Switch Wireless On or Off Through Cisco LED Button (WRT54G)

April 29, 2013 Robert Radford

Updated on / dernière mise à jour : 12/09/2023

When using a Linksys Router such as the very popular WRT54G, you might appreciate turning wireless activity through a simple push of the CISCO LED button. But, when you plug in your router and try to push the LED button to activate wireless, you'll soon realize that nothing happens.

If you access the configuration panel of the Linksys, you'll also understand that there's no possibility to activate such an option. So, by following the following steps, you shall be able to activate wireless through the push of the LED button on your WRT54G or any similar router…

1) You need to download a new router configuration panel. I use Tomato version 1.28. You can download the file at this address:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/tomatofirmware/files/tomato/1_28/Tomato_1_28.zip/download. Create a new folder on your computer and unzip the file in this newly created folder.

2) You'll then be able to update your router by using the appropriate unzipped file; I used WRT54G_WRT54GL.bin. To do so, enter your Linksys configuration environment by typing 192.168.1.1 in your address bar (use IE, Firefox, Chrome or Safari, for example)… find the update router option and upload Tomato's .bin file you just downloaded. Once the file is uploaded, you will have to reboot the router to activate Tomato's configuration panel.

3) Once in Tomato, click on the "Buttons / LED" link under "Administration". On the right side of the screen, be sure to change the 0-2 seconds option to "Run Custom Script" then copy and paste the following script below:

_____________________________________________

# status: 1: wifi on, 0: wifi off
status=$(wl -a eth1 dump | grep associated | cut -d " " -f 2);
# toggle wifi & amber led
wl -a eth1 $([ $status -eq 0 ] && echo up || echo down)
led amber $([ $status -eq 0 ] && echo on || echo off)
_____________________________________________

4) Click the save button at the bottom of the screen and; once the script is saved, click on the "Reboot" link which appears at the bottom of the left side column. It may take up to a minute for the router to reboot properly. You can then close Tomato Firmware.

5) Test your router. Push on the Cisco LED for 2 seconds; wireless should activate and the button will appear as an amber light. To deactivate wireless, simply push the LED button for 2 seconds; the amber light will come off. No need to access the configuration panel.

Best regards.

Robert