---
title: "TP-Link Archer login, restart, firmware and UPnP: a practical guide"
url: "https://kilobat.app/routers/tp-link-archer"
description: "Sign in to a TP-Link Archer router, restart and update it, see devices, set UPnP, QoS, Smart Connect, channels, mesh, guest Wi-Fi and DNS, and save the log."
---

Router · TP-Link

# TP-Link Archer login, restart, firmware and UPnP

TP-Link Archer routers share one web interface at `tplinkwifi.net`. You can also manage most of them in the TP-Link Tether app, and some newer features live only in the app.

TP-Link Archer router

Sign in

`tplinkwifi.net` or `192.168.0.1`

App

The TP-Link Tether app (iOS and Android)

Password

Newer models ask you to create your own admin password on first login. If you later bound the router to a TP-Link ID, you sign in with that account instead. The Wi-Fi name and password printed on the router’s label are only for joining the network.

Models

Archer BE series, Archer AXE series, Archer AX series, Archer C series, Archer A series, Archer GX90

**Checked 1 November 2026.** Archer routers with the current blue web interface (menus as of 2026), as described in TP-Link’s Wi-Fi Router User Guide (For Web). Some models use **System Tools** where newer ones say **System**. DSL modem routers use `tplinkmodem.net` instead.

## Sign in to the TP-Link Archer router

**Factory default.** Some older models use `admin` as both the default username and password. Change it to your own password straight away under **Advanced › System › Administration**.

1. Connect your Mac to the router by Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
2. Type `tplinkwifi.net` or `192.168.0.1` in the browser’s address bar, not a search box.
3. If the browser shows a privacy warning, click **Advanced** and continue. The router uses a self-signed certificate.
4. Enter your admin password or TP-Link ID and sign in.

If `tplinkwifi.net` won’t load, turn off any VPN or proxy and try the IP address. Forgot the password? Click **Forgot password** if you use a TP-Link ID or set up password recovery. Otherwise hold the **Reset** button about 6 seconds until the power light blinks. That erases all settings.

## Restart it properly

1. Sign in to the web interface.
2. Go to **Advanced › System › Reboot**.
3. Click **REBOOT**. Devices lose internet for a few minutes.

A restart keeps your settings. On some models the reboot page is under **Advanced › System Tools › Reboot**.

### Schedule a restart

1. Go to **Advanced › System › Reboot**.
2. Tick **Enable** next to **Reboot Schedule**.
3. Set the **Reboot Time** and how often it should **Repeat**.
4. Click **SAVE**.

The schedule follows the router’s clock. Check the time zone under **Advanced › System › Time & Language** first.

**Kilobat can help.** Kilobat Pro’s [router check-up](https://kilobat.app/docs/home-network#router-checkup) learns how fast this router usually answers, says when a restart is due, and checks the next day whether it helped.

## Update the firmware

1. Go to **Advanced › System › Firmware Update**. Some models call it **Firmware Upgrade**.
2. Turn on **Auto Update**, pick an **Update Time** and save.
3. To update now, click **CHECK FOR UPDATES**, then **UPDATE** if a new version appears.
4. In the Tether app, tap **More › System › Firmware Update**, then **Update**.

Online updates need a TP-Link Cloud model. For others, download the file for your exact hardware version (shown on the label as “Ver”) from TP-Link’s site for your region, and upload it under **Local Update** over Ethernet. Don’t power off the router during an update. Read the release notes: some updates reset settings, so back up first under **Advanced › System › Backup & Restore**.

[The maker’s firmware download page](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/)

## See connected devices

1. Sign in and open **Network Map**.
2. Click **Clients** to list every device on your network.
3. From the list you can block a device or set a **Speed Limit** for it.
4. Click **Mesh Devices** to see any extenders or satellite routers.

**Kilobat can help.** Kilobat’s [new-device alerts](https://kilobat.app/docs/home-network#new-devices) tell you when a device you haven’t seen joins your home Wi-Fi. **Tools › Devices** lists what answers on the network, and you can name each one.

