the Download Center at www.tp-link.com/support.

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

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

A Technical Support Forum is provided for you to discuss our products at http://forum.tp-link.com.

Our Technical Support contact information can be found at the Contact Technical Support page at www.tp-link.com/support.

1

Chapter 1

Get to Know Your Router

This chapter introduces what the router can do and shows its appearance. It contains the following sections:

•Product Overview

•Physical Appearance

Chapter 1

Get to Know 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. Physical Appearance

1. 2. 1. Front Panel

The router’s front panel contains LEDs and buttons. You can check the router’s working status by following the LED Explanation table.

3

Chapter 1 Get to Know Your Router

LED Explanation

			Item			Status	Indication
						On	Power is on.
					Power	Flashing	The system is starting up or the router is updating the firmware.
							Do not disconnect or power off your router.
						Off	Power is off.
					2.4G	On	The 2.4GHz wireless band is enabled.
						Off	The 2.4GHz wireless band is disabled.
					5G	On	The 5GHz wireless band is enabled.
						Off	The 5GHz wireless band is disabled.
						On	Internet service is available.
					Internet	Orange On	The router’s WAN port is connected, but the internet service
							is unavailable.
						Off	The router’s WAN port is unplugged.
					WAN	On	The router’s WAN port is connected.
						Off	The router’s WAN port is unplugged.
						On	At least a powered-on device is connected to the router’s LAN
					LAN		port.
						Off	No powered-on device is connected to the router’s LAN port.
						On/Off	Turns on when a WPS synchronization is established and
					WPS		automatically turns off about 5 minutes later.
						Flashing	WPS connection is in progress. This may take up to 2 minutes.
						On	The USB device connected to the USB1 port is ready to use.
					USB1	Flashing	A USB device connected to the USB1 port is being identified.
						Off	No device is plugged into the USB1 port.
						On	The USB device connected to the USB2 port is ready to use.
					USB2
						Flashing	A USB device connected to the USB2 port is being identified.
						Off	No device is plugged into the USB2 port.

The Wi-Fi button, WPS button and LED button are also located on the front panel.

• Wi-Fi button: Press and hold the Wi-Fi button for about two seconds to turn on or off the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.

•WPS button: Press and hold the WPS button for about two seconds to start a WPS synchronization.

•LED button: Press and hold the LED button for about two seconds to turn on or off all LEDs.

4

Chapter 1

Get to Know Your Router

1. 2. 2. Back Panel

The router’s back panel contains the connection ports and buttons. Refer to the following table for detailed instructions.

	Item	Description
	WAN	For connecting to a DSL/Cable modem, or an Ethernet jack.
	LAN1, LAN2, LAN3,	For connecting your PC or other Ethernet network devices to the router.
	LAN4
	Reset	Press and hold down the Reset button for at least 5 seconds to reset the router
		to its factory default settings.
	USB2	For connecting to a USB2.0 storage device.
	USB1	For connecting to a USB3.0 storage device. It is also compatible with USB 2.0
		devices.
	On/Off	The switch for the power. Press it to power on or off the router
	Power	For connecting the router to a power socket via the provided power adapter.

5

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

This chapter contains the following sections:

•Position Your Router

•Connect Your Router

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

2. 1. Position Your Router

•The product should not be located in a place where it will be exposed to moisture or excessive heat.

•Place the router in a location where it can be connected to multiple devices as well as to a power source.

•Make sure the cables and power cord are safely placed out of the way so they do not create a tripping hazard.

•The router can be placed on a shelf or desktop.

•Keep the router away from strong devices with strong electromagnetic interference, 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 as Step2B, and then follow Step 4 and 5 to complete the hardware connection.

Power Adapter

Internet

Power Adapter

1

2

3

4

WAN 1 LAN 2 LAN 3 LAN 4 LAN

Reset

USB2

USB1

On/Off

Power

SB1

On/Off

P

1.Turn off the modem, and remove the backup battery if it has one.

