TP-Link ARCHER C3150 User manual

REV1.0.2 1910011860
Archer C3150
User Guide
AC3150 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router

Contents
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. 1. Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. 2. Main Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. 3. Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. 3. 1.Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. 3. 2.Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. 3. 3.Side Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 2. Connect the Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. 1. Position Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2. 2. Connect Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 3. Log Into Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 4. Set Up Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4. 1. Quick Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4. 2. Manually Configure Your Internet Connection Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4. 3. Setting Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 5. Guest Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5. 1. Create a Network for Guests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5. 2. Customize Guest Network Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 6. USB Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6. 1. Local Storage Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6. 1. 1.Access the USB disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6. 1. 2.Customize Your Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6. 2. Remote Access via FTP Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6. 2. 1.Access the USB disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6. 2. 2.Customize Your Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
6. 3. Media Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

6. 3. 1.Access the USB disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6. 3. 2.Customize Your Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
6. 4. Printer Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Chapter 7. Parental Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 8. Bandwidth Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter 9. Network Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
9. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
9. 2. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
9. 3. IP & MAC Binding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Chapter 10.NAT Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
10. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Virtual Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
10. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
10. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
10. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Chapter 11.VPN Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
11. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
11. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Chapter 12.Customize Your Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
12. 1. Change the LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
12. 2. Configure to Support IPTV Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
12. 3. Specify DHCP Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. 4. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
12. 5. Create Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
12. 6. Specify Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
12. 7. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
12. 7. 1.Set the Router’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
12. 7. 2.Use the WPS Wizard for Wi-Fi Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
12. 8. Schedule Your Wireless Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
12. 9. Set up a VPN Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Chapter 13.Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

13. 1. Set Up System Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
13. 2. Test the Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
13. 3. Upgrade the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
13. 4. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
13. 5. Change the Administrator Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
13. 6. Local Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
13. 7. Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
13. 8. System Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
13. 9. SNMP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
13. 10. Monitor the Internet Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
13. 11. Control LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

1
About This Guide
This guide is a complementation 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
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, 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.
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 firmware and management app can be found at Download Center at http://
www.tp-link.com/support.
• The Quick Installation Guide (QIG) 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 http://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.
This chapter contains the following sections:
• Product Overview
• Main Features
• Panel Layout

3
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
1. 1. Product Overview
What This Product Does
TP-LINK’s AC3150 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router integrates 4-port Switch, Firewall,
NAT-router and Wireless AP. Powered by 4x4 MIMO technology, this router delivers
exceptional range and speed, which can fully meet the need of office/home networks
and the users demanding higher networking performance. Your wireless connections
are radio band selectable to avoid interference in your area, and the four built-in Gigabit
ports supply high-speed connection to your wired devices.
Making Incredible Speed a Reality
With combined speeds of up to 3150Mbps, the Archer C3150 easily handles demanding
activities at the same time. The router uses the latest innovations in Wi-Fi technology to
create a faster, stronger, more reliable wireless network for your home. With the Archer
C3150, lag, dropped connections, and dead zones will become a thing of the past.
NitroQAM and 4-Stream for Maximum Wi-Fi Speed
The Archer C3150 boasts a powerful combination of advanced Broadcom® NitroQAM™
technology and 4-Stream technology, which boosts wireless speeds up by 25%.
This provides the speed and elite performance that you need to support your most
demanding online applications, including simultaneous 4K streaming and online
gaming.
More Connections and More Speed for Everyone
The Archer C3150 does more than just create faster Wi-Fi, it helps your devices achieve
optimal performance by making communication more efficient. With MU-MIMO
technology, the Archer C3150 can provide four simultaneous data streams, allowing all
connected devices to achieve speeds up to 4X faster than standard AC routers.
Moreover, dynamic Smart Connect technology automatically selects the best available
band for each device.
Extraordinary Home Entertainment
Archer C3150 can support many devices when you invite friends to your large house
to entertain. It can maintain multiple simultaneous HD streaming, online gaming and
other content consumption without lag. The Archer C3150 can provide a maximized
coverage and enable your devices to stay covered, near or far as it. Don’t let your mobile
lifestyle stop the streaming and enjoy your home party.
The Power at the Heart of Your Router
Unlike normal routers, which usually have single core processors, the Archer C3150
features a powerful 1.4GHz dual core processor.

