TP-Link TL-WR542G User manual

TL-WR542G
54M Wireless Router
Rev: 1.0.2
1910010065

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Specifications are subject to change without notice. is a registered
trademark of TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Other brands and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
No part of the specifications may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to
make any derivative such as translation, transformation, or adaptation without permission
from TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Copyright © 2008 TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES
CO., LTD. All rights reserved.

FCC STATEMENT
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/ TV technician for help.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1) This device may not cause harmful interference.
1) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment. This device and its antenna must not be co-located or
operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
“To comply with FCC RF exposure compliance requirements, this grant is applicable to
only Mobile Configurations. The antennas used for this transmitter must be installed to
provide a separation distance of at least 20 cm from all persons and must not be

co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.”
CE Mark Warning
This is a class B product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

National Restrictions
2400.0-2483.5 MHz
Note：It’s not used outdoors in France.
Country Restriction Reason/remark
Bulgaria General authorization required for outdoor
use and public service
France Outdoor use limited to
10 mW e.i.r.p. within
the band 2454-2483.5
MHz
Military Radiolocation use. Refarming of
the 2.4 GHz band has been ongoing in
recent years to allow current relaxed
regulation. Full implementation planned
2012
Italy If used outside of own premises, general
authorization is required
Luxembourg None General authorization required for network
and service supply(not for spectrum)
Norway Implemented This subsection does not apply for the
geographical area within a radius of 20 km
from the centre of Ny-Ålesund
Russian
Federation
Only for indoor applications

Package Contents
The following contents should be found in your box:
¾One TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router
¾One AC power Adapter for TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router
¾Quick Installation Guide
¾One Resource CD for TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router, including:
•This Guide
•Other Helpful Information
)Note:
Make sure that the package contains the above items. If any of the listed items are
damaged or missing, please contact with your distributor.
Conventions
The router or TL-WR542G mentioned in this guide stands for TL-WR542G 54Mbps
Wireless Router without any explanation.

CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Introduction..............................................................................1
1.1 Overview of the Router.................................................................................... 1
1.2 Features .......................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Panel Layout ................................................................................................... 2
1.3.1 The Front Panel ....................................................................................... 2
1.3.2 The Rear Panel........................................................................................ 3
Chapter 2. Connecting the Router ............................................................5
2.1 System Requirements..................................................................................... 5
2.2 Installation Environment Requirements........................................................... 5
2.3 Connecting the Router .................................................................................... 5
Chapter 3. Quick Installation Guide..........................................................7
3.1 TCP/IP configuration ....................................................................................... 7
3.2 Quick Installation Guide .................................................................................. 9
Chapter 4. Configuring the Router..........................................................12
4.1 Login............................................................................................................. 12
4.2 Status............................................................................................................ 13
4.3 Quick Setup................................................................................................... 14
4.4 Network ......................................................................................................... 15
4.4.1 LAN........................................................................................................ 15
4.4.2 WAN....................................................................................................... 15
4.4.3 MAC Clone............................................................................................. 27
4.5 Wireless ........................................................................................................ 28
4.5.1 Wireless Settings ................................................................................... 28
4.5.2 MAC Filtering ......................................................................................... 33
4.5.3 Wireless Statistics.................................................................................. 36
4.6 DHCP ............................................................................................................ 37
4.6.1 DHCP Settings....................................................................................... 37
4.6.2 DHCP Clients List .................................................................................. 38
4.6.3 Address Reservation.............................................................................. 39
4.7 Forwarding .................................................................................................... 40
4.7.1 Virtual Servers........................................................................................ 40
4.7.2 Port Triggering ....................................................................................... 42
4.7.3 DMZ ....................................................................................................... 44
4.7.4 UPnP...................................................................................................... 45
4.8 Security ......................................................................................................... 46
4.8.1 Firewall................................................................................................... 46
4.8.2 IP Address Filtering................................................................................ 47
4.8.3 Domain Filtering..................................................................................... 50

