Hacking the Salt Fiber Box WLAN SSID-name limitations ✨👨‍💻

Got a Salt Fiber Box and frustrated, that you cannot choose a WiFi name freely – without any limitations? Like just using a space, or any other (not so) special character, even emojis 🧐? Worry no more!

The Wireless Network Name can only contains characters
._!~*'()=+$,?:#%-/A-Za-z0-9.

Here‘s a hack allowing you to use any name as SSID for your WLAN. And the best part: it does not lead to any technical issues when using it, as it‘s a mere UI limitation on the web interface.

Showcase time!

See the WiFi name hack in action

How to use any characters for your WLAN SSID on a Salt Fiber Box

Set a desired name for the 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz WLAN

1. Open & login to the Salt Fiber Box’s web admin interface on http://192.168.1.1/
    
2. Click on the «WLAN» menu to show the «Smart WiFi»-webpage
    

3. In the «SSID»-field of the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WLAN section, type your desired WiFi name
   _{(Need ideas? Check out this list of cool Wi-Fi names 🤡)}

Now block the default name validation using your web browser’s Developer Console

4. Right-click anywhere on the webpage & choose «Inspect Element» to open the Dev Console
   (or the shortcut ⌘+⇧+i in Google Chrome; ⌘+⎇+i in Safari)
    
5. Make sure the «Sources»-tab is selected
    

6. Open the multi-file search:
   in Google Chrome by pressing the ESC-key; in Safari click the search icon in the top right
   (or shortcut ⌘+⇧+f in both browsers)

7. Now search for «isNvalidChar»
    
8. There should be a result in the file «routine.js» – click on that search hit to open it
   (in earlier Salt Fiber firmware versions, it was in a file named «wlan_combine1.htm»)

9. Add a JavaScript Breakpoint:
   with your mouse cursor, click on the Line number (around Line 11) where it reads:
   function isNvalidChar(s)
   _{(in earlier firmware versions there were 2 matches around Lines 197 and 201)}

Get the job done: save the SSID name & skip the validation

Note: do not close the Developer Console – yet

10. Time to save: on the Salt «Smart WiFi»-webpage:
    click the big green «Save Settings»-button
     
11. NOTE: Saving is being paused because the previously set breakpoint is highlighted; you will see this in the «Sources»-tab of the Developer Console
    

12. Switch to the «Console»-tab in the Developer Console area by clicking on it
     
13. ✨ Copy-paste here the following command & confirm using ⏎ RETURN-key
    isNvalidChar = () => false;
     
    _{(This tells the JavaScript function that validation was successful = everything OK 😇)}

14. Go back to the «Sources»-tab & click on the «Resume script execution»-button
    (or the shortcut ⌘+\ in Chrome and Safari)

DONE! 🤩

The WiFi settings have been applied – including your custom SSID name!