Using unicode in your SSID on ASUS RT-AC66U, in ASUSWRT

README.rst

Using unicode in your SSID on ASUS RT-AC66U

!DANGER!

This might void your warranty. Do it on your own risk.

I'm using the 🐟 emoji character as my SSID, because I like to be special.

How I do it

Open the Wireless admin page in Chrome or Chromium.

1. Enter your unicode SSID in the ASUSWRT admin.

2. Open Chrome Dev Tools (CTRL+SHIF+I, I as in Inspector).

3. Put your cursor in the Console panel of Chrome Dev Tools.

4. Paste

   validator.stringSSID = function () {
       console.log('fake stringSSID', arguments);
       return true;
   };

   in your console and press ENTER. This will override the JavaScript function in ASUSWRT that rejects unicode characters.

5. Press the Apply button in ASUSWRT. The network should be saved without problems.

Potential issues

In the latest firmware from ASUS, the unicode SSID is decoded incorrectly. This makes the left panel in ASUSWRT disappear. There are two solutions:

• Go to http://router.asus.com/Advanced_Wireless_Content.asp and change the SSID back to a non-unicode SSID.
• OR Install ASUSWRT-MERLIN.

For those that like digging

1. Open the Chrome Dev Tools (CTRL+SHIF+I, I as in Inspector).

2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+F, this should open a search input.

3. Enter applyRule in the search input. There should be two results

   242 function applyRule(){
   803 <input type="button" id="applyButton" class="button_gen" value="Apply" onclick="applyRule();">
   

4. Click on function applyRule(){. This will open Advanced Wireless_Content.asp in the Dev Tools main panel.

5. Press CTRL+F and enter stringSSID. This will show you the call to the function that rejects Unicode characters.

Works perfectly with latest firmware on the ROG Rapture AC-5300, though things go wonky when you go back to the set SSID screen later (which isn't an issue since my SSID set exactly how I wanted).

Welp, looks like with today's firmware update (3.0.0.4.384_20648-g21e3702), the GT-AC5300 is (maybe) perfectly fine with at least non-english language characters (haven't bothered testing emoji or other unicode mapped to images). I had already been using the JavaScript workaround to force a Japanese SSID I've been using for a long time before replacing my previous router with the Asus DeathPortal, and a others have stated here, the name simply appeared blank in the router GUI. Updated firmware today, and now the name displays just fine.

Though I'm sure it's just a coincidence, a while back I did use the "official" feedback method in the router GUI to ask that they stop with the logic-enforced english-only SSID, so I can at least pretend I got what I asked for.

Here it shows both OLD and NEW (with Emoji) on the WiFi list... there is a way to show only with emoji ?

Thanks, worked like a charm on the Asus RT-N18U with 3.0.0.4.382_50624!

For those using john9527 Merlins LTS fork this will get the job done

function validForm(){
var auth_mode = document.form.wl_auth_mode_x.value;
if(!validate_string_ssid(document.form.wl_ssid))
return true;
if(!check_NOnly_to_GN()){
autoFocus('wl_nmode_x');
return true;
}
}

Thats awesome! <3

Hmm, I don't understand. According to the release notes for Version 3.0.0.4.382.50470 at https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RTAC66R/HelpDesk_BIOS/

"- Support multi-language (UTF-8) network name"

but when I try to enter something like Å as SSID it get a warning. Am I misunderstanding something?

Furthermore, how do you change your snippet if I want to change the name of the guest network (the first 2.4 GHz-network if that matters)?

Thank you :-)

Working on RT-AC51U!

Thanks
Worked Perfectly with ASUS RT-N12+