4.8.4 MAC Filtering ......................................................................................... 51
4.8.5 Remote Management............................................................................. 53
4.8.6 Advanced Security ................................................................................. 54
4.9 IP & MAC Binding Setting ............................................................................. 56
4.9.1 Binding Setting....................................................................................... 56
4.9.2 ARP List ................................................................................................. 58
4.10 Static Routing................................................................................................ 59
4.11 DDNS ............................................................................................................ 60
4.11.1 Dyndns.org DDNS.................................................................................. 60
4.11.2 Oray.net DDNS ...................................................................................... 61
4.11.3 Comexe.cn DDNS.................................................................................. 61
4.12 System Tools ................................................................................................ 62
4.12.1 Time....................................................................................................... 63
4.12.2 Firmware ................................................................................................ 64
4.12.3 FactoryDefaults..................................................................................... 65
4.12.4 Backup and Restore............................................................................... 65
4.12.5 Reboot ................................................................................................... 66
4.12.6 Password ............................................................................................... 66
4.12.7 Log......................................................................................................... 67
4.12.8 Statistics................................................................................................. 68
Appendix A: FAQ .........................................................................................70
Appendix B: Configuring the PC ................................................................75
Appendix C: Specifications ........................................................................79
Appendix D: Glossary .................................................................................80

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Chapter 1. Introduction
Thank you for choosing TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router.
1.1 Overview of the Router
The TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router integrates 4-port Switch, Firewall, NAT-router and
Wireless AP. Its design is dedicated to Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) wireless network solutions.
The TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router will allow you to connect your network wirelessly better
than ever, sharing Internet Access, files and fun, easily and securely.
In the most attentive wireless security, the TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router provides
multiple protection measures. It can be set to turn off wireless network name (SSID) broadcast so
that only stations that have the SSID can be connected. The router provides wireless LAN
64/128/152-bit WEP encryption security, and WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
authentication, as well as TKIP/AES encryption security. It also supports VPN pass-through for
sensitive data secure transmission.
The TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router complies with the IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11b
standards so that the data transmission rate is up to 54Mbps. It adopts 2x to 3x eXtended Range™
WLAN transmission technology so that the transmission distance is 2-3 times of traditional IEEE
802.11g and IEEE 802.11b solutions, up to a distance of 855.36m tested in China. The transmission
range is extended to 4-9 times. It is compatible with all IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11b products.
The TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router provides flexible access control so that parents or network
administrators can establish restricted access policies for children or staff. It has built-in NAT and
DHCP server supporting static IP address distributing. It also supports Virtual Server and DMZ host
for Port Triggering needs, and remote management and log so that network administrators can
manage and monitor the network in real time. This device supports Bridge mode which can make
two APs communicate with each other wirelessly.
The TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router is easy-to-manage. Quick Setup is supported and
friendly help messages are provided for every step. So you can configure it quickly and share
Internet access, files and fun.
1.2 Features
¾Complies with IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u standards.
¾1 10/100M Auto-Negotiation RJ45 WAN port, 4 10/100M Auto-Negotiation RJ45 LAN ports,
supporting Auto MDI/MDIX.

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¾Adopts 2x to 3x eXtended Range™ wireless LAN transmission technology.
¾Supports 54/48/36/24/18/12/9/6Mbps or 11/5.5/3/2/1Mbps data transfer rates.
¾Provides WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK authentication, TKIP/AES encryption security.
¾Shares data and Internet access for users, supporting PPPoE, Dynamic IP, Static IP, L2TP,
PPTP, Big Pond Cable Internet access.
¾Supports Virtual Server, Special Application and DMZ host.
¾Supports UPnP, Dynamic DNS, Static Routing, VPN Pass-through.
¾Detachable reverse SMA connector Antenna.
¾Connecting Internet on demand and disconnecting from the Internet when idle for PPPoE.
¾Built-in NAT and DHCP server supporting static IP address distributing.
¾Built-in firewall supporting IP address filtering, Domain Name filtering, and MAC address
filtering.
¾Supports connecting/disconnecting from the Internet on a specified time of day.
¾Supports access control, parents and network administrators can establish restricted access
policies based on time of day for children or staff.
¾Provides 64/128/152-bit WEP encryption security and wireless LAN ACL (Access Control
List).
¾Supports Flow Statistics.
¾Supports ICMP-FLOOD, UDP-FLOOD, and TCP-SYN-FLOOD filter.
¾Ignores Ping packets from WAN or LAN ports.
¾Supports firmware upgrade.
¾Supports Web management.
1.3 Panel Layout
1.3.1 The Front Panel
The Router’s LEDs are located on the front panel (View from left to right). Table 1-1 describes the
LEDs on the front panel of the router.

