Wireless Router RT-AC66U Worksheet

Quick Internet Setup (QIS)

• The Quick Internet Setup (QIS) function helps quickly configure your internet connection.
• Before using QIS, press the reset button on your router to restore factory settings.
• The router will auto-detect your ISP connection type (Dynamic IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, and Static IP).

Configuring the Wireless Router

• The wireless router auto-detects your internet connection type when you configure it for the first time or reset to its default settings.
• If the auto-detection fails, manually configure your connection settings.
• Assign a wireless network name (SSID) and security key for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless connections.
• To connect a computer or a smart device to the network, select the wireless network you want to connect to, then click Connect.
• You may need to enter the security key for a secured wireless network.

Configuring the General Settings

• Network Map allows you to configure security settings, monitor devices, and manage clients.
• You can set up different wireless security settings for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
• To protect your wireless network, configure the SSID, security level, and encryption settings.
• The IEEE 802.11n standard prohibits using High Throughput with WEP or WPA-TKIP as the unicast cipher. If those methods are used, the data rate will drop to IEEE 802.11g 54Mbps connection.
• To manage network clients, select the Client Status icon to see client information. You can block a client by selecting it and clicking "block".

Monitoring the USB Device

• There are two USB 2.0 ports to connect USB devices or USB printers. Connect a USB device to the USB 2.0 port for file sharing and printer access.
• Ensure the USB storage device is formatted and partitioned properly.
• The USB ports support two USB drives or one printer and one USB drive at the same time.
• To use the USB device, create a share account with permissions.
• To monitor the USB device, select the USB Disk Status icon to see information.
• To set up an FTP server for Internet file sharing, use AiDisk Wizard.

Safely Removing the USB Disk

• Incorrect removal of the USB disk may cause data corruption.
• To safely remove it, click "Eject USB Disk" in the upper right corner. When the disk is successfully ejected, the USB status shows "Unmounted".

Creating a Guest Network

• A guest network allows temporary access to the internet without access to your private network.
• The RT-AC66U supports up to six SSIDs (three 2.4GHz and three 5GHz SSIDs).
• To create a guest network, enable it and assign a wireless name for your temporary network.
• Choose an Authentication Method, Encryption method, and Access Time. Optionally, access to the intranet can be disabled.

Using Traffic Manager

• QoS (Quality of Service) allows you to prioritize bandwidth and manage network traffic.
• The default rule prioritizes online gaming and web surfing over P2P applications (peer-to-peer applications such as Bit Torrent).
• You can set up bandwidth priority and get bandwidth information from your ISP.
• If QoS is turned off, P2P applications will have the highest priority. This can cause lag during web surfing.
• If you want to prioritize specific network applications and services, select "User-defined QoS rules" or "User-defined Priority".
• You can add rules, defining source IP or MAC, destination port, protocol, transferred data, and priority.

Using the Parental Control

• Parental control allows you to set time limits for specific clients to limit their Wi-Fi access.
• Ensure the client name does not contain special characters, spaces, or spaces.

Using USB Applications

• USB applications include AiDisk, Servers Center, Network Printer Server, and Download Master submenus.
• To use the server functions, insert a USB storage device into the USB 2.0 port on the rear panel of the wireless router. Ensure the USB storage device is formatted and partitioned properly.

Using AiDisk

• AiDisk allows you to share files stored on a connected USB device via the internet.
• AiDisk helps you set up ASUS DDNS and an FTP server.
• You can access the FTP site via a web browser or a third-party FTP client utility.

Using Servers Center

• Serves Center allows you to share media files from the USB disk:
  • Media Server: Allows DLNA-supported devices to access multimedia files from the USB disk.
  • Network place (Samba) Share: Allows you to set up accounts and permissions for the Samba service.
  • FTP Share: Enables an FTP server to share files from the USB disk to other devices via your local area network or internet.

Using 3G/4G

• 3G/4G USB modems can be connected to the RT-AC66U for internet access.
• Visit the ASUS website for a list of compatible USB modems.
• Select the provider’s location, internet service provider (ISP), Access Point Name (optional), dial number, PIN code, username/password, and USB adapter.
• The router will reboot for settings to take effect.

Using AiCloud

• AiCloud is a cloud service application that allows you to save, sync, share, and access your files.

Using Cloud Disk

• To create a cloud disk, insert a USB storage device into the wireless router, turn on Cloud Disk and log in to https://www.asusnetwork.net with your router’s login account and password.
• Access Cloud Disk files from devices connected to the network.

Using Smart Access

• Smart access allows you to easily access your home network via your router's domain name.
• Use your router's domain name with "asuscomm.com".

Using Smart Sync

• Smart Sync allows you to sync files between the router and your ASUS WebStorage account.
• Select ON to enable Sync, add a new account, and choose the directory that you want to sync.

