D-Link DIR-879 User manual

Version 1.00 | 2015/11/13
User Manual
DIR-879
AC1900 Wi-Fi Router

iD-Link DIR-879 User Manual
D-Link reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes in the content hereof without obligation to notify any
person or organization of such revisions or changes.
Manual Revisions
Trademarks
D-Link and the D-Link logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of D-Link Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries.
All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Apple®, Apple logo®, Safari®, iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Macintosh® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
App StoreSM is a service mark of Apple Inc.
Chrome™ browser, Google Play™ and Android™ are trademarks of Google Inc.
Internet Explorer®, Windows® and the Windows logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
Copyright © 2015 by D-Link Corporation, Inc.
All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior expressed written permission from D-Link Corporation, Inc.
Power Usage
This device is an Energy Related Product (ErP) with High Network Availability (HiNA), and automatically switches to a power-saving Network
Standby mode within 1 minute of no packets being transmitted. It can also be turned o through a power switch to save energy when it is not
needed.
Network Standby: TBD watts
Switched O: TBD watts
Preface
Revision Date Description
1.00 November 13, 2015 Initial release

iiD-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Table of Contents
Preface................................................................................. i
Product Overview.............................................................. 1
Package Contents.........................................................................1
System Requirements.................................................................2
Introduction ................................................................................... 3
Features............................................................................................ 4
Hardware Overview..................................................................... 5
Connections ...........................................................................5
LED.............................................................................................6
Installation ......................................................................... 7
Before you Begin...........................................................................7
Wireless Installation Considerations...................................... 8
Manual Setup.................................................................................9
Getting Started ................................................................10
QRS Mobile App..........................................................................11
Setup Wizard ................................................................................16
Conguration...................................................................20
Home ..............................................................................................21
Internet...................................................................................21
DIR-879...................................................................................22
Connected Clients..............................................................23
Settings ..........................................................................................24
Wizard.....................................................................................24
Internet...................................................................................24
IPv6 .....................................................................................33
Wireless ..................................................................................48
Guest Zone.......................................................................50
Network..................................................................................51
Features..........................................................................................53
QoS Engine............................................................................53
Firewall Settings..................................................................54
IPv4/IPv6 Rules ...............................................................56
Port Forwarding ..................................................................57
Virtual Server...................................................................58
Website Filter........................................................................59
Static Routes.........................................................................60
IPv6 .....................................................................................61
Dynamic DNS .......................................................................62
IPv6 Host...........................................................................63
Management................................................................................64
Time & Schedule .................................................................64
Time....................................................................................64
Schedule ...........................................................................65
System Log............................................................................66
Admin .....................................................................................67
System ...............................................................................68
Upgrade .................................................................................69
Statistics.................................................................................70
Connect a Wireless Client to your Router ......................71
WPS Button...................................................................................71
Table of Contents

iiiD-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Table of Contents
Windows® 8...................................................................................72
WPA/WPA2 ............................................................................72
WPS..........................................................................................74
Windows Vista®............................................................................78
WPA/WPA2 ............................................................................79
Troubleshooting ..............................................................81
Wireless Basics .................................................................85
What is Wireless?.........................................................................86
Tips...................................................................................................88
Wireless Modes............................................................................89
Networking Basics...........................................................90
Check your IP address...............................................................90
Statically Assign an IP address...............................................91
Wireless Security ............................................................92
What is WPA? ...................................................................92
Technical Specications ..................................................93
Regulatory Statements ...................................................94

1D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 1 - Product Overview
Product Overview
Package Contents
Note: Using a power supply with a dierent voltage rating than the one included with the DIR-879 will cause damage and void the warranty
for this product.
If any of the above items are missing, please contact your reseller.
DIR-879 AC1900 Wi-Fi Router
Ethernet Cable
Power Adapter
WI-FI Conguration Note
Wall Mount Hardware
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2D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 1 - Product Overview
Network Requirements
• An Ethernet-based cable or DSL modem
• IEEE 802.11ac/n/g/b/a wireless clients
• 10/100 Ethernet
Web-based Conguration
Utility Requirements
Computer with the following:
• Windows®, Macintosh, or Linux-based operating system
• An installed Ethernet adapter
Browser Requirements:
• Internet Explorer 9 or higher
• Firefox 20 or higher
• Safari 7 or higher
• Chrome 25 or higher
Windows®Users: Make sure you have the latest version of Java
installed. Visit www.java.com to download the latest version.
QRS Mobile Requirements • iPhone®/iPad®/iPod Touch® (iOS 7.0 or higher)
• Android™ device (2.3.3 or higher)
System Requirements