2.Connect the modem to the 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.

5.Verify that the following LEDs are on and solid before continuing with the configuration.

7

Chapter 2	Connect the Hardware

Power	2.4G	5G	Internet
On	On	On	On

Note: If the 2.4G LED and 5G LED are off, please press the WiFi button for 2 seconds and check the LEDs again a few seconds later.

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.

WAN 1 LAN 2 LAN 3 LAN 4 LAN

Reset

USB2

USB1

On/Off

Power

LAN Ports

Ethernet cable

•Method 2: Wireless

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

Connections are available

Wireless Network Connection

TP-Link_2.4G_XXXX

TP-Link_5G_XXXX

Connect automatically

Connect

< Settings Wi-Fi

	Wi-Fi
OR	CHOOSE A NETWORK...
	TP-Link_2.4G_XXXX
	TP-Link_5G_XXXX
	Other...

•Method 3: Use the WPS button

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

Note:

•WPS is not supported by iOS devices.

8

Chapter 2

Connect the Hardware

•The WPS function cannot be configured if the wireless function of the router is disabled. Also, the WPS function will be disabled if your wireless encryption is WEP. Please make sure the wireless function is enabled and is configured with the appropriate encryption before configuring the WPS.

1 ) Tab the WPS icon on the device’s screen. Here we take an Android phone as an example.

2 ) Within two minutes, press and hold the WPS button on your router for about two seconds.

WLAN

On

TP-Link

HomeNetwork

2ƱFH

TP-Link_123

TP-Link_ABC

MyHome

Test

Close to

9

Chapter 3

Log In to Your Router

Chapter 3

Log In to Your Router

With a web-based utility, it is easy to configure and manage the router. The web-based utility can be used on any Windows, Macintosh or UNIX OS with a Web browser, such as Microsoft the 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. Then enter the password again in the login page and click Log in to get log in to your router.

Note:

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

11

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

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

It contains the following sections:

•Use Quick Setup Wizard

•Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection

•Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard

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

Tips:

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

Follow the steps below to set up your router.

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

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

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, and log in with the password you set for the router.

2.Go to Basic > Internet.

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

Note:

If you are unsure of what your connection type is, you can consult your ISP. Since different connection types require different cables and connection information, you can also refer to the demonstrations in Step 4 to determine your connection type.

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

1) If you choose Dynamic IP, you just need to click Save the make the settings effective. Dynamic IP users are usually equipped with a cable TV or fiber cable.

13

Chapter 4		Set Up Internet Connection

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.

5.Click Save to make the settings effective, and you can refer to Test Internet Connectivity to test the Internet connection.

Note:

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

14

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

Tips:

1.You can check your internet connection by clicking Network Map on the left of the page.

2.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.

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

4.3. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection

If your ISP provides information about one of the following IPv6 internet connection types: PPPoE, Dynamic IP(SLAAC/DHCPv6) and Static IP, 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.

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

2.Go to Advanced > Network > Internet.

3.Select your WAN Interface Name (Status should be Connected) and click the (Edit) icon.

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.

•IPv6 Gateway: Keep the default setting.

Note: If your ISP has provided the IPv6 address, click Advanced to reveal more settings. You can check the detailed settings of IPv6 and enter the parameters provided by your ISP.

15

Chapter 4

Set Up Internet Connection

5.Click Save to make the settings effective. Now IPv6 service is available for your network.

16

Chapter 5

Multi-SSID

Multi-SSIDfunctionallowsyoutoprovideWi-Fiaccessforyourvisitorswithoutdisclosing your main network. When you have guests in your house, apartment, or workplace, you can create a multi-SSID network for them. In addition, you can customize the network settings to ensure network security and privacy.

Chapter 5

Multi-SSID

¾To create a multi-SSID network:

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

2.Go to Basic > Multi-SSID or Advanced > Wireless > Multi-SSID.