## UPnP and port forwarding

TP-Link routers support UPnP. It is on by default on most models, though TP-Link says some ship with it off.

1. Sign in to the web interface.
2. Go to **Advanced › NAT Forwarding › UPnP**.
3. Toggle it on or off.

UPnP has no password: any app on your network can ask the router to open a port, including malware. TP-Link’s advice is to turn it off if you don’t need it, keep the firmware current and check the router’s UPnP table for ports you don’t recognise. Forward ports by hand under **Advanced › NAT Forwarding › Port Forwarding** instead.

### NAT-PMP

TP-Link’s guides don’t mention NAT-PMP. UPnP is the only automatic port-opening switch.

**Kilobat can help.** On supported routers, Kilobat’s [call reports](https://kilobat.app/video-calls) can read available traffic counters, read-only, to identify another device that was busy when a call froze. Correlation does not prove the cause. Kilobat never opens ports.

## Prioritise calls and gaming

Archer QoS gives chosen devices more bandwidth for a set time when the line is busy. Where it lives depends on the model.

1. Go to **Advanced › QoS › Device Priority**. Some models only offer **Application Priority**.
2. Click the edit button and set the total bandwidth to your plan’s speed.
3. Toggle **Priority** on for a device.
4. Click its **Timing** entry to choose how long it stays prioritised.

On HomeShield models, such as the Archer AX73, QoS is in the Tether app under the **HomeShield** tab instead. Older models without HomeShield or HomeCare use **Advanced › QoS › Settings** with priority rules.

**Kilobat can help.** Run Kilobat’s [stutter test](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/test-call-stutter) before and after you change priorities, to see whether calls really got smoother.

## 2.4 and 5 GHz, and the channel

With **Smart Connect** on, 2.4 and 5 GHz share one Wi-Fi name and devices are moved to the best band.

1. Go to **Advanced › Wireless › Wireless Settings**.
2. Switch **Smart Connect** on to merge the bands.
3. Untick it to give each band its own name and password, then click **SAVE**.

### Change the channel

1. Go to **Advanced › Wireless › Wireless Settings**.
2. Pick a **Channel** for the band instead of **Auto**.
3. Leave **Channel Width** at its default unless you have a reason to change it.
4. Click **SAVE**.

TP-Link recommends **Auto** unless your Wi-Fi drops out intermittently.

**Kilobat can help.** Kilobat shows which band and channel your Mac is on, and `kilobat channels` suggests the least crowded channel. More in [crowded Wi-Fi channels](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-channel-congestion) and [Wi-Fi on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/wifi-analyzer-mac).

## Mesh: which node a device uses

Many Archer routers can form a mesh with compatible TP-Link extenders or routers. Older models use OneMesh; newer ones use EasyMesh.

1. Go to **Advanced › EasyMesh** (or **Advanced › OneMesh**) and turn it on.
2. Click **ADD SATELLITE DEVICES** and follow the steps, or press WPS on the router and extender within 2 minutes.
3. Open **Network Map › Mesh Devices** to see the satellites and their clients.

Not every model supports mesh, and some need a firmware update first. TP-Link keeps a compatibility list for OneMesh devices.

**Kilobat can help.** When your Mac moves to another node or band, Kilobat’s Health says so, so a weaker node isn’t taken for a router problem. See [find a better Wi-Fi spot](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/find-better-wifi-spot).

## Guest network

1. Go to **Advanced › Wireless › Guest Network**.
2. Tick **Enable** for the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest network and set a name.
3. Choose a **Security** type and password, then click **SAVE**.
4. Click **Share Network** to show the name and password to guests.

Under **Guest Permissions**, leave **Allow guests to access your local network** unticked so guests can’t reach your devices. Some models also offer a speed limit and an **Effective Time** for the guest network.

**Kilobat can help.** Kilobat can show a network as a QR code, so guests join with their phone’s camera: [share Wi-Fi with a QR code](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/share-wifi-qr-code).