3D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 1 - Product Overview
Introduction
The D-Link DIR-879 is a wireless IEEE 802.11ac compliant device that delivers up to 3x faster speeds than 802.11n while staying
backward compatible with 802.11n/g/b/a devices. This means you can connect the DIR-879 to a cable or DSL modem and
provide high-speed Internet access to multiple computers, game consoles, and media players. You can create a secure wireless
network to share photos, les, music, videos, printers, and network storage. Powered by 802.11ac technology and equipped
with four external antennas, this router provides superior wireless coverage for larger homes and oces, or for users running
bandwidth-intensive applications. The DIR-879 also includes a 4-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet switch that connects to
wired devices for uninterrupted video calling and faster le transfers.
D-Link Intelligent QoS Technology helps to increase network eciency by analyzing wired and wireless network trac and
prioritizing it in order of importance. This way, important network trac such as VoIP and video streaming, take priority over
background network trac such as a le downloads and print tasks, ensuring you have optimal network performance.
The DIR-879 supports the latest wireless security features to help prevent unauthorized access, be it from over a wireless
network or the Internet. Support for WPA™ and WPA2™ standards ensure that you will be able to use the best possible
encryption regardless of your client devices. In addition, this router is equipped with a dual-active rewall (SPI and NAT) to
prevent potential attacks over the Internet.

4D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 1 - Product Overview
• Ultimate Fast Wireless Networking - The DIR-879 provides up to 600 Mbps wireless connection in 2.4 GHz
band, and up to 1300 Mbps* wireless connection in 5 GHz with other 802.11ac and 802.11n wireless clients. This
capability allows users to participate in real-time activities online, such as video streaming, online gaming, and
real-time audio. The performance of this 802.11ac wireless router gives you the freedom of wireless networking
at speeds 3x faster than 802.11n.
• Compatible with 802.11ac/n/g/b/a Wireless Devices - The DIR-879 is still fully compatible with the IEEE
802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n, so it can connect with existing 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g and
802.11n PCI, USB, and CardBus adapters.
• Advanced Firewall Features - The web-based user interface displays a number of advanced network
management features including:
• Content Filtering - Easily applied content ltering based on MAC address, URL, and/or domain
name.
• Filter Scheduling - These lters can be scheduled to be active on certain days or for a duration of
hours or minutes.
• Secure Multiple/Concurrent Sessions - The DIR-879 can pass through VPN sessions. It supports
multiple and concurrent IPSec and PPTP sessions, so users behind the DIR-879 can securely access
corporate networks.
• User-friendly Setup Wizard - Through its easy-to-use web-based user interface, the DIR-879 lets you control
what information is accessible to those on the wireless network, whether from the Internet or from your
company’s server. Congure your router to your specic settings within minutes.
* Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE Standard 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n and 802.11ac specications. Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and
environmental factors, including volume of network trac, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate. Environmental
conditions will adversely aect wireless signal range.
Features

5D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 1 - Product Overview
Hardware Overview
Connections
1Reset Button To reset the device to its factory default settings, use a paper clip press and hold the reset button for 3 seconds.
2WPS Press to start the WPS process and automatically create a secure connection to a WPS client.
3LAN Ports (1-4) Connect 10/100/1000 Ethernet devices such as computers, switches, storage (NAS) devices and game consoles.
4Internet Port Using an Ethernet cable, connect your broadband modem to this port.
5Power Connector Connector for the supplied power adapter.
6Power Button Press the power button to power the DIR-879 on and o.
7Mode Switch
Select between Router and Extender modes. To change modes, move the switch to the desired position and
after 5 seconds the router will reboot into the desired mode. Router is the default mode.
Note: Extender Mode will be supported by a rmware update in 2016.
3 4 5 6 721

6D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 1 - Product Overview
Hardware Overview
LED
1
1Power LED
A solid white light indicates that the device is powered on and healthy.
A solid orange light indicates that the device is booting or undergoing a factory reset.
A blinking orange light indicates that the device is in recovery mode.
A blinking white light indicates that WPS client search mode is active.