Configuring Advanced Settings

• The Wireless > General tab allows you to configure basic wireless settings.

Wireless Basic Settings

• Select 2.4GHz or 5GHz as the frequency band for your wireless network.
• Assign a unique name for your SSID (Service Set Identifier). Wi-Fi devices can identify and connect to the wireless network using this SSID.
• You can assign unique SSIDs for the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequency bands.
• Select "Yes" to hide the SSID so wireless devices cannot detect it. Manually enter this SSID on the wireless device.
• Select the wireless mode to determine the types of wireless devices that can connect to your wireless router:
  • Auto: Allows 802.11AC, 802.11n, 802.11g, and 802.11b devices to connect.
  • Legacy: Allows 802.11b/g/n devices to connect.

Wireless Settings

• 802.11n hardware has a maximum speed of 54Mbps.
• Select N only to maximize wireless N performance and prevent older 802.11g and 802.11b devices from connecting.
• Auto channel selection allows the router to automatically choose the channel with the least interference.
• 40MHz bandwidth maximizes wireless throughput, while 20MHz is recommended if there are connection issues.
• Open System authentication provides no security.
• Shared Key requires WEP encryption and a shared key.
• WPA/WPA2 Personal/WPA Auto-Personal provides strong security using either WPA (with TKIP) or WPA2 (with AES) and requires a WPA passphrase.
• WPA/WPA2 Enterprise/WPA Auto-Enterprise offers very strong security via an integrated EAP server or an external RADIUS authentication server.
• WEP Encryption can be disabled or set to 64-bit (weak) or 128-bit (improved).
• WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) allows easy wireless network connection using either a PIN code or a WPS button.
• WPS supports Open System, WPA-Personal, and WPA2-Personal authentication methods.
• WPS doesn't support Shared Key, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, and RADIUS encryption methods.
• Wireless Bridge (WDS) lets the router connect to another access point, preventing other devices from accessing it.
• AP Only disables the wireless bridge.
• WDS Only enables the bridge but prevents other devices from connecting.
• HYBRID enables the bridge and allows other devices to connect but with half the connection speed.
• Wireless MAC Filter controls packets transmitted to specific MAC addresses.
• Accept allows devices on the MAC filter list to access the network.
• Reject prevents devices on the MAC filter list from accessing the network.
• RADIUS Setting provides extra security when using WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, or Radius with 802.1x authentication.
• Professional Settings offer advanced configuration options and it's recommended to use the default values.
• Enable Radio allows or disables wireless networking.
• Date and Time to Enable Radio sets specific days and times for wireless networking to be enabled.
• Set AP Isolated prevents wireless devices on the network from communicating with each other, helpful for guest networks.
• Multicast Rate controls the multicast transmission rate.
• Preamble Type defines the time the router spends on CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) to detect errors.
• RTS Threshold improves wireless communication in busy networks.
• DTIM Interval sets the time before a signal is sent to a sleeping device indicating data is available.
• Beacon Interval sets the time between DTIMs.
• Enable TX Bursting improves transmission speed for 802.11g devices.
• Wireless Multicast Forwarding allows or prevents multicast traffic forwarding.
• Enable WMM APSD improves power management between wireless devices.
• TX Power Adjustment controls the milliWatts (mW) needed to power the radio signal output of the router.

LAN Settings

• LAN IP tab allows modifying the LAN IP settings, which affects DHCP settings.
• DHCP Server assigns IP addresses automatically to devices on the network.
• Enable Manual Assignment allows manually assigning IP addresses to specific MAC addresses.
• Route tab allows configuring a routing table to share the same internet service across multiple routers.
• IPTV tab provides configuration settings for IPTV, VoIP, multicasting, and UDP services.

WAN Settings

• Internet Connection tab configures various WAN connection types like Automatic IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, and Fixed IP.
• Enable WAN allows or disables internet access.
• Enable NAT enables network address translation, allowing multiple devices with private IPs to access the internet via a single public IP address.
• Enable UPnP allows devices to be controlled via an IP-based network with or without a central control.
• Connect to DNS Server allows the router to automatically obtain the DNS IP address from the ISP.
• Authentication allows entering login information required by some ISPs.
• Host Name is the name the router uses to connect to the ISP.
• MAC Address is the unique identifier of the router. Some ISPs may require matching the MAC address of the previous device.
• Port Trigger opens a predetermined incoming port for a limited time when a client on the network makes an outgoing connection to a specific port.
• Virtual Server/Port Forwarding directs network traffic from the internet to specific ports on devices on the local network, allowing remote access to services on the network.

