Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 17409 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 20:33 Post subject:
If all the other LEDs work and they aren't coming on, the radios probably aren't either. Wifi must be enabled...
Quote:
The four active antennas include LEDs. If the LEDs on the active antennas are lit, the WiFi radios are operating.
To correct previous version of this post:
Quote:
LED On/Off switch. If this switch is in the Off position, all the router’s LEDs, including the LEDs on the four active antennas, but not the Power LED, are turned off.
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Posts: 291 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 1:10 Post subject:
My two cents.
In r57595 (7/27/24), all wifi lights (for 2.4GHz, 5GHz & 60Ghz) from the left on R900 panel are lit up when wifis are activated. Antenna lights are also lit up. I just did a restoration back to r57595 on R9000 to confirm this.
In r61970 (7/24/25), both sets of lights, antenna and all wifis are now off.
This means that it must be something triggered by the DDWRT firmware. It's not a mystery.
However, I think the antenna lights are for cosmetic purposes. I mean, XR700 antenna lights are red. But blue on R9000.
For me though, the wifi lights are a useful feature. They provide a quick visual confirmation when needed at my customer's premises. Of course, the panel lights (except power light) can be simply turned off via the hardware switch at the back, if needed. It is flexibility on some Netgear routers.
Having said that I am aware that DDWRT forums are not ones paid by subscription. BS may not see this particular issue as a priority. But my FOMO on other potential new features such as security incorporated by BS in later f/w versions puts me in a catch-22 situation. (I still admire German's excellence in engineering though. SAP 4/HANA is an example).
Cheers _________________ Life is a journey; travel alone makes it less enjoyable and lonely.
___________________________________________________
2x Netgear R9000 & 2x XR700 Features:
- Gateway
- Overclocked -2000MHz
- SmartDNS, DDNS
- Both 5GHz & 2.4GHz using DDWRT (not Vanilla component)
- Private Home network on default br0 bridge together with vlan1 + wlan0 & 1
- Isolated port-based VLANS, placed on bridges + vAPs (wlan0.1 & 1.1) for guests & IoT devs)
- WireGuard Server for secure on-the-road access & remote control of devices @home
- OpenVPN Client for incognito & o/seas based programs
- 10G SFP+ connected to RB5009 (via optical fiber)
- QoS - HFSC/FQ_CODEL deployed on ISP's 500/50mbps connection
Last edited by DWCruiser on Mon Jul 28, 2025 7:33; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 16 Nov 2015 Posts: 7391 Location: UK, London, just across the river..
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 7:52 Post subject:
with all lights on R9000 is like a night beacon ...I hate mine..no leds for me 10x...i guess it helps with power _________________ Atheros
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 66272 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPNCli
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
Qualcomm-Atheros
Netgear R7800 -OpenWRT Kong 25.12
Netgear XR500 -DD-WRT 66325 GTW/SmDNS-Quic,AD-Blk,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x2VLAN,Vanilla
Netgear R7800 --DD-WRT r66325 Gateway/DNSCryptv2,AD-Block,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x4VLAN,IPset Firewall,Vanilla,VPN cli
Netgear R9000 --DD-WRT 66280 Gateway/SmDNS-Quic,AD-Block,AP Isolation,Firewall,Forced DNS,Vanilla
Dynalink DL-WRX36-DDWRT 66325
Broadcom
Netgear R7000 --DD-WRT 66272 GTW/DNScrypt-proxy2/AD-Block,IPset Firewall,Forced DNS,x4VLAN,VPN cli
------------------------------------------------------
Stubby DNS over TLS I DNSCrypt v2 by mac913
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Posts: 291 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 11:06 Post subject:
The router's lights are never an annoyance to my eyesight because I've always placed routers at a high spot such as on top of a tall bookshelf, or affixed it to a wall, at home or at my customers' premises.
And it is done like that for a specific reason.
Placing a router on a high position allows its wifi signals (both transmit/receive) to traverse farther and less 'weakened' by many furniture and fittings around in a house. It's the same rationale as to why antennas are placed on a tower as one sees along the road. This escapes most home users when setting up their routers.
And the lights become useful indicators with a quick glance, as a result.
Cheers. _________________ Life is a journey; travel alone makes it less enjoyable and lonely.
___________________________________________________
2x Netgear R9000 & 2x XR700 Features:
- Gateway
- Overclocked -2000MHz
- SmartDNS, DDNS
- Both 5GHz & 2.4GHz using DDWRT (not Vanilla component)
- Private Home network on default br0 bridge together with vlan1 + wlan0 & 1
- Isolated port-based VLANS, placed on bridges + vAPs (wlan0.1 & 1.1) for guests & IoT devs)
- WireGuard Server for secure on-the-road access & remote control of devices @home
- OpenVPN Client for incognito & o/seas based programs
- 10G SFP+ connected to RB5009 (via optical fiber)
- QoS - HFSC/FQ_CODEL deployed on ISP's 500/50mbps connection
Last edited by DWCruiser on Thu Jul 31, 2025 9:34; edited 1 time in total
...I hate mine..no leds for me 10x...i guess it helps with power 
