Custom device types and icons

Come on you guiys what are you complaining about. I just bought a new Orbi system a couple days ago and I clearly can see the iPhone 5/5s/5c on the device list what more do you need. :catsurprised:

Massively annoying Netgear please fix!!!

I managed to do this, and it's not too bad, if you're happy with the command line, but requires telnet access enabled from the hidden debug page at 192.168.1.1/debug.htm, assuming your router is at that IP address.

Once enabled, you can telnet into the router using admin credentials.

The device itype information is stored in the web server directory at /www/device_type.

That directory contains the following.....

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            57 Jan  1  2003 Device_Type_Index_Table -> /tmp/media/nand/device-info-table/Device_Type_Index_Table
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root          2686 Jun 26 14:56 device type table.json
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            22 Jan  1  2003 device_type.json -> device type table.json
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root          2848 Jun 26 14:35 icon

The file "device type table.json" has the following content as delivered.....

[{"Device type":"Amazon Kindle","Device Index":1,"Icon":"1.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Android Device","Device Index":2,"Icon":"2.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Android Phone","Device Index":3,"Icon":"3.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Android Tablet","Device Index":4,"Icon":"4.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Apple Airport Express","Device Index":5,"Icon":"5.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Blu-ray player","Device Index":6,"Icon":"6.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Bridge","Device Index":7,"Icon":"7.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Cable STB","Device Index":8,"Icon":"8.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Camera","Device Index":9,"Icon":"9.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Router","Device Index":10,"Icon":"10.jpg"},
{"Device type":"DVR","Device Index":11,"Icon":"11.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Gaming Console","Device Index":12,"Icon":"12.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iMac","Device Index":13,"Icon":"13.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPad","Device Index":14,"Icon":"14.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPad mini","Device Index":15,"Icon":"15.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPhone 5/5S/5C","Device Index":16,"Icon":"16.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPhone","Device Index":17,"Icon":"17.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPod Touch","Device Index":18,"Icon":"18.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Linux PC","Device Index":19,"Icon":"19.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Mac mini","Device Index":20,"Icon":"20.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Mac Pro","Device Index":21,"Icon":"21.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Mac Book","Device Index":22,"Icon":"22.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Media Device","Device Index":23,"Icon":"23.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Network Device","Device Index":24,"Icon":"24.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Other STB","Device Index":25,"Icon":"25.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Powerline","Device Index":26,"Icon":"26.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Printer","Device Index":27,"Icon":"27.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Repeater","Device Index":28,"Icon":"28.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Satellite STB","Device Index":29,"Icon":"29.jpg"},
{"Device type":"scanner","Device Index":30,"Icon":"30.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Sling box","Device Index":31,"Icon":"31.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Smart phone","Device Index":32,"Icon":"32.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Storage(NAS)","Device Index":33,"Icon":"33.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Switch","Device Index":34,"Icon":"34.jpg"},
{"Device type":"TV","Device Index":35,"Icon":"35.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Tablet","Device Index":36,"Icon":"36.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Unix PC","Device Index":37,"Icon":"37.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Windows PC","Device Index":38,"Icon":"38.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Surface","Device Index":39,"Icon":"39.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Wifi Extender","Device Index":40,"Icon":"40.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Apple TV","Device Index":41,"Icon":"41.jpg"}]

The "icon" directory cotains 41 jpeg images for the devices, and these are referenced from the json file by name.

What I did......

BACK UP THE ORIGINAL JSON FILE by copying it to "device type table.json.ORIG"

Note: the spaces in the file can be avoided by using the link "device_type.json"

Using vi or vim (the editors available in the telnet terminal) I added another line at the end ....

{"Device type":"Air Conditioner","Device Index":42,"Icon":"42.jpg"}]

Don't forget the "]" at the end of the newly added line and to change the "]" at the end of line 41 to a "," 

My "device type table.json" file now looks like this.......

cat device_type.json 
[{"Device type":"Amazon Kindle","Device Index":1,"Icon":"1.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Android Device","Device Index":2,"Icon":"2.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Android Phone","Device Index":3,"Icon":"3.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Android Tablet","Device Index":4,"Icon":"4.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Apple Airport Express","Device Index":5,"Icon":"5.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Blu-ray player","Device Index":6,"Icon":"6.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Bridge","Device Index":7,"Icon":"7.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Cable STB","Device Index":8,"Icon":"8.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Camera","Device Index":9,"Icon":"9.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Router","Device Index":10,"Icon":"10.jpg"},
{"Device type":"DVR","Device Index":11,"Icon":"11.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Gaming Console","Device Index":12,"Icon":"12.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iMac","Device Index":13,"Icon":"13.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPad","Device Index":14,"Icon":"14.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPad mini","Device Index":15,"Icon":"15.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPhone 5/5S/5C","Device Index":16,"Icon":"16.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPhone","Device Index":17,"Icon":"17.jpg"},
{"Device type":"iPod Touch","Device Index":18,"Icon":"18.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Linux PC","Device Index":19,"Icon":"19.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Mac mini","Device Index":20,"Icon":"20.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Mac Pro","Device Index":21,"Icon":"21.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Mac Book","Device Index":22,"Icon":"22.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Media Device","Device Index":23,"Icon":"23.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Network Device","Device Index":24,"Icon":"24.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Other STB","Device Index":25,"Icon":"25.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Powerline","Device Index":26,"Icon":"26.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Printer","Device Index":27,"Icon":"27.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Repeater","Device Index":28,"Icon":"28.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Satellite STB","Device Index":29,"Icon":"29.jpg"},
{"Device type":"scanner","Device Index":30,"Icon":"30.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Sling box","Device Index":31,"Icon":"31.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Smart phone","Device Index":32,"Icon":"32.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Storage(NAS)","Device Index":33,"Icon":"33.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Switch","Device Index":34,"Icon":"34.jpg"},
{"Device type":"TV","Device Index":35,"Icon":"35.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Tablet","Device Index":36,"Icon":"36.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Unix PC","Device Index":37,"Icon":"37.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Windows PC","Device Index":38,"Icon":"38.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Surface","Device Index":39,"Icon":"39.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Wifi Extender","Device Index":40,"Icon":"40.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Apple TV","Device Index":41,"Icon":"41.jpg"},
{"Device type":"Air Conditioner","Device Index":42,"Icon":"42.jpg"}]