Port Forwarding

• Port Forwarding allows devices on external networks to access specific devices or services inside the local network.
• This is useful for running servers, hosting websites, or allowing remote access to specific applications.
• It is important to avoid assigning the port range 20:21 for FTP servers, as this conflicts with the router's default FTP server setting.
• To enable Port Forwarding, choose 'YES' in the router settings.
• Use a static IP address for the client that will receive forwarded packets to ensure port forwarding works properly.
• Port forwarding can be configured for a server located behind a router.

Port Triggering

• Unlike port forwarding, which requires a static IP address for the client, port triggering allows dynamic port forwarding.
• This means that the router only opens the port for a limited period of time when an application is making an outgoing connection.
• This makes port triggering more secure than port forwarding.
• It is useful for applications that only require incoming connections for a short period of time, such as online gaming.

DMZ (De-Militarized Zone)

• DMZ exposes one client to the internet, allowing it to receive all inbound packets directed to the local network.
• It is useful when you need incoming ports open or you want to host a domain, web, or email server.
• Be cautious, as DMZ can make the network vulnerable to outside attacks.
• To set up DMZ, enter the IP address of the client you want to assign to it in the router settings.

DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System)

• DDNS allows you to access the router from outside the network using a DNS name instead of the WAN IP address.
• This is useful if your WAN IP address changes frequently.
• You can use the ASUS DDNS service or another third-party DDNS service.
• DDNS service will not work if the router is using a private WAN IP address or if the router is on a network that uses multiple NAT tables.

NAT Passthrough

• NAT Passthrough allows VPN connections to pass through the router to network clients.
• PPTP Passthrough, L2TP Passthrough, IPsec Passthrough, and RTSP Passthrough are enabled by default.
• To enable or disable NAT Passthrough settings, go to Advanced Settings > WAN > NAT Passthrough in the router settings.

IPv6

• The wireless router supports IPv6 addressing, a system that supports more IP addresses.
• This standard is not yet widely available.
• Contact your ISP to see if your internet service supports IPv6.
• To set up IPv6, go to Advanced Settings > IPv6 in the router settings and select your connection type.

VPN Server

• A VPN server provides a secure connection to a remote computer or network using a public network such as the internet.
• To set up a VPN connection, you need the IP address or domain name of the VPN server you are trying to access.
• To set up access to a VPN server, go to Advanced Settings > VPN server in the router settings.
• Enable the PPTP Server, Network Place (Samba) Support, and enter a username and password.

Firewall

• The wireless router has a built-in firewall that is enabled by default.
• You can configure basic firewall settings, such as enabling or disabling the firewall, enabling DoS protection, and monitoring packet exchanges.
• There are three types of firewall filters: URL Filter, Keyword Filter, and Network Services Filter.

URL Filter

• URL Filter blocks specific websites or URLs.
• It works by blocking DNS queries for the specified websites.
• To set up a URL Filter, go to Advanced Settings > Firewall > URL Filter in the router settings.

Keyword Filter

• Keyword Filter blocks websites containing specific keywords.
• It works by blocking DNS queries for websites containing the specified keywords.
• To set up a Keyword Filter, go to Advanced Settings > Firewall > Keyword Filter in the router settings.

Network Services Filter

• Network Services Filter blocks specific network services, such as Telnet or FTP.
• There are two filter types: Black List (blocks specified network services) and White List (limits access to only specified network services).
• To set up a Network Services filter, go to Advanced Settings > Firewall > Network Services Filter in the router settings.

Operation Mode

• The Operation Mode page allows you to choose the right mode for your network.
• The default mode is Wireless router mode, where the router connects to the internet and provides internet access to devices on the local network.
• Media Bridge mode requires two wireless routers, where the second router serves as a media bridge to connect multiple devices.
• Access Point mode creates a new wireless network on an existing network.

System Settings

• The System page allows you to configure settings like changing the router login password, WPS button behavior, time zone, NTP server, Telnet services, authentication method, web access from WAN, and client list.
• To set up the System settings, go to Advanced Settings > Administration > System in the router settings.

Firmware Upgrade

• Firmware upgrades allow you to update the software on the router to improve security, performance, and add new features.
• You can download the latest firmware from the ASUS website.
• To upgrade the firmware, go to Advanced Settings > Administration > Firmware Upgrade in the router settings.

Restore/Save/Upload Settings

• You can restore the router to factory settings, save the current settings, or upload a saved settings file.
• To access these options, go to Advanced Settings > Administration > Restore/Save/Upload Setting in the router settings.

System Log

• The System Log contains information about network activities.
• It includes logs for DHCP leases, wireless activity, port forwarding, and routing tables.
• To access the System Log, go to Advanced Settings > System Log in the router settings.

Device Discovery

• This ASUS WLAN utility used to detect the router device and configure wireless networking settings.
• You can use it to find the router's IP address when it's in Access Point mode.

