Asus RT-N12 Series User manual

RT-N12 Series
Superspeed Wireless N Router
User Guide

2
E7901
First Edition
November 2012
Copyright © 2012 ASUSTeK Computer Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described
in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except
documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express
written permission of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired,
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in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL“AS IS”WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,
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OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS
AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR
PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE
FURNISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A
COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY
FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL,
INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be
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only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent
to infringe.

3
Table of contents
1 Overview 5
Package contents ........................................................................................ 5
Hardware features....................................................................................... 6
2 Setting up your wireless network 11
Positioning your router............................................................................11
What you need ...........................................................................................12
Setting up your wireless router ............................................................12
Wired connection...............................................................................13
Wireless connection ..........................................................................15
Before you proceed ...........................................................................17
A. Disable any congured proxy servers...............................17
B. Congure TCP/IP settings......................................................19
C. Disable dial-up networking ..................................................21
3 NetworkcongurationusingthewebGUI 22
Logging in to the web GUI.....................................................................22
Setting up the Internet connection ....................................................23
Quick Internet Setup (QIS) with auto-detection .....................24
Setting up wireless security...................................................................29
Tx Power adjustment (For RT-N12 HP only) .....................................31
Creating your Guest Network ...............................................................32
Using the Trac Manager.......................................................................34
Managing QoS (Quality of Service) Bandwidth.......................34
Monitoring Trac ..............................................................................36

4
Table of contents
Conguring Advanced settings............................................................37
Setting up the DHCP Server ...........................................................37
Upgrading the rmware ..................................................................39
Restoring/Saving/Uploading settings ........................................40
4 Usingtheutilities 41
Device Discovery .......................................................................................41
Firmware Restoration...............................................................................42
5 Troubleshooting 44
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................44
ASUS DDNS Service ..................................................................................48
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ............................................48
Appendices 50
Notices...........................................................................................................50
Networks Global Hotline Information................................................64
ASUS Contact information .....................................................................66

5
1 Overview
Package contents
NOTE:
• The RT-N12 Series wireless router includes the RT-N12 D1 and
RT-N12 HP models.This manual discusses features for both
models.
• If any of the items is damaged or missing, contact ASUS for
technical inquiries and support. Refer to the ASUS Support
Hotline list at the back of this user manual.
• Keep the original packaging material in case you would need
future warranty services such as repair or replacement.
RT-N12 Series wireless router
Network cable (RJ-45)
Power adapter
Quick Start Guide
Warranty card

6
Hardware features
Front

7
Status indicators
LED Status Indication
Power
Off No power or wireless signal is disabled
On System ready
Flashing slowly Rescue mode
Flashing quickly WPS in progress
Wireless
Off No power
On Wireless system ready
Flashing Transmitting or receiving data (wireless)
WAN
Wide Area
Network
Off No power or no physical connection
On Has physical connection to an Ethernet
network
Flashing Transmitting or receiving data (through
Ethernet cable)
LAN 1-4
Local Area
Network
Off No power or no physical connection
On Has physical connection to an Ethernet
network
Flashing Transmitting or receiving data (through
Ethernet cable)

8
Rear (RT-N12 D1)
Label Description
Reset
Press this button for more than five seconds to restore the
system to its factory default settings.
Power
Press this button to power on/off the wireless router.
Insert the AC adapter into this port to connect your router to
a power source.
LAN1-LAN4
Connect RJ-45 Ethernet cables to these ports to establish
LAN connection.
WAN
Connect an RJ-45 Ethernet cable to this port to establish
WAN connection.
WPS Press this button for more than four seconds to establish a
secure wireless connection with a WPS-supported wireless
device.

9
Rear (RT-N12 HP)
Label Description
WPS Press this button for more than four seconds to establish a
secure wireless connection with a WPS-supported wireless
device.
LAN1-LAN4
Connect RJ-45 Ethernet cables to these ports to establish
LAN connection.
WAN
Connect an RJ-45 Ethernet cable to this port to establish
WAN connection.
Reset
Press this button for more than five seconds to restore the
system to its factory default settings.
Power
Press this button to power on/off the wireless router.
Insert the AC adapter into this port to connect your router to
a power source.

