TP-Link Archer C2600 User manual

REV1.3.0 1910011921
AC2600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router
Archer C2600
User Guide

Contents
About This Guide ...............................................................................................1
Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. 1. Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. 2. Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. 2. 1.Top View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. 2. 2.The Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. 2. 3.The Side 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. Setting Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 5. Guest Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. 1. Create a Network for Guests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5. 2. Customize Guest Network Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 6. USB Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6. 1. Local Storage Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6. 1. 1.Access the USB disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6. 1. 2.Customize Your Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6. 2. Remote Access via FTP Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6. 2. 1.Access the USB disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6. 2. 2.Customize Your Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6. 3. Media Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6. 3. 1.Access the USB disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

6. 3. 2.Customize Your Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6. 4. Printer Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 7. Parental Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Chapter 8. QoS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8. 1. Prioritize Internet Traffic with QoS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
8. 2. Update the Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 9. Network Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
9. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9. 2. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
9. 3. IP & MAC Binding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 10.NAT Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
10. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
10. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
10. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
10. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter 11.VPN Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
11. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
11. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Chapter 12.Customize Your Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
12. 1. Change the LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
12. 2. Configure to Support IPTV Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
12. 3. Specify DHCP Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
12. 4. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
12. 5. Create Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
12. 6. Specify Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
12. 7. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. 7. 1.Set the Router’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. 7. 2.Use the WPS Wizard for Wi-Fi Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chapter 13.Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
13. 1. Set Up System Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

13. 2. Test the Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
13. 3. Upgrade the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
13. 3. 1.Online Upgrade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
13. 3. 2.Local Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
13. 3. 3.Restore Interrupted Upgrade after Power Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
13. 4. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
13. 5. Change the Administrator Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
13. 6. Password Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
13. 7. Local Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
13. 8. Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
13. 9. System Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
13. 10. Monitor the Internet Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
13. 11. Control LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
FAQ .....................................................................................................................93

1
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.
When using this guide, please notice that features of the router may vary slightly
dependingonthe model andsoftwareversionyouhave,andonyourlocation,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
Blue Italic Hyperlinks are in blue italic. You can click to redirect to a website or a specific section.
Blue Contents to be emphasized and texts on the web page are in blue, including the
menus, items, buttons, and so on.
>
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.
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 web
page
• 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.
More Info
The latest software, management app and utility are 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.

Chapter 1
Get to Know About Your
Router
This chapter introduces what the router can do and shows its main features and
appearance.
It contains the following sections:
• Product Overview
• Panel Layout

3
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 and the powerful Tether app.
1. 2. Panel Layout
1. 2. 1. Top View
The router’s LEDs are located on the top panel (view from top to bottom).You can check
the router’s working status by following the LED Explanation table.
LED Explanation
Name Status Indication
(Power)
On System initialization is complete.
Flashing The system is initializing or the firmware is being upgraded. Do not
disconnect or power off the router.
Off Power is off. Please ensure that the power adapter is connected
correctly.
(Wireless 2.4GHz)
On The wireless 2.4GHz band is working normally.
Off The wireless 2.4 GHz band is disabled.

4
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
LED Explanation
Name Status Indication
(Wireless 5GHz)
On The wireless 5GHz band is working normally.
Off The wireless 5GHz band is disabled.
(Internet)
White The router is connected to the Internet.
Orange The WAN port is connected, but there is no Internet connection.
Off The WAN port is not connected.
(LAN)
On At least one LAN port is connected.
Off No LAN port is connected.
(WPS)
On A wireless device has been successfully added to the network by
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) function.
Flashing
WPS is in progress. This will take about 2 minutes. Please press the
WPS button on other wireless devices that you want to add to the
network while the LED is flashing.
Off WPS is not working.
(USB)
On The USB device is ready to use.
Flashing The USB device is being identified.
Off No USB device is plugged into the USB port or the USB device is not
identified or the USB device has been safely ejected.
Note:
After a device is successfully added to the network by WPS function, the WPS LED will keep on for about 5 minutes
and then turn off.
1. 2. 2. The Back Panel
The router’s back panel shows the connection ports, buttons and antennas (view from
left to right). Refer to the following for detailed instructions.