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Figure 1-1 Front Panel sketch
Name Status Indication
Off Power off
PWR
On Power on
On The router is initializing or maybe has a system error.
Flashing The router is working properly
SYS
Off The router has a hardware error
Off There is no wireless device linked to the router
WLAN
Flashing The Wireless function is enabled
Off There is no device linked to the corresponding port
On There is a device linked to the corresponding port but no
activity
WAN,1-4
Flashing There is an active device linked to the corresponding port
Table 1-1 The LEDs description
1.3.2 The Rear Panel
The following parts are located on the rear panel (View from left to right).

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¾AC power socket:Please use the power adapter which is supplied with the TL-WR542G
54Mbps Wireless Router only, the use of a different adapter may result
in product damage.
¾LAN 1,2,3,4: Four 10/100Mbps RJ45 LAN ports for connecting the router to the local
PC(s)
¾WAN: This WAN port is where you will connect the cable/DSL Modem, or
Ethernet
¾Reset button:
There are two ways to reset the router's factory defaults:
1) Use the Factory Defaults function on System Tools -> Factory Defaults page in the
router's Web-based Utility.
2) Use the Factory Default Reset button: First, turn off the router's power. Second, press
and hold the default reset button then turn on the router's power, until the SYS LED lights
up (about 3 seconds). Last, release the reset button and wait for the router to reboot.
)Note: Ensure the router is powered on before it restarts completely.
¾Wireless antenna
Figure 1-2 Rear Panel sketch

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Chapter 2. Connecting the Router
2.1 System Requirements
¾Broadband Internet Access Service (DSL/Cable/Ethernet)
¾One DSL/Cable modem that has an RJ45 connector (you do not need it if you connect the
router to the Ethernet)
¾Each PC in the LAN needs a working Ethernet Adapter and an Ethernet cable with RJ45
connectors
¾TCP/IP protocol must be installed on each PC
¾Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Netscape Navigator 6.0 or later
2.2 Installation Environment Requirements
¾Do not place in direct sunlight or near a heater or heating vent
¾Do not cluttered or crowded. There should be at least 2 inches (5 cm) of clear space on all
sides of the router
¾Well ventilated (especially if it is in a closet)
¾Operating temperature: 0 ~40 (32 ~104 )℃℃℉ ℉
¾Operating Humidity: 10%~90%RH, Non-condensing
2.3 Connecting the Router
Before you install the router, you should connect your PC to the Internet through your broadband
service successfully. If there is any problem, please contact your ISP. After that, please install the
router according to the following steps. Don't forget to pull out the power plug and keep your
hands dry.
1. Power off your PC, Cable/DSL Modem, and the router.
2. Locate an optimum location for the router. The best place is usually near the center of the
area in which your PC will connect wirelessly. The place must accord with the Installation
Environment Requirements.
3. Adjust the direction of the antenna. Normally, upright is a good direction.
4. Connect the PC(s) and each Switch/Hub in your LAN to the LAN Ports on the router, shown

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in Figure 2-1. (If you have the wireless NIC and want to use wireless function, you can skip
this step.)
5. Connect the DSL/Cable Modem to the WAN port on the router, shown in Figure 2-1.
6. Connect the AC power adapter to the AC power socket on the router, and the other end into
an electrical outlet. The router will start to work automatically.
7. Power on your PC and Cable/DSL Modem.
Figure 2-1 Hardware Installation of the TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router