10
Item Description
1Mounting hooks
Use the mounting hooks to mount your router on concrete or
wooden surfaces using two round head screws.
2Air vents
These vents provide ventilation to your router.
Bottom panel
NOTE: Mounting the wireless router to a wall is not
recommended as it reduces wireless performance.
2
1

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2 Setting up your wireless
network
Positioning your router
To get the best wireless network performance from your wireless
router, follow the recommendations below:
• Place the wireless router at the center of your network for
maximum wireless coverage.
• Keep the device away from metal obstructions and away from
direct sunlight.
• Keep the device away from 802.11g or 20MHz only Wi-Fi
devices, 2.4GHz computer peripherals, Bluetooth devices,
cordless phones, transformers, heavy-duty motors, fluorescent
lights, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and other industrial
equipment to prevent signal interference or loss.
• For the best front-to-rear wireless coverage, place the wireless
router in an upright position.
• For the best upward and downward wireless coverage, place
the wireless router in an inclined position.
• Always update to the latest firmware.Visit the ASUS website at
http://support.asus.com to get the latest firmware updates.

12
What you need
To set up your network, you need one or two computers that meet
the following system requirements:
• Ethernet RJ-45 (LAN) port (10Base-T/100Base-TX)
• IEEE 802.11b/g/n wireless capability
• An installed TCP/IP service
• Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla
Firefox, Apple Safari, or Google Chrome
NOTE:
• If your computer does not have built-in wireless capabilities,
install an IEEE 802.11b/g/n WLAN adapter to your computer
to connect to the network.
• The Ethernet RJ-45 cables used to connect the network
devices should not exceed 100 meters.
Setting up your wireless router
IMPORTANT!
• Use a wired connection when setting up your wireless router
to avoid possible wireless setup issues.
• Before setting up your ASUS wireless router, do the following:
• If you are replacing an existing router, disconnect it from
your network.
• Disconnect the cables/wires from your existing modem. If
your modem has a backup battery, remove it as well.
• Reboot your computer (recommended).

13
2. Using the bundled network cable, connect your computer to
your wireless router’s LAN port.
To set up a network using a wired connection:
1. Insert your wireless router’s AC adapter to the DC-In port and
plug it to a power outlet.
Wired connection
NOTE: Your wireless router supports both a straight-through or
crossover cable when setting up a wired connection.
RT-N12 D1

14
3 Using another network cable, connect your modem to your
wireless router’s WAN port.
4. Insert your modem’s AC adapter to the DC-In port and plug it
to a power outlet.
IMPORTANT! Ensure that the LAN LED is blinking.
RT-N12 HP

15
Wireless connection
To set up your wireless network:
1. Insert your wireless router’s AC adapter to the DC-In port and
plug it to a power outlet.
2 Using the bundled network cable, connect your modem to your
wireless router’s WAN port.
3. Insert your modem’s AC adapter to the DC-In port and plug it
to a power outlet.
4. Install an IEEE 802.11b/g/n WLAN adapter on your computer.
NOTE:
• For details on connecting to a wireless network, refer to the
WLAN adapter’s user manual.
• To set up the security settings for your network, refer to the
section Setting up wireless security.
RT-N12 D1

16
RT-N12 HP

17
Before you proceed
A. Disable any configured proxy servers.
Windows®7
1. Click Start > Internet
Explorer.
2. Click Tools >
Internet options >
Connections tab >
LAN settings.
NOTE: Before configuring your wireless router, apply the steps
described in this section to each computer on the network to
avoid problems connecting to the wireless network.

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3. From the Local Area
Network (LAN) Settings
window, uncheck Use a
proxy server for your LAN.
4. Click OK then Apply.
MAC OSX
1. From your Apple
Safari browser, click
Safari > Preferences
> Advanced. On the
Proxies item, click
Change Settings...
2. From the Network
screen, uncheck FTP
Proxy and Web Proxy
(HTTP).
3. Click OK then Apply.

19
B. Configure TCP/IP settings to automatically obtain an
IP address.
Windows®7
1. Click Start > Control Panel
> Network and Internet
> Network and Sharing
Center > Change adapter
settings.
2. On the Network Connections
window, click on Local Area
Connection.
3. On the Local Area Connection
Network Status window, click
Properties.
4. Select Internet Protocol
Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or
Internet Protocol Version
6 (TCP/IPv6), then click
Properties.

20
MAC OSX
1. Click Apple Menu
>System Preferences >
Network
6. Tick Obtain an IP address
automatically.
7. Click OK.
2. Click Ethernet on the
left panel.
3. On the Configure IPv4,
item select Using
DHCP.
4. Cllick Apply.