topic Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router in Broadband

Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

EDIflyer — Sat, 27 May 2023 18:50:55 GMT

Firmware V1.00(ACBJ.0)b12

I'm trying to setup the WiFi network on my new NR5103E. I have an existing (long!) WPA key that I wish to use and is already entered on multiple devices from my previous router setup. Some of these devices don't support special characters however the web UI interface blocks entries that don't conform to a pre-defined spec - this is despite the default random password that comes with the router (and is generated if you select 'random password') doesn't conforming with that same spec either!! In addition I found an interesting bug in that the UI script as currently written doesn't seem to properly check the passwords anyway (see screenshot below where what to me looks like a compliant password isn't accepted).

I read on ISPreview.co.uk about the potential to use SSH access to change things manually and have found that if I split 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks I can manually change the 5GHz password via SSH (and existing devices then connect fine), however I always get an error when trying to change 2.4GHz one (see screenshot below - top two lines also show me building the command with the ? function and it being valid).

So I guess 2 questions (paging @JonathanB 😉😞

can the firmware please be fixed to allow customers to set their own passwords (after getting them to agree to a disclaimer if necessary!) without having to conform to the mandatory special character + number + uppercase + lowercase rule and
in the short term does anyone know why the 2.4GHz SSH command isn't working when the basically identical 5GHz one works?

I've also found if you combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and manually change the 5GHz via SSH it says 'command successful' but actually doesn't change it.

The additional security from special characters is questionable and quite a few IoT devices have issues with it (presumably why the built-in default password doesn't use them either!) so I'd be really keen to have this fixed.

Thanks 😀

SSH commandscharacter restrictions that haven't been applied to default password

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

Anvil_Iron — Wed, 31 May 2023 13:27:49 GMT

Hi, Did you get the warning message before or after making changes to the password in the CLI? If after, the non-conforming password "testingvalue" could be still present and confusing the system. Entering "Tgh123@r3r3" into my Zyxel router was fine with no CLI changes.

Try entering the password "Tgh123@r3r3" via the CLI command to see if it clears the warning. Otherwise the router may need a factory reset.

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

EDIflyer — Wed, 31 May 2023 13:43:27 GMT

Not sure but poor coding if it doesn't take what was just entered in the web UI! 😉

Regardless I don't want to change the password to include special characters so would still like the system changed to allow that (esp given the default password doesn't include them, most likely in recognition of the issue some devices have with them).

@JonathanB are you able to help?

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

JonathanB — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:32:31 GMT

Hey @EDIflyer,

Sorry for the delay in picking this one up. I can't guarantee any changes, but I'll certainly pass your feedback on, and if I find out anything I can share that will be helpful in relation to this I'll let you know.

Thanks,
JonathanB

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

EDIflyer — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:13:44 GMT

Many thanks Jonathan - hopefully the above explains things clearly enough but please just let me know if any further info required.

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

Hello1024 — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 19:05:19 GMT

It is possible to bypass the password complexity checks in the WebUI by using the web inspector, the sources tab, app.js file, search for "checkPasswordStrenth:", put a breakpoint on the line below that, then whenever that breakpoint is hit, put the following into the console:

t= 'ruleMeetingComplexPassword!11"

and click continue.

This will let you bypass the warning and set any password you like.

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

EDIflyer — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 21:00:28 GMT

Sounds like a nice workaround, thanks. Hopefully they'll fix this bug in the firmware too (as I say esp given the default password doesn't comply with their rules!)

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HenryL — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 14:26:23 GMT

@Hello1024 I can't seem to get your workaround to function for me. I can get the break point to pause using but I get an error when I enter t= 'ruleMeetingComplexPassword!11" into the console and hit enter - am I doing something wrong?

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HenryL — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:37:15 GMT

This is the error I'm seeing:

Any ideas?!

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HenryL — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:46:53 GMT

I'm an idiot, needs to be

t= 'ruleMeetingComplexPassword!11'

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HowieB — Mon, 06 May 2024 11:36:30 GMT

Hi,

How do I get to this point? I'm in the web interface but can't see anything like this.

Thanks

Howard

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

EDIflyer — Mon, 06 May 2024 12:05:18 GMT

I've you're meaning my console screenshots that was via SSH into the router.

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HowieB — Mon, 06 May 2024 12:08:10 GMT

Sorry, I meant to reply to how to alter name.js so I can avoid special chars in WiFi password

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HowieB — Mon, 06 May 2024 12:09:38 GMT

How do I get to this point?

Thanks

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

EDIflyer — Mon, 06 May 2024 12:13:09 GMT

Ah OK, I'm afraid I didn't do that bit 🙂

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

HowieB — Mon, 06 May 2024 20:29:41 GMT

Hi,

This is exactly what I need. How do you see name.js to add this line?

Thanks

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

Brightbell — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 22:07:43 GMT

I also have a problem with this because I have IP cameras which only support 1to9 and A to Z.

It seems silly that the low security mode allows no password and you can't set a simple one and the higher security insists on special chars.

Surely it would be better if the lower security option allowed no password or a simple one ie no mask checking of password input.

Re: Issues with setting WPA key on Zyxel NR5103E router

Brightbell — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 17:48:02 GMT

After trying to fix yhe javascript and failing I discovered that special chars are not required if you use the 3 app to set it. A number is still required.