TP-Link Archer AX3200 User manual

REV1.0.0 1910012844
User Guide
AX3200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router
Archer AX3200

Contents
About This Guide.........................................................................................................1
Chapter 1. Get to Know About Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1. 1. Product Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. 2. Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. 2. 1.Top Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. 2. 2.The Back and Side Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 2. Connect the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
2. 1. Position Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. 2. Connect Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 3. Log In to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 4. Set Up Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. 1. Use Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. 2. Quick Setup Via TP-Link Tether App. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. 3. Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4. 4. Set Up the Router as an Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4. 5. Set Up an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 5. TP-Link Cloud Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. 1. Register a TP-Link ID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5. 2. Change Your TP-Link ID Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5. 3. Manage the User TP-Link IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5. 3. 1.Add TP-Link ID to Manage the Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5. 3. 2.Remove TP-Link ID(s) from Managing the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5. 4. Manage the Router via the TP-Link Tether App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 6. Guest Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
6. 1. Create a Network for Guests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6. 2. Customize Guest Network Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chapter 7. Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
7. 1. Setting Up Access Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

7. 2. Monitoring Internet Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chapter 8. QoS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chapter 9. Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
9. 1. Protect the Network from Cyber Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
9. 2. Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
9. 3. IP & MAC Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Chapter 10.NAT Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
10. 1. Share Local Resources on the Internet by Port Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
10. 2. Open Ports Dynamically by Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
10. 3. Make Applications Free from Port Restriction by DMZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
10. 4. Make Xbox Online Games Run Smoothly by UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 11.VPN Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
11. 1. Use OpenVPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
11. 2. Use PPTP VPN to Access Your Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter 12.Customize Your Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
12. 1. Change the LAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
12. 2. Configure to Support IPTV Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
12. 3. Specify DHCP Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
12. 4. Set Up a Dynamic DNS Service Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
12. 5. Create Static Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
12. 6. Specify Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
12. 7. Schedule Your Wireless Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
12. 8. Use WPS for Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
12. 8. 1.Connect via the Client’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
12. 8. 2.Connect via the Router’s PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
12. 8. 3.Push the WPS Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
12. 9. Advanced Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Chapter 13.Manage the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
13. 1. Upgrade the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
13. 1. 1.Online Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
13. 1. 2.Local Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13. 2. Backup and Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13. 3. Change the Login Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

13. 4. Password Recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
13. 5. Local Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
13. 6. Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
13. 7. System Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
13. 8. Test the Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
13. 9. Set Up System Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
13. 10. Set the Router to Reboot Regularly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
13. 11. Control the LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
FAQ ................................................................................................................................86

1
About This Guide
This guide is a complement 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 note that features available of the router may vary by
model and software version. Router‘s availability may also vary by region or ISP. All
images, steps, and descriptions in this guide are only examples and may not reflect
your actual experience.
Conventions
In this guide the following conventions are used:
Convention Description
Underlined Underlined words or phrases are hyperlinks. You can click to redirect to a
website or a specific section.
Teal Contents to be emphasized and texts on the web page are in teal, 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.
*Maximum wireless signal rates are the physical rates derived from IEEE Standard 802.11
specifications. Actual wireless data throughput and wireless coverage are not guaranteed and
will vary as a result of network conditions, client limitations, and environmental factors, including
building materials, obstacles, volume and density of traffic, and client location.
*Use of 1024-QAM requires clients to also support those functions.
More Info
The latest software, management app and utility can be found at Download Center at
https://www.tp-link.com/support.
The Quick Installation Guide can be found where you find this guide or inside the
package of the router.

2
Specifications can be found on the product page at https://www.tp-link.com.
TP-Link Community is provided for you to discuss our products at
https://community.tp-link.com.
Our Technical Support contact information can be found at the Contact Technical
Support page at https://www.tp-link.com/support.

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

4
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
1. 1. Product Overview
TP-Link AX router, with next-generation 802.11ax Wi-Fi Technology, achieves Wi-
Fi performance at its ultimate level. The revolutionary combination of OFDMA and
1024QAM improve throughput by 4 times and dramatically increase the whole network
capacity and eciency. It’s also backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
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. Appearance
1. 2. 1. Top Panel
The router’s LEDs (view from left to right) are located on the front. You can check the
router’s working status by following the LED Explanation table.
LED Explanation
Status Indication
On The system has started up successfully.
Pulsing orange The system is starting up.
Solid blue The router is working normally.

5
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
Status Indication
Solid red No internet connection.
Solid orange The router is connected to the internet, but the Wi-Fi is off.
Pulsing blue
The firmware is being upgraded, WPS connection is being
established or the router is being reset. Do not disconnect or
power off your router.
Off Power is off or the LED is turned off.
1. 2. 2. The Back and Side Panel
The following parts (view from right to left) are located on the back panel.
Button and Port Explanation
Item Description
USB 2.0 Port For connecting your USB storage devices to the router.
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.
Reset Button Press and hold the button until the LED blinks to reset the router to its factory
default settings.
2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN
Port*
For connecting to your modem, the Ethernet outlet or other internet devices.
Used as the WAN or LAN port.
1 Gbps WAN/LAN Port* For connecting to your modem, the Ethernet outlet or other internet devices.
Used as the WAN or LAN port.
LAN Port (1-3) For connecting your PC or other wired devices to the router.