5
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
Item Description
Ethernet Ports(1/2/3/4) For connecting your PCs or other wired network devices to the router.
Internet Port For connecting to a DSL/Cable modem, or Ethernet port.
Power Port For connecting the router to a power socket via the provided power adapter.
Power On/Off Button Press this button to power on or off the router.
Antennas Used for wireless operation and data transmitting. Upright them for the best Wi-Fi
performance.
1. 2. 3. The Side Panel
The router’s side panel shows the USB ports and buttons (view from left to right). Refer
to the following for detailed instructions.
Item Description
USB 3.0 For connecting to a 3.0 USB storage device or a 3.0 USB
printer. It is also compatible with USB 2.0 devices.
WiFi On/Off Button Press this button for about 2 seconds to turn on or off
the wireless function of your router.
WPS Button
Press this button, and immediately press the WPS
button on your client device. The WPS LED of the
router should change from flashing to solid on,
indicating successful WPS connection.
Reset Button Press this button for about 5 seconds to reset the
router to its factory default settings.

Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
This chapter contains the following sections:
• Position Your Router
• Connect Your Router

7
Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
2. 1. Position Your Router
• The product should not be located where it will be exposed to moisture or excessive
heat.
• Place the router in a location where it can be connected to multiple devices as well as
to a power source.
• Make sure the cables and power cord are safely placed out of the way so they do not
create a tripping hazard.
• The router can be placed on a shelf or desktop.
• Keep the router away from devices with strong electromagnetic interference, such as
Bluetooth devices, cordless phones and microwaves.
2. 2. Connect Your Router
1. 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 Internet port, then follow step 4 and 5 to complete the hardware connection.
Modem
Router
Internet
Power Adapter
Power Adapter
1 ) Turn off the modem, and remove the backup battery if it has one.
2 ) Connect the modem to the Internet port on your router with an Ethernet cable.
3 ) Turn on the modem, and then wait about 2 minutes for it to restart.

8
Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
4 ) Turn on the router.
5 ) Verify that the hardware connection is correct by checking these LEDs.
On
Internet
5GHz
On
Power
On
2.4GHz
On
Tips: If 2.4GHz LED and 5GHz LED are off, press the WPS/Wi-Fi On/Off button for about 2 seconds, and then
check the LEDs again in a few seconds.
2. 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/PIN printed on the label
at the bottom of the router.
2 ) Click the network icon of your computer or go to Wi-Fi Setting of your smart
device, and then select the SSID to join the network.
Connections are available
Wireless Network Connection
Connect automatically Connect
√
TP-LINK_XXXX
TP-LINK_XXXX_5G
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
TP-LINK_XXXX
TP-LINK_XXXX_5G
CHOOSE A NETWORK...
Other...
< Settings
OR
Smart DeviceComputer
• 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.
• TheWPS function cannot be configured if the wireless function of the router is disabled. Also, theWPS 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.

9
Chapter 2
Connect the Hardware
2. Immediately press the WPS button on your router.
Close to

Chapter 3
Log In to Your Router

11
Chapter 3
Log In to Your Router
With a web-based utility, it is easy to configure and manage the rouer. The web-based
utility 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. Set up the TCP/IP Protocol in Obtain an IP address automatically mode on your
computer.
2. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with the username and password you set for the
router. The default one is admin for both username and password.
Note:
If the login window does not appear, please refer to the FAQ Section.

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
• Setting Up an IPv6 Internet Connection

13
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 Setting Up an IPv6 Internet Connection.
Follow the steps below to set up your router.
1. Visit http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in with the username and 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:
During the quick setup process:
• If you are not sure of the Internet Connection Type, please click Auto Detect or contact your ISP for Internet
connection information.
• If you have changed the preset wireless network name (SSID) and wireless password, 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 username and 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 what your connection type is, click Auto Detect. Since different connection types need 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 need to select whether to clone the MAC address.
Dynamic IP users are usually equipped with a cable TV or fiber cable.

14
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.

15
Chapter 4 Set Up Internet Connection
4 ) If youchooseL2TP,entertheusername and passwordandchoosetheSecondary
Connection provided by your ISP. Different parameters are needed according
to the Secondary Connection you have chosen.
5 ) If you choose PPTP, enter the username and password, and choose the
Secondary Connection provided by your ISP. Different parameters are needed
according to the Secondary Connection you have chosen.

16
Chapter 4 Set Up Internet Connection
5. Click Save to make the settings take effect. To check your Internet connection, click
Network Map on the left of the page.
Note:
It may take 1-2 minutes to make the settings valid.
6. After the connection succeed, the screen will display as follows. Here we take PPPoE
as an example.
Tips:
1. If your Internet connection type is Bigpond Cable, please go to Advanced > Network > Internet.
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.