TP-Link's guest network article says to log in to the router's web interface and go to Advanced, Guest Network, turn the guest network on for the band you want, set a name, choose security, with WPA/WPA2 Personal as the usual choice and the default version and encryption left alone, and set a password. You can set different access options for guest users to protect the privacy and security of the main network, for example whether guests can see each other or reach the local network.
The checks in more detail
The guest network is separate from the main network by default on many models, so a visitor's phone cannot reach your printer or drives. If guests cannot connect, check the guest network is enabled and saved, that the name is typed exactly, that the password is right and that the band suits their device. If guests connect but have no internet, check the main network works and that the guest network is not limited by access control.
Guest options are not available in Access Point mode on some models, since several features depend on the WAN. Turn the guest network off when not needed, and change its password now and then. Do not share the admin login with guests. Give the guest network a password even if you only need it briefly, and change it after a party, because guests will pass it on and it is much easier than remembering to switch the network off.
Check what the guest network can reach, and whether it limits speed, so that visitors do not slow down your own devices. Consider a separate guest name that makes the purpose obvious, and change its password after events, since guests share passwords freely and a stale one lets old visitors keep using your connection. If you rent a room or run a small office, a guest network with its own password and access limits is a cheap way to keep visitors' devices away from your files and printers.
Differential
Likely causes of “TP-Link Archer routers guest network cannot reach devices, cast or print”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The guest network is off
What separates it There is nothing to join because the guest network has not been enabled
How to confirm Enable the guest network for the band that you want, and save the setting
- 2
Wrong password
What separates it The join fails because the guest password was typed wrongly or has been changed
How to confirm Reset the password for the guest network, and give the new one to your guests
- 3
Isolation
What separates it The guest cannot reach local devices because isolation keeps the guest network apart
How to confirm Use the main network for the devices that need to reach each other
- 4
The wrong band
What separates it Old devices cannot see the guest network because it is on a band they do not support
How to confirm Enable the 2.4 GHz band for the guest network, which older devices can see
- 5
AP mode
What separates it The options are missing because the router is running in AP mode
How to confirm Use router mode, since guest network options are limited in AP mode
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The guest name, band and security
- Whether the guest network is enabled, and on which band
- What the guest device cannot reach on the network
- Which mode the router is in
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedOpen Guest Network
ReversibleOpen Guest Network, which you find under Advanced in the router's menu, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Enable it
ReversibleEnable it for the band that you want, either 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or both of them.
Name it
ReversibleName the guest network and set a password, so that only your guests can join it.
Choose security
ReversibleChoose the security type, using WPA/WPA2 Personal, which works with most devices, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Set access options
ReversibleSet access options, for example turning isolation on or off, as your needs require, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Save and test
ReversibleSave the settings, and test by joining a phone to the guest network, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Bands
- Dual-band models have a guest network per band; tri-band and quad-band models add more.
- Menus
- Older models place Guest Network under Wireless.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Archer AX73 router, Archer AX55 router.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If guests cannot get online while the main network can, contact TP-Link support
- !If a smart device needs both networks, keep it on the main one
- !If the option is missing, check the model
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Enabling and securing the guest network.
Guest network on the newer interface.
Features lost in AP mode.
Internet IP, MAC clone and LAN IP.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Where is the guest network?+
The guest network is under Advanced, and then Guest Network, in the router's menu.
Which security should I choose?+
Choose WPA/WPA2 Personal, which is compatible with most devices.
Can guests see my devices?+
Guests cannot see your devices when isolation is turned on.
Can I set access options?+
Yes, you can set access options, such as whether guests can see each other.
Does it need a password?+
Yes, it should have a password, so that strangers cannot join it.
Does AP mode limit it?+
On some models AP mode limits the guest network options.
Can I limit guest speed?+
On some models you can limit the guest speed, so guests cannot use all the bandwidth.
Should I change the password?+
Change the password now and then, particularly after you have shared it with visitors.