3.Create the multi-SSID network as needed.

1 )	Click the 2.4GHz or 5GHz to set the 2.4GHz or 5GHz wireless network. You can
	create three multi-SSID wireless networks at most in each wireless band.
2 )	Select the Enable check box to create the corresponding multi-SSID network.
3 )	Enter a new Network Name (SSID) or use the default name, this field is case-
	sensitive. Don‘t select Hide SSID unless you want your guests to manually input
	the SSID for Wi-Fi access.
4 )	Select the Security option for the multi-SSID network, WPA/WPA2 Personal
	(Recommended) is recommended, and you can set a password the network.

•See each other: Select the Allow guests to see each other check box if you want to allow the wireless clients on your multi-SSID network to communicate with each other via methods such as network neighbors and Ping.

•Access my local network: Select the Allow guests to access my local network check box if you want to allow the wireless clients on your multi-SSID network to communicate with the devices connected to your router’s LAN ports or main network via methods such as network neighbors and Ping.

18

Chapter 5

Multi-SSID

•USB storage sharing: Select the Allow guests to access my USB storage sharing check box if you want the guests on your multi-SSID network to access your USB device connected to the router.

4.Click Save to make the settings effective. Now your guests can access your multiSSID network using the SSID and password if any.

Tips:

To view multi-SSID network information, go to Advanced > Status and locate the Multi-SSID panel.

19

Chapter 6

USB Settings

This chapter describes how to use the USB port 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.

This chapter contains the following sections:

•Access the USB Storage Device

•Media Sharing

Chapter 6

USB Settings

6. 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 or NTFS. Some routers also support the HFS+ and exFAT file systems.

•Before you physically disconnect a USB device from the modem router, safely remove it to avoid data damage: Go to Advanced > USB Sharing > USB Storage Device and click .

6. 1. 1. Access the USB Device Locally

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

¾Method 1:

Go to Computer > Network, then click the Network Server Name (model number by default) in the Computer section.

Note:

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

2.Network Server Name can be customized on the web management page.

Windows

Computer

21

Chapter 6

USB Settings

¾Method 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.

Windows

Computer

¾Method 3:

Install an SFTP client (File Zilla) in your computer and configure the protocol parameters (enter the LAN address of the router and account username and password admin).

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	Use a third-party app for network files management.
	Device

22

Chapter 6

USB Settings

6. 1. 2. Access the USB Device Remotely

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

•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 your 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 > Sharing Access page.

3.Select the FTP (via Internet) check box and click Save.

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

23

Chapter 6 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)

	Windows
	Computer
					The Address Bar of the Windows Explorer (Windows 7)
		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.
	Smart	Use a third-party app for network files management.
	Device

Tips:

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

6. 1. 3. View USB Storage Device

¾To View USB Storage Device Status

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 or Basic > USB Sharing > USB Storage Device.

24

Chapter 6

USB Settings

•Scan: Usually, router will automatically detect any newly inserted USB device. If you find that your USB device is not listed in the USB Storage Device table, you can click Scan to refresh the web page with the updated information.

•Active: By default, the newly inserted USB device is accessible to all network

clients, you can click the active icon to hide the corresponding USB device from access.

•Operation: Click the button to take the USB device offline before you remove the USB device physically.

6.1. 4. 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 > Sharing Access page.

¾To 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 Sharing Settings section, make sure Network Neighborhood is selected, and enter a Network/Media Server Name as you like, such as MyShare, then click Save.

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

¾To Only Share Specific Content

1.Focus on the Folder Sharing section. Turn off Share All , then click Add to add a new sharing folder.

25

Chapter 6		USB Settings

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: By default, authentication is disabled for this folder sharing, and you can select this check box to enable authentication 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.

•Enable Write Access: If you select this check box, network clients can modify this folder.

•Enable Media Sharing: Select this check box 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. Refer to Media Sharing to learn more.

4.Click OK to make the settings effective.

26