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Chapter 3. Quick Installation Guide
After connecting the TL-WR542G Router into your network, you should configure it. This chapter
describes how to configure the basic functions of your TL-WR542G Wireless Router. These
procedures only take you a few minutes. You can access the Internet via the router immediately
after successfully configuring.
3.1 TCP/IP configuration
The default IP address of the TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router is 192.168.1.1. And the
default Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0. These values can be seen from the LAN. They can be
changed as you desire, as an example we use the default values for description in this guide.
Connect the local PC to the LAN ports of the router. There are then two ways to configure the IP
address for your PC.
¾Configure the IP address manually
1) Set up the TCP/IP Protocol for your PC. If you need instructions as to how to do this,
please refer to Appendix B: "Configuring the PC."
2) Configure the network parameters. The IP address is 192.168.1.xxx ("xxx" is from 2 to
254), Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0, and Gateway is 192.168.1.1 (The router's default
IP address)
¾Obtain an IP address automatically
1) Set up the TCP/IP Protocol in "Obtain an IP address automatically" mode on your PC.
If you need instructions as to how to do this, please refer to Appendix B: "Configuring the
PC."
2) Power off the router and PC. Then turn on the router and restart the PC. The built-in
DHCP server will assign IP address for the PC.
)Note: For Windows 98 OS or earlier, the PC and router may need to be restarted.
Now, you can run the Ping command in the command prompt to verify the network connection
between your PC and the router. The following example is in Windows 2000 OS.
Open a command prompt, and type ping 192.168.1.1, and then press Enter.
If the result displayed is similar to that shown in Figure 3-1, the connection between your PC and
the router has been established.

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Figure 3-1 Success result of Ping command
If the result displayed is similar to that shown in Figure 3-2, it means that your PC has not
connected to the router.
Figure 3-2 Failure result of Ping command
Please check the connection following these steps:
1. Is the connection between your PC and the router correct?
)Note:
The 1/2/3/4 LEDs of LAN port which you link to on the router and LEDs on your PC's adapter
should be lit.
2. Is the TCP/IP configuration for your PC correct?

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)Note:
If the router's IP address is 192.168.1.1, your PC's IP address must be within the range of
192.168.1.2 ~ 192.168.1.254, the gateway must be 192.168.1.1.
3.2 Quick Installation Guide
With a Web-based (Internet Explorer or Netscape®Navigator) utility, it is easy to configure and
manage the TL-WR542G 54Mbps Wireless Router. The Web-based utility can be used on any
Windows, Macintosh or UNIX OS with a Web browser.
Connect to the router by typing http://192.168.1.1 in the address field of Web browser.
Figure 3-3 Login the router
After a moment, a login window will appear similar to that shown in Figure 3-4. Enter admin for
the User Name and Password, both in lower case letters. Then click the OK button or press the
Enter key.
Figure 3-4 Login Windows
)Note:
If the above screen does not pop-up, it means that your Web-browser has been set to a proxy. Go
to Tools menu>Internet Options>Connections>LAN Settings, in the screen that appears, cancel
the Using Proxy checkbox, and click OK to finish it.
If the User Name and Password are correct, you can configure the router using the Web browser.
Please click the Quick Setup link on the left of the main menu and the Quick Setup screen will
appear.

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Figure 3-5 Quick Setup
Click Next, and then Choose WAN Connection Type page will appear, shown in Figure 3-6.
Figure 3-6 Choose WAN Connection Type
The router supports three popular ways to connect to Internet. Please select one compatible with
your ISP. Click Next to enter the necessary network parameters.
If you choose "PPPoE", you will see this page shown in Figure 3-7:
Figure 3-7 Quick Setup - PPPoE
¾Account Name and Password - Enter the Account Name and Password provided by your
ISP. These fields are case sensitive. If you have difficulty with this process, please contact
your ISP.
If you choose "Dynamic IP", the router will automatically receive the IP parameters from your ISP
without needing to enter any parameters.
If you Choose "Static IP", the Static IP settings page will appear, shown in Figure 3-8:

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Figure 3-8 Quick Setup - Static IP
)Note: The IP parameters should have been provided by your ISP.
¾IP Address - This is the WAN IP address as seen by external users on the Internet (including
your ISP). Enter the IP address into the field.
¾Subnet Mask - The Subnet Mask is used for the WAN IP address, it is usually 255.255.255.0
¾Default Gateway - Enter the gateway IP address into the box if required.
¾Primary DNS - Enter the DNS Server IP address into the boxes if required.
¾Secondary DNS - If your ISP provides another DNS server, enter it into this field.
After you complete the above, click Next, the Wireless settings page will appear, shown in Figure
3-9.
Figure 3-9 Quick Setup - Wireless settings
In this page, you can configure the following wireless parameters:
¾Wireless Radio - Indicates whether the Access Point feature of the router is enabled or
disabled. If disabled, the WLAN LED on the front panel will not be lit and the wireless
stations will not be able to access the router. If enabled, the WLAN LED will be lit up and
wireless stations will be able to access the router.