The only changes are at the end.  If you get the syntax wrong, the attached devices page won't render properly in your browser, but will still work, so this is a reasonably safe change.

To add the new icon file to the "icon" directory, I used scp from inside the telnet session (you can ssh/scp out from the Orbi, but not in!) to add a new jpeg file.  I called it 42.jpg in this case.

Once you have changed the json file and added the icon file, go the attached devices page, select a device to edit, and you will see a new "Air Conditioner" entry at the end of the Device Typre dropdown menu.  Select that, and you will see the correct name with the new icon.

This change persists after a reboot of the Orbi, but I don't know if it will survive a power cycle, and I'm sure it won't survive a factory reset.

Hope this helps a bit,

Paul

Just to add more info....the changes survived a Firmware upgrade....still haven't power cycled.

Update: it survived a power cycle!  I pulled the power cord, and re-inserted it, and the changes are still there.

Thanks, Paul (phands)!  Someone needed to take this into their own hands because Netgear seems to have been letting this languish for at least a couple years.

I follow your description of what you did and how one would modify the existing device type images (icons) and add new ones.  I'm not uncomfortable using command line interfaces, and I think I can salvage enough vi from the deep recesses of my brain to make the needed edits.  I would, however, benefit substantially if you would elaborate on how to

1. enable telnet access "from the hidden debug page" and
2. properly launch telnet (using the telnet client in Windows, say) to the router with admin privileges.

Andrew

Paul,

  I'm plenty comfortable in a linux shell (or busybox in this case) but wondering if you there was any other change you made, and or if you had to restart the web server?  I'm running into some differences (because I'm on an RBR40) but paths don't line up between these two systems apparently.  The images are all in /www/image/streamboost.  device_type_table.json is in /etc.

  If there was nothing else then I'll keep digging.  I wonder if it's just the difference between the RBK50 and RBR40.

  Thanks for the digging before, at least it (hopefully) will point me in the right direction.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I did nothing else at all, fortunately.

I didn't have to restart the web server.

When I made a mistake in changing the file (the comma at the end of the second-last line), I found out by just refreshing the page in my browser, and the attached devices page ndidn't render correctly, but there was no other side-effect.  When I fixed the error,, I just reladed the page in the browser , and it then rendered just fine with the airconditioner icon added to the list.   I'm surprised that the RBR40 and the RBK50 have a different file layout, but it shoulkdn't really matter.  It *might* be soemthing to do with the overlay file system, but I doubt it.

P

Hi Andrew,

The hidden debug page is at 

https://192.168.1.1/debug.htm

assuming that your router is at that IP address - it's the default.

There's an existing article here...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/hidden-features/td-p/1149584

The telnet is easy once you have a telnet client installed/enabled.

On Windows 10, here's how to get it going....

https://www.technipages.com/windows-10-enable-telnet

Then, in a command shell...

telnet 192.168.1.1 and it will prompt for a user - use "admin" and hit enter.  You may have to hit enter twice to get the password prompt.  Enter the password, either the default that Netgear supply - the very insecure "password", or the one you hopefully changed it to when you first set things up. 

NOTE:  If you haven't changed the default admin password, you really should.!  Having a password of "password" is terribly insecure.

Once you enter tha password, perhaps by also hitting enter twice, you will be at a ASH shell command prompt, and have a limited set of BusyBox commands available, including scp.

Hope this helps,

P

Anyone recently attempt to do this?  I'm digging in as I would like to add my own icons for many of the smart devices. However, I'm finding that on the Orbi RBR50 with firmware v2.3.1.60, BusyBox does not seem to have SSH/SCP available, as this is the list of built-in commands. 

Built-in commands:
------------------
. : [ [[ alias bg break cd chdir command continue echo eval exec
exit export false fg getopts hash help history jobs kill let
local printf pwd read readonly return set shift source test times
trap true type ulimit umask unalias unset wait

I've found that the images are located in : /www/image/streamboost, while the device_type_table.json is located in /etc 

Without SSH/SCP, is there an alternative to get files to the router?

Thanks,

TAB