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FreshTomato includes Dropbear, an SSH client/server program. Dropbear can generate a KeyPair that offers password-less connections. A command is run on the primary router which generates a public key. That Public Key must then be pasted into the secondary router’s Authorized Keys field, in the SSH Daemon section of the Administration/Admin Access menu.
This allows command-line management of the secondary router (or “SSH Host”) from a primary router, (the “SSH Client”). This can be useful when the system clock is not maintained in the secondary router and time-sensitive jobs must be scheduled. For example, as seen below, it may be useful to switch wireless radio(s) on or off to a schedule (not shown). It could also be used to run scripts on the target for any supported command.
Note that a pre-existing, and unrelated key is redacted above.
This example will enable/disable the eth1 5Ghz Wi-Fi interface on the secondary router. (Note that temperature is shown only when the radio is On).
(If the same command is repeated, eth1 will be disabled on the primary router.)
Notes
SSH must be enabled on both routers.
The key generated is not preserved across a reboot of the [primary] router. Either keep a copy of the id_dropbear file offline [on a UFD or “CIFS Client” share] for restoration, or be prepared to repeat the procedure [steps 1 & 2 under “How To”] after a reboot [removing any redundant key from the secondary router during the process].
This guide was produced using PuTTY [v0.76] and FreshTomato v2021.5.
Insiration was provided by this article [and this process was first documented here].