4
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
This unlocks the full potential of MU-MIMO and 4-Stream technologies, helping your
dual band router maximize its performance potential.
Coverage for Your Entire Home
Four high-performance dual band antennas and high-powered amplifiers help create
a strong, far-reaching network for your home. Beamforming technology focuses the
Wi-Fi transmission in the direction of your connected devices, concentrating the signal
where you need it the most. This allows you to enjoy fast, stable Wi-Fi in every part of
your home, as well as on the patio, by the pool, and even in the yard.
A Router You Can Show Off
An elegant, minimalist design allows the Archer C3150 to be integrated seamlessly into
the decor of any room. The LED indicators can be switched off to prevent distraction at
night when placed in bedrooms or common spaces.
Plug Into Sharing, Plug Into Stability
You can quickly and easily share photos, music, and other files with family and friends.
Just connect an external hard drive to the Archer C3150’s USB 3.0 port or USB 2.0 port
and immediately start enjoying lightning-fast transfers. To help your wired devices
reach peak performance for smooth gaming and streaming, you can also create fast,
stable wired connections using the four Gigabit Ethernet ports, which transfer data at
speeds up to 10x higher than standard Ethernet ports.
Easy Setup and Use
Whether you prefer the powerful Tether App or the intuitive web interface, you can
set up your Archer C3150 in minutes. The Tether App allows you to manage network
settings, including parental controls and media sharing preferences, from any Android
or iOS device.
1. 2. Main Features
Wireless and Wired Performance
• Complies with IEEE 802.11ac.
• One 10/100/1000M Auto-Negotiation RJ45 Internet port, four 10/100/1000M Auto-
Negotiation RJ45 Ethernet ports, supporting Auto MDI/MDIX.
• Provides a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port supporting file sharing and print server.
• Provides WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK authentication, TKIP/AES encryption
security.
• Shares data and Internet access for users, supporting Dynamic IP/Static IP/PPPoE/
PPTP/ L2TP Internet access.

5
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
• Supports simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections for 3165Mbps of total available
bandwidth.
• Supports Virtual Server, Special Application and DMZ host.
• Supports UPnP, Dynamic DNS, Static Routing.
• Provides Automatic-connection and Scheduled Connection on certain time to the
Internet.
• Built-in NAT and DHCP server supporting static IP address distributing.
• Supports Parental Controls and Access Control.
• Connects Internet on demand and disconnects from the Internet when idle for PPPoE.
• Provides WEP encryption security and wireless LAN ACL (Access Control List).
• Supports Flow Statistics.
• Supports IPv6.
• Supports firmware upgrade and Web management.
• Supports OpenVPN server, PPTP VPN server.
• Supports beamforming technology.
• Supports Airtime Fairness technology.
• Supports MU-MIMO technology.
Note:
Future firmware upgrade is required to enable MU-MIMO technology.
1. 3. Panel Layout
1. 3. 1. Front Panel

6
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
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
(LED)
On All LEDs work normally.
Off All LEDs are off without affecting the router’s performance.
(Power)
On System initialization completes.
Flashing System initialization or firmware upgrade is in process. 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 properly.
Off The wireless 2.4 GHz band is disabled.
(Wireless 5GHz)
On The wireless 5GHz band is working properly.
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 function.
Flashing
WPS handshaking is in process and will continue for 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 The router is not in the WPS process.
(USB1)
On The USB 3.0 device is identified and ready to use.
Flashing The USB 3.0 device is being identified.
Off No USB 3.0 device is plugged into the USB port or the USB device is
not identified or USB device has been safely ejected.
(USB2)
On The USB 2.0 device is identified and ready to use.
Flashing The USB 2.0 device is being identified.
Off No USB 2.0 device is plugged into the USB port or the USB device is
not identified or 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.