7D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 2 - Installation
Before you Begin
Installation
• Please congure the router with the computer that was last connected directly to your modem.
• You can only use the Ethernet port on your modem. If you were using the USB connection before using the router,
then you must turn o your modem, disconnect the USB cable and connect an Ethernet cable to the Internet
port on the router, and then turn the modem back on. In some cases, you may need to call your Internet Service
Provider (ISP) to change connection types (USB to Ethernet).
• If connecting to a DSL modem, make sure to have your DSL service information provided by your Internet Service
Provider handy. This information is likely to include your DSL account's Username and Password. Your ISP may also
supply you with additional WAN conguration settings which might be necessary to establish a connection.
• If you are connecting a considerable amount of networking equipment, it may be a good idea to take the time to
label each cable or take a picture of your existing setup before making any changes.
• We suggest setting up your DIR-879 from a single device and verifying that it is connected to the Internet before
connecting additional devices.
• If you have DSL and are connecting via PPPoE, make sure you disable or uninstall any PPPoE software such as
WinPoET, BroadJump, or EnterNet 300 from your computer or you will not be able to connect to the Internet.
This section will walk you through the installation process. Placement of the router is very important. Do not place the router in
an enclosed area such as a closet, cabinet, attic, or garage.
Note: This installation section is written for users who are replacing their existing networking equipment or adding a router to
their exisitng setup. If you are setting up Internet service for the rst time, you may need to modify these steps.

8D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 2 - Installation
Wireless Installation Considerations
The D-Link wireless router lets you access your network using a wireless connection from virtually anywhere within the
operating range of your wireless network. Keep in mind that the number, thickness and location of walls, ceilings, or other
objects that the wireless signals must pass through may limit the range. Typical ranges vary depending on the types of
materials and background RF (radio frequency) noise in your home or business. The key to maximizing wireless range is to
follow these basic guidelines:
1. Keep the number of walls and ceilings between the D-Link router and other network devices to a minimum -
each wall or ceiling can reduce your adapter’s range from 3-90 feet (1-30 meters.) Position your devices so that
the number of walls or ceilings is minimized.
2. Be aware of the direct line between network devices. A wall that is 1.5 feet thick (0.5 meters), at a 45-degree
angle appears to be almost 3 feet (1 meter) thick. At a 2-degree angle it looks over 42 feet (14 meters) thick!
Position devices so that the signal will travel straight through a wall or ceiling (instead of at an angle) for better
reception.
3. Building materials make a dierence. A solid metal door or aluminum studs may have a negative eect on
range. Try to position access points, wireless routers, and computers so that the signal passes through drywall or
open doorways. Materials and objects such as glass, steel, metal, walls with insulation, water (sh tanks), mirrors,
le cabinets, brick, and concrete will degrade your wireless signal.
4. Keep your product away (at least 3-6 feet or 1-2 meters) from electrical devices or appliances that generate RF
noise.
5. If you are using 2.4 GHz cordless phones or X-10 (wireless products such as ceiling fans, lights, and home
security systems), your wireless connection may degrade dramatically or drop completely. Make sure your 2.4
GHz phone base is as far away from your wireless devices as possible. The base transmits a signal even if the
phone is not in use.

