2 ways to set up TP-Link WiFi 6 . router

Just bought a brand new TP-Link WiFi 6 router and want to configure it for the first time? Do you need to set up your TP-Link router without an Ethernet cable, using only your laptop or smartphone and WiFi? Here is the most complete guide on how to set up any TP-Link WiFi 6 router so you can start using your network as quickly as possible.

Prepare

Before you begin the setup process, do this first:

1. If you just bought a new TP-Link router or received it from someone else, see the sticker with the technical details at the bottom:
2. Look for the default access address, like tplinkwifi.net or 192.168.0.1.
3. Searching for SSID fields shows you the names of the wireless network bands emitted by the TP-Link router.
4. Find the wireless password or PIN used by default.

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Write down those details, as they will be helpful during setup. You should also know the Internet connection details from your provider: The type of Internet connection you have, any required usernames and passwords, and other connection details.

Next, connect the router to a power source, using the power adapter that came with the router. Use a network cable to connect the TP-Link WiFi 6 router to your modem, router, or Internet service provider (ISP) network. Plug this cable into the WAN port on the back of the router, which is a different color than the other Ethernet ports. On the TP-Link Archer AX10, the WAN port is blue. Last but not least, press the power button on the back of the router to turn it on.

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Look at the LEDs on the front of the TP-Link WiFi 6 router. Wait for them to light up and work properly. The Internet connection LED will light orange or red because your router cannot connect to the Internet yet.

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Connect your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet to the broadcast network using the TP-Link WiFi 6 . router

If you have a desktop or laptop computer that you plan to use to set up your TP-Link router, you may want to connect it to your router by plugging a network cable into one of the available Ethernet ports.

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If you don't have a network cable or prefer to use WiFi, use your laptop to connect to the wireless network emitted by the TP-Link router. See connection details found on the sticker mentioned earlier in this guide. If you need help connecting to a wireless network, read: How to enable WiFi on Windows 10.

If you prefer a mobile device like an Android smartphone or an iPhone, connect it to a WiFi router using the TP-Link WiFi 6 router.

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Now that you are connected to the network managed by the TP-Link WiFi 6 router, you can set it up. If you're using a desktop or laptop computer, open a web browser and follow the next section in this guide. If you're using a smartphone or tablet, read how to use TP-Link's Tether app to set up your router.

How to configure TP-Link WiFi 6 router from a web browser

On your laptop or PC, open your favorite browser and go to tplinkwifi.net or 192.168.0.1. This will load TP-Link's setup wizard, which begins by asking you to create an admin password for the router. Enter the password, confirm it and press 'Let's Get Started' . This password must be at least 6 characters and include at least two of the following types of characters: Letters, numbers, and symbols.

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Tip : If the setup page does not load, it means that your TP-Link router has a different IP address than the one that the article mentioned earlier. To help you find it, read: How to find router IP address on any platform.

In the next step, the TP-Link WiFi 6 router will ask you to select the time zone you are in. This allows the router to synchronize the time and related settings with your Internet service provider and also adjust its settings based on the region you are in, as well as the accompanying legal requirements. Click inside the Time Zone drop-down list , select the appropriate time zone for your country and click Next.

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The TP-Link setup wizard asks you to select the type of Internet connection you have. If you don't know, you should press AUTO DETECT and wait for a few seconds. The router should do a good job of detecting your Internet connection type. After the connection type is selected, click Next.

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Depending on the type of Internet connection, you may need to enter additional information that the TP-Link router uses to connect to the Internet:

1. Static IP - You need to provide the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server that the TP-Link router should use to connect to the Internet.
2. Dynamic IP - The router automatically gets an IP address from the ISP and asks if you want it to use the default MAC address or a custom one.
3. PPPoE - You need to enter the username and password used to connect to the Internet. Your ISP will provide this information.
4. L2TP - Enter the username and password used to connect to the Internet. You also need to enter VPN Server IP or Domain Name. Your ISP may share this information with you.
5. PPTP - Enter the username and password used to connect to the Internet. Check if you are using dynamic or static IP and enter VPN Server IP or Domain Name. Your ISP provides this information.

When you are done entering the requested information, click Next.

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Now it's time to personalize the wireless settings on your TP-Link router. By default, Smart Connect enabled routers use the same network name for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. While this is easy to use for most people, you may want to separate the WiFi networks that are broadcast on each band. If this is the case, clear the Smart Connect check box .