## DNS settings

1. Go to **Advanced › Network › Internet**.
2. Open **Advanced Settings** and choose **Use the following DNS addresses**. Some models show the fields directly.
3. Enter a **Primary DNS** and **Secondary DNS**, then click **SAVE**.
4. Restart the router under **Advanced › System › Reboot** so the change takes effect.

**Kilobat can help.** Before you change DNS, [compare resolvers with Kilobat](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/pick-faster-dns) to see which answers fastest from your home.

## Connection status and logs

1. Open **Network Map** and click **Internet** for a quick status check.
2. For detail, go to **Advanced › Network › Status**. It shows the connection type, WAN IP, gateway and DNS servers.
3. Go to **Advanced › System › System Log** and click **SAVE TO LOCAL** to download the log.
4. To test the line, use **Advanced › System › Diagnostics** to ping or trace a host.

If the IP address and DNS show blank or `0.0.0.0`, the router has no internet connection from your modem or provider.

**Kilobat can help.** When the line keeps dropping, Kilobat’s [provider report](https://kilobat.app/docs/health#report) lists outages, latency and speed tests against your plan, ready to send to your provider.

## Manuals and downloads

- [TP-Link Archer BE550 user guide (PDF)](https://www.tp-link.com/us/document/28568/)
- [TP-Link Wi-Fi Router User Guide (For Web)](https://www.tp-link.com/us/document/111906/)
- [TP-Link Archer AX73 online user guide](https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/archer-ax73_v1/)
- [Firmware downloads](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/)

Links go to the maker’s own pages.

## Questions

**Why can’t I sign in with my Wi-Fi password?**

The web interface uses a separate admin password, or your TP-Link ID if you bound the router to one. The Wi-Fi password on the label only joins the network.

**Do I need the Tether app?**

Not for most settings, but HomeShield features such as its QoS and parental controls are only in the app. Uploading a firmware file by hand needs the web interface.

## Sources

- [TP-Link Support: How to Log In to Your TP-Link Router](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/87/)
- [TP-Link: Wi-Fi Router User Guide (For Web)](https://www.tp-link.com/us/document/111906/)
- [TP-Link Support: How to Update Firmware on TP-Link Wi-Fi Routers](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/2796/)
- [TP-Link Support: TP-Link UPnP: What It Is and How to Enable It](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/4624/)
- [TP-Link Support: How to Change DNS Settings on a TP-Link Router](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1712/)
- [TP-Link Support: How to set up QoS using TP-Link Wi-Fi Router](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1104/)
- [TP-Link: Archer AX73 V1 User Guide, Chapter 15 Manage the Router](https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/archer-ax73_v1/chapter-15-manage-the-router)
- [TP-Link: Archer AX73 V1 User Guide, Chapter 9 HomeShield](https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/archer-ax73_v1/chapter-9-homeshield)
- [TP-Link: Archer AX73 V1 User Guide, Chapter 10 OneMesh with Seamless Roaming](https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/archer-ax73_v1/chapter-10-onemesh-with-seamless-roaming)

Checked on 1 November 2026.

## See what your router can’t tell you

Kilobat is a Mac menu-bar app that watches the network from your side: which app is using it, whether the Wi-Fi, the router or the provider is slow, and why a call froze.

[Download for Mac ↓](https://kilobat.app/downloads/Kilobat-1.31.1.dmg?via=site)

```
brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat
```

## More router guides

- [AmpliFi](https://kilobat.app/routers/amplifi): AmpliFi is Ubiquiti’s consumer mesh Wi-Fi line, with a touchscreen router and MeshPoints.
- [Apple AirPort](https://kilobat.app/routers/apple-airport): AirPort Extreme, AirPort Time Capsule and AirPort Express are Apple’s Wi-Fi base stations.
- [ASUS router](https://kilobat.app/routers/asus): ASUS RT, ROG Rapture, TUF Gaming and ZenWiFi routers all run ASUSWRT.
- [Cudy Wi-Fi router](https://kilobat.app/routers/cudy): Cudy’s Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems, such as the WR3000 and M3000, share one web interface at cudy.net.