9D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 2 - Installation
1. Turn o and unplug your cable or DSL broadband modem. This is required.
2. Position your router close to your modem and a computer. Place the router in an open area of your intended
work area for better wireless coverage.
3. Unplug the Ethernet cable from your modem (or existing router if upgrading) that is connected to your
computer. Plug it into the LAN port labeled 1on the back of your router. The router is now connected to your
computer.
4. Plug one end of the included blue Ethernet cable that came with your router into the yellow port labeled
INTERNET on the back of the router. Plug the other end of this cable into the Ethernet port on your modem.
5. Reconnect the power adapter to your cable or DSL broadband modem and wait for two minutes.
6. Connect the supplied power adapter into the power port on the back of the router and then plug it into a
power outlet or surge protector. Press the power button and verify that the power LED is lit. Allow 1 minute for
the router to boot up.
7. If you are connecting to a broadband service that uses a dynamic connection (not PPPoE), you may be online
already. Try opening a web browser and connecting to a website. If the Internet LED indicator is lit, indicating a
connection on the Internet/WAN port, then the router should be able to connect to the Internet.
Manual Setup

10D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
There are several dierent ways you can congure your router to connect to the Internet and connect to your clients:
• QRS Mobile App - Use your Android device, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to congure your router. Refer to page 11.
• D-Link Setup Wizard - This wizard will launch when you log into the router for the rst time. Refer to page 16.
• Manual Setup - Log into the router and manually congure your router. Refer to page 20
Getting Started

11D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
QRS Mobile App
QRS Mobile app allows you to install and congure your router from your mobile device.
Note: The screenshots may be dierent depending on your mobile device’s OS version.
Step 1
Search for the free QRS Mobile App on the iTunes Store or Google Play.
Step 2
Once your app is installed, you may now congure your router. Connect
to the router wirelessly by going to your wireless utility on your device.
Scan for the Wi-Fi name (SSID) as listed on the supplied info card. Select
and then enter your Wi-Fi password.
Step 3
Once you connect to the router, launch the QRS Mobile app from the
Home screen of your device.
Note: The following steps show the Android interface of the QRS Mobile
app. If you are using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, the appearance may be
dierent to that of the screenshots, but the process is the same.

12D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
Step 4
You will see the welcome screen. Tap Start to proceed, then enter your
device password and tap Log In. Tap Next once the Operation Mode
screen appears.
Step 5
At this point, please ensure that you the router is connected to a
modem. Plug one end of the provided Ethernet cable into your DSL or
cable modem, and plug the other end into the port marked INTERNET
on the DIR-879. Tap Next to automatically detect your Internet
connection and proceed to the next step.

13D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
Step 6
You will be asked to congure your 2.4 GHz wireless network. Enter a
network name (SSID) of your choice, or leave it unchanged to accept the
default SSID.
Next, choose a Wi-Fi password of at least 8 characters. Any device trying
to connect to the router wirelessly will need to enter this password the
rst time it connects.
Tap Next to congure your 5 GHz wireless network. When satised tap
Next to proceed.
Step 7
Enter the administrator password of your choice. Unlike the Wi-Fi
password, this password is only required when you need to congure
the router. See "Conguration" on page 20 for details of when this
password is used. Tap Next to proceed.

14D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
Step 8
If you wish to receive push notications whenever a new rmware
update is available, check the Notify me when new rmware is
available box and tap Next.
Otherwise, just tap Next to proceed.
Step 10
You will be presented with a summary of your chosen settings.
Tap Save to complete the setup.

15D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
Congratulations, your device has been successfully congured! You can
share this information by tapping Share By E-mail, or tap Finish to exit
the app.

16D-Link DIR-879 User Manual
Section 3 - Getting Started
The wizard is designed to guide you through a step-by-step process to
congure your new D-Link router and connect to the Internet.
Click Next to continue.
Setup Wizard
If this is your rst time installing the router, open your web browser and
enter http://dlinkrouter.local./ in the address bar. Alternatively, enter
the IP address of the router (default: http://192.168.0.1). Please refer to
page 20.
Please wait while your router detects your Internet connection type. If
the router detects your Internet connection, you may need to enter your
ISP information such as username and password.
If the router does not detect a valid Internet connection, a list of
connection types to choose from will be displayed.
Select your Internet connection type (this information can be obtained
from your Internet Service Provider) and click Next to continue.