TP-Link doesn't own tplinklogin.net anymore, but TP-Link doesn't seem to mind

It’s been reported that two of TP-Link’s URLs used for configuring routers are now no longer owned by them. TP-Link says it’s not a big deal because those URLs haven’t been in use since 2014 anyway. The URLs in question will be familiar to anyone who’s setup TP-Link routers in the past. The URLs are tplinklogin.net and tplinkextender.net. They’re now appear to be on sale. A TP-Link official sent SlashGear, who had originally reported on the issue, a mail stating that TP-Link has not been using that URL and that the domain, tplinklogin.net, hasn’t been used since 2014. He also adds that the following domains are used to access their consumer products.

• Router: http://tplinkwifi.net
• DSL: http://tplinkmodem.net
• Range Extender: http://tplinkrepeater.net
• Wireless PLC: http://tplinkplc.net

The URLs are important as they will, by default, redirect you to your router, which is usually given an IP address of 192.168.1.1 or something similar. While it’s obviously not a big deal that TP-Link has let two of its domains lapse, it does seem a bit unnecessary to let domain names that you used to own and that were, at one point, associated with your brand, lapse in that fashion. What’s more serious is that since these websites were initially used to configure routers, people will be familiar with these URLs and it’s likely that the same will be used for phishing attacks and the like. Routers that rely on those URLs for configuration will likely redirect traffic to the router anyway, however. SlashGear reports that instead of trying to buy back the domains, TP-Link is simply updating its online documentation.