Firmware Restoration

• This utility is used to restore the router to a working state if the firmware upgrade process failed.
• It involves putting the router in rescue mode by holding the Reset button while plugging in the router.
• You will need to set up your computer's TCP/IP settings with a static IP address before using this utility.

EZ Printer Sharing

• This utility allows you to connect a USB printer to the router's USB port and set up a print server.
• This lets network clients print and scan files wirelessly.
• The utility is supported on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

Using LPR to Share Printer

• You can use the LPR/LPD protocol to share your printer with Windows and Mac computers.
• This involves setting up a standard TCP/IP port on the printer's properties.

Download Master

• This utility lets you download files even when your devices are switched off.
• You need to connect a USB device to the router to use this utility.

Download Master

• You can download files, even when your devices are switched off.
• Download Master is a utility that helps you download files even while your laptops or other devices are switched off.
• You need a USB device connected to the wireless router to use Download Master.
• You can add torrent, HTTP, or FTP downloads.

BitTorrent Settings

• To configure BitTorrent settings, launch the BitTorrent Setting page from Download Master's navigation panel.
• Select a specific port, set speed limits, manage the number of peers, and enable or disable file encryption.

NZB Settings

• Set up a USENET server to download NZB files.
• Apply settings after entering USENET settings.

Basic Troubleshooting

• Upgrade firmware to the latest version by checking for updates in the Firmware Upgrade tab.
• Download the latest firmware from the ASUS global website.
• Locate the firmware file and upload it to upgrade the firmware.
• Restart the network by turning off the modem, unplugging the modem, turning off the router and computers, plugging in the modem, turning on the modem and waiting 2 minutes, turning on the router and waiting 2 minutes, and finally turning on computers.
• Ensure Ethernet cables are plugged correctly by checking the WAN LED for the connection between the router and modem and LAN LEDs for the connection between computers and the router.
• Verify that wireless settings on computers match the router's SSID, encryption method, and password.
• Ensure correct network settings by checking if each client has a valid IP address.
• Use the router's DHCP server to assign IP addresses to computers on the network.
• Some cable modem service providers require the MAC address of the computer initially registered on the account. View the MAC address in the Network Map > Clients page by hovering over the device in Client Status.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• If you cannot access the router GUI using a web browser, check the Ethernet cable connection and LED status.
• Ensure correct login information (default: admin/admin) and disable Caps Lock.
• Delete cookies and files in the web browser.
• Disable proxy server settings, cancel the dial-up connection, and set the TCP/IP settings to obtain IP addresses automatically.
• Use CAT5e or CAT6 ethernet cables.

Client Cannot Establish Wireless Connection

• Out of Range: Move the router closer to the wireless client and adjust antennas.
• DHCP server is disabled: Enable the DHCP Server in the Advanced Settings > LAN > DHCP Server, Basic Config list.
• SSID is hidden: Unhide the SSID and select Auto on Control Channel in Advanced Settings > Wireless > General.
• Wireless channel mismatch: Check if the wireless channel in use conforms to the channels available in your country/area. Adjust the channel, channel bandwidth, and wireless mode if needed.
• Reset to factory default settings: Click Restore in Administration > Restore/Save/Upload Setting.

Internet Not Accessible

• Check if the router can connect to the ISP's WAN IP address under General > Network Map.
• Restart the network if the router cannot connect to the ISP's WAN IP address.
• Check if the device is blocked by Parental Control.
• Reboot the computer and verify the network's IP address and gateway address.
• Check the status indicators on the ADSL modem and wireless router.
• Reset the router to the default settings for a new SSID and encryption key.
• Access the web GUI, go to Network Map, click the router icon, enter a new SSID and encryption key, and click Apply.

Firmware Upgrade Failed

• Run the Firmware Restoration utility in rescue mode.

Cannot Access Web GUI

• Disable proxy server: Use browser settings to disable the proxy server.
• Set TCP/IP settings: Configure your computer's TCP/IP settings to obtain an IP address automatically.
• Disable dial-up connection: Disable the dial-up connection in browser settings.

Notices

• ASUS provides recycling and takeback programs for responsible recycling of products, batteries, components, and packaging.
• ASUS complies with the REACH regulatory framework, providing information on chemical substances in products at the ASUS REACH website.
• This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
• It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device.
• Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
• Prohibition of Co-location: This device and its antenna(s) must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
• This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator and your body.
• This device within the 5.15 ~ 5.25 GHz is restricted to indoor operations to reduce any potential for harmful interference to co-channel MSS operations.

Test your knowledge about the RT-AC66U Wireless Router's features and specifications. This quiz covers topics such as connectivity options, temperature ranges, and setup requirements. See how well you understand this popular router model!