RT-N66U LEDs and Stealth Mode

[DanielCoffey]

I know that we can turn off the LEDs of the RT-N66U via Tools - Other Settings - Stealth Mode but I was wondering... is there a way to have the LEDs on but dimmed?

When the N66U is upright on its stand, the blue LEDs are actually bright enough to cast shadows into another room at night at a distance of about 5m.

I know that the VM SuperHub2 has the ability to dim the LEDs but I wondered if that facility is exposed by ASUS or if it is buried in a compiled module. Perhaps we could suggest it as a new feature?

 

[theirongiant]

The method used to dim LEDs is called pulse-width modulation (PWM). A PWM dimmer turns the lights on and off at a high frequency, with the "off" period being longer as the lights get darker. This oscillation causes nearly imperceptible flicker.

Unfortunately, this must be supported at the hardware level. To require the firmware to do this would be computationally expensive (it has to send a high-level message of "turn LED on", "turn LED off", hundreds of times per second).

An anti-static (ESD) bag is tinted slightly, so what I would do is cut out of a small piece of the ESD bag and tape it to the router. To get it even darker, use multiple layers. Problem solved.

 

[DanielCoffey]

Thanks for the explanation - I wondered how VM did it with the SuperHub2.

I did my usual trick of putting a strip of masking tape on a plastic bag, colouring it black with a large marker pen, letting it dry then guillotining a thin strip off with my paper trimmer. I can then position one end and peel off the plastic bag.

It doesn't quite match the colour but it really tones down the brightness of the blue LEDs.

 

[RMerlin]

One trick I read about was to use this dual-side sticky tape from 3M. I might need to try that out on my new PC - the LEDs on that Antec Proto case are ridiculously bright. Make them blink at night while the PC is in sleep mode, and my bedroom look like an epileptic's worst nightmare at night.