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Check the box that says 'Set Each Band Separately' and you can set up WiFi on each individual band. Enter the network name you want to use for the 2.4GHz band and the password that people will use to connect to it. Then do the same for the 5GHz band and press Nest.

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Note : You can set up different network names and passwords for each band. However, for the sake of simplicity, you may just want to use different network names to distinguish each band, and the same password on both.

Again, make sure that the WiFi password is not the same as the admin password for the router. If they are the same, anyone with access to the WiFi can hack or change your TP-Link WiFi 6 router settings easily.

After you have set up the wireless settings, the TP-Link router will check if it can connect to the Internet. If the check is successful, the router will look for firmware updates and if it finds any, it will ask you to upgrade. If you followed this recommendation, wait for the upgrade to take a few minutes and wait for your router to reboot. The setup wizard will then display a summary of your installation.

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Important Note : If the Internet connection test fails, the setup will also fail. The TP-Link router asks you to retry the same test or go back to the step where you selected the Internet connection type. If that happens, make sure that all cables are correctly connected to the router and that you have entered the correct Internet connection information. If you are unsure about this, you should connect to a technical support service provided by your ISP, TP-Link, or both.

After you press Next , TP-Link asks if you want to log in and link the router with your TP-Link ID, so that you can manage your network remotely using the mobile Tether app. If you want that, enter the email address and password associated with your TP-Link ID, or hit Sign Up and instantly create a free account.

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The initial setup is finally over and you can view the router's firmware settings and change other aspects of the router's operation.

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Your network is working now and you can connect all your devices to it.

How to configure TP-Link WiFi 6 router with Tether mobile app

Another way to set up a TP-Link router is to use the free Tether mobile app available for both Android and iOS. Install it on your smartphone, connect the smartphone to the WiFi emitted by the TP-Link router, then open the Tether app. After a few seconds, it will detect the correct model of the TP-Link router. Click the router's name.

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If the application indicates that it has detected an unknown device that is generically listed as a TP-Link router, you should try again. Also, make sure that you are connecting to the WiFi that is coming from the router you want to set up and not to another router.

You are then asked to create a password to manage the TP-Link router. Password must be at least 6 characters and include letters, numbers or special characters. Enter the password, confirm, then click Create.

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You must select the Internet connection type. This choice is the most important in the entire setup process. If you don't know your exact connection type, you can press Auto Detect and have your TP-Link router detect it for you. Then, click Next.

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Enter the necessary information to connect the TP-Link WiFi 6 router to the Internet. Here is the information that you must enter, depending on the type of Internet connection:

1. Static IP - You need to provide IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server.
2. Dynamic IP - The router automatically gets an IP address from the ISP and asks if you want it to use the default MAC address or a custom one.
3. PPPoE - You need to enter the username and password used to connect to the Internet.
4. L2TP - Enter the username and password used to connect to the Internet, as well as the VPN Server IP or Domain Name.
5. PPTP - Enter the username and password used to connect to the Internet. Check if you are using dynamic or static IP and enter VPN Server IP or Domain Name.

When you have finished entering the requested details, click Next.

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First, you are required to set up the 2.4GHz wireless band on the router. Enter the network name and password you want to use for WiFi and then click Next.

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Next, you are asked to set up the 5GHz band. Again, enter the network name and password, and then click Next. You can use the same password as for the 2.4GHz band, but it would be better to use a different network name to distinguish the two bands.

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You are shown a summary of your settings. Click Apply and the TP-Link router starts using them.

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Your smartphone is now disconnected from the WiFi emitted by the TP-Link router, because the router now uses a different network name and password. On your smartphone, reconnect to WiFi, this time using the network name and password you set earlier. When done, go back to the Tether app and tap 'I'm connected'.

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The Tether application checks your network connection, and if the router can connect to the Internet without problems, you will see a Congratulations message . Click Finish.

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Note : If the network connection test is successful, the router will also check for firmware updates and if it finds any errors, it will ask you to upgrade. If you followed this recommendation, wait for the upgrade to take a few minutes and wait for the router to reboot.

At the end of the setup wizard, you'll be asked if you want to link your TP-Link ID to your router so you can manage it remotely anywhere on the Internet, even if your phone isn't working. Your smart is not connected to WiFi. If you press Bind Now , you will be asked to enter your login information or register and create a free TP-Link ID now.

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If you don't want this, press Cancel and you're done with the initial setup. You can now use the Tether app to set up other aspects of your TP-Link WiFi 6 router. You can also connect all your computers and devices to the network.

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Enjoy using your TP-Link WiFi 6 router!

Hope you are succesful.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 29 May 2021