Hello everybody! In this video, I’m going to tell you how
to configure Wi-Fi routers by TP-Link with your smartphone and a special application. The standard web interface of the router menu
is not very comfortable to use from a mobile device as the letters and symbols are too
small so you have to zoom in and out all the time. However, TP-Link has been thinking about their
customers and finally released TP-LINK Tether – a very good application for smartphones
and tablet PCs to make their lives easier. You can use it to view the device information
and connection settings, manage your Wi-Fi router, and modify the settings. The application is available for the two most
popular platforms – iOS and Android. It supports iOS from version 7 and higher,
and Android from version 4.
In this video, I’ll be using Android 8.1
for demonstration. Later in the video, we’ll have a look at
basic capabilities of TP-LINK Tether, and I’ll also show you how to quickly modify
main router settings using this tool. The application supports almost all popular
router models by this manufacturer. I’ll illustrate its work with the example
of TP-LINK Archer C20. For starters, download the app from AppStore
or PlayMarket depending on your particular mobile device and install it; you can find
all the links in the description below the video. Getting connected to the router
To make the application see your router, you should get connected to it through Wi-Fi. If you’ve been using the router for some
time, it means you are likely to be already connected. If you want to configure a new router, find
the standard name and password for connecting on a sticker attached to the bottom side of
the device.
When the application starts for the first
time, you’ll see a summary of its capabilities. Scroll it away and tap to start. If you are connected to a network, you’ll
see the router name as well as its MAC address. To get to the main screen and manage your
router, enter the name and password combination – by default, they are admin and admin,
or use your own details if you have already modified the default information. Main screen
The main screen is divided into several areas, one of them – a kind of control panel that
shows information about your Wi-Fi connection and the guest network in real time. By tapping on the router symbol, you will
see its name, model, firmware and hardware versions.
Clients
In the Clients tab, the application shows all devices connected to this network, their
connection types and IP-addresses. By tapping on one of the connected devices,
you can also learn its MAC-address and block the device if you want. This function can be useful if an unwanted
stranger connects to your network somehow. You can also change the client icon or name. A short joke:
Wikipedia: I know everything Facebook: I know everyone
Google: I have everything Internet: You are nothing without me
Electricity: Keep talking guys! Tools
Go to the next tab – Tools – and it has much more options than the previous two.
“Wireless” contains only the most essential
Wi-Fi network settings. You can turn wireless networks on or off,
change the network name, password and security options. If you have guest network enabled, it will
also be shown here. “Internet connection” is one of the most
important sections which is used when configuring the router for the first time or switching
to another Internet provider. If your provider doesn’t support automatically
assigned addresses or uses PPTP connections, you can use this function to configure settings
according to your provider’s data. Choose connection type and enter details,
specify username and password, IP address and so on. “Parental controls” let you configure
a list of supervised devices, specify permitted websites and set up access schedule.
“Network diagnostics” lets you check your
connection to the router and to the Internet. “Guest network” allows setting up local
access to the internet for your guests – with a password protection or without it. “Share password” – the name speaks for
itself: you can view the password to the network or get a QR code to access it. In the last line, “System,” you can modify
administrator’s account data or specify a new name and password, as well as reboot
the router or reset it to factory settings. Summing up, I can say: although TP-LINK Tether
tool includes only a few functions, it does provide access to all essential router settings. Its simple interface will never confuse you
– unlike the standard administrator’s menu that opens in your browser. This application gives a good start for quick
router setup, but advanced users looking for more detailed settings will have to use the
web interface anyway. To enter the web interface from your smartphone,
connect to your Wi-Fi network, specify the router address, administrator’s login and
password. There’s a detailed guide on setting up a
router in another video by our channel; check the link in the description.
And that is all for now. I hope you find this video useful. Hit the Like button and subscribe to our channel. Leave comments to ask questions. Thank you for watching. Good luck..