6
Chapter 1 Get to Know About Your Router
Note:
The 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port and 1 Gbps WAN/LAN port cannot be used as the WAN port at the same time. If you choose
to use 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port as the WAN port for internet service, the 1 Gbps WAN/LAN port will be used as LAN port
by default. It’s recommended to use 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port as the WAN port.
The following parts are located on the side panel.
Button and Port Explanation
Item Description
USB 3.0 Port For connecting your USB storage devices to the router.
(WPS Button)
Press this WPS button, and immediately press the WPS button on your client
device to start the WPS process. The LED of the router should change from
pulsing blue to solid on, indicating successful WPS connection.
(Wi-Fi Button) Press the Wi-Fi button to turn on or off the wireless function of your router.
(LED Button) Press the LED button to turn on or off the LEDs of your router.

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

8
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 devices with strong electromagnetic interference, such as
Bluetooth devices, cordless phones and microwaves.
2. 2. Connect Your Router
Before you start, turn off your modem, if any, and remove the backup battery if it has
one. And place the router horizontally and orient the antennas vertically.
Follow the steps below to connect your router.
If your internet connection is through an Ethernet cable directly from the wall instead
of through a DSL / Cable / Satellite modem, connect the Ethernet cable to the router’s
WAN port, and then follow steps 3 and 4 to complete the hardware connection.
4 3
1
Internet
1. Connect the powered-off modem to the 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port with an Ethernet
cable.
Note:
If you want to use the 1 Gbps WAN/LAN port as the WAN port instead, go to the Tether app or web management page
to configure it.
2. Turn on the modem, and then wait about 2 minutes for it to restart.
3. Connect the power adapter to the router and turn on the router.
4. Verify the LED is solid on (red or blue) before moving on.

9
Chapter 2 Connect the Hardware
5. 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 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.
Connections are available
Wireless Network Connection
TP-Link_XXXX
TP-Link_XXXX_5G_1
TP-Link_XXXX_5G_2
Connect automatically Connect
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
TP-Link_XXXX
TP-Link_XXXX_5G_1
TP-Link_XXXX_5G_2
CHOOSE A NETWORK...
Other...
< Settings
OR
Smart DeviceComputer
• Method 3: Use the WPS button
Wireless devices that support WPS, including Android phones, tablets, and most USB
network cards, can be connected to your router through this method.
Note:
• WPS is not supported by iOS devices.
• 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 for
instance.
2 ) Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your router.

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 router. The web-based
utility can be used on any Windows, Mac OS or UNIX OS with a Web browser, such as
Microsoft 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
purposes. Then click Let’s Get Started to log in.
Note:
• If the login window does not appear, please refer to the FAQ Section.
• If you have registered a TP-Link ID and bound your cloud router to it, the login password you created here will be
invalid. Please log in to the cloud router using your TP-Link ID.

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
• Quick Setup Via TP-Link Tether App
• Manually Set Up Your Internet Connection
• Set Up the Router as an Access Point
• Set 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 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. Follow the step-by-step instructions to complete Quick Setup configuration or go
to Advanced > Quick Setup for configuration to connect your router to the internet.
Then follow the step-by-step instructions to connect your router to the internet.
3. To enjoy a more complete service from TP-Link (remote management, TP-Link DDNS,
and more.), log in with your TP-Link ID or click Sign Up Now to get one. Then follow the
instructions to bind the cloud router to your TP-Link ID.
Note:
• To learn more about the TP-Link Cloud service, please refer to the TP-Link Cloud Service section.
• If you do not want to register a TP-Link ID now, you may click Skip to proceed.
• 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. Quick Setup Via TP-Link Tether App
The Tether app runs on iOS and Android devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
1. Launch the Apple App Store or Google Play store and search “TP-Link Tether” or
simply scan the QR code to download and install the app.

14
Chapter 4 Set Up Internet Connection
OR
2. Connect your device to the router’s wireless network.
3. Launch the Tether app, tap the +button and select Router >Wireless Router. Follow
the steps to complete the setup and connect to the internet.
4. Connect your devices to the newly configured wireless networks of the router and
enjoy the internet!
4. 3. 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 your TP-Link ID or the password you set for
the router.
2. Go to Internet.
3. Select your internet connection type from the drop-down list.
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.

15
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.

16
Chapter 4 Set Up Internet Connection
4 ) If you choose L2TP, 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.
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.
5. Click Save.
Tips:
• 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.
• If you still cannot access the internet, refer to the FAQ section for further instructions.