ZTE MF286D – Automatic Login & Statistics Export

This repository contains a POSIX shell script that automatically logs into a ZTE MF286D / ZTE LTE router, fetches detailed modem and traffic statistics via the undocumented ZTE goform API, and exports them as a JSON file suitable for further processing.

The script reproduces the exact authentication flow used by the ZTE web UI: SHA256(Base64(password)).

It is designed to run unattended (cron, Home Assistant shell_command) and safely re-authenticates when the session expires.

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Features

• Automatic login using the ZTE web UI hashing algorithm
• Cookie-based session handling
• Fetches real-time LTE statistics:
  • RX / TX throughput
  • Monthly RX / TX usage
  • Signal strength and network type
  • Connected Wi-Fi clients
  • SMS unread counter
• Detects partial datasets and retries after re-login
• Exports a clean JSON file for integrations (Home Assistant, Grafana, dashboards)
• Injects fetch timestamps (epoch + ISO-8601) into the output
• Robust logging for diagnostics and long-term monitoring
• No browser automation, no Selenium, no vendor SDKs

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Requirements

• POSIX-compatible shell (/bin/sh)
• curl
• base64
• sha256sum
• awk
• python3 (optional, for timestamp injection)

Tested on Home Assistant OS and standard Linux distributions.

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Router Address (Important)

⚠ The router IP address is currently hardcoded in the script.

By default, the script assumes the router is available at: http://192.168.32.1

If your router uses a different IP address or subnet, you must edit this value manually before running the script.

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Authentication Details

⚠ Password must be storred in file /config/zte_password

The script reproduces the exact client-side algorithm used in the web UI:

password_hash = SHA256( Base64(password) )

The resulting hash is sent as the password field to:

POST /goform/goform_set_cmd_process

This allows programmatic login without storing cookies from a browser session.

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Output Files

File	Description
/config/www/zte_stats.json	JSON export with modem and traffic statistics
/config/zte_fetch.log	Execution and error log
/config/.zte_cookiejar.txt	Session cookies (auto-managed)

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JSON Output Example

{
  "ppp_status": "ppp_connected",
  "signalbar": "4",
  "network_type": "LTE_A",
  "realtime_rx_thrpt": "3956",
  "realtime_tx_thrpt": "1944",
  "monthly_rx_bytes": "133570238584",
  "monthly_tx_bytes": "21662284932",
  "fetched_at_epoch": 1766955282,
  "fetched_at_iso": "2025-01-28T21:21:22+0100"
}

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Usage Examples

Cron

*/1 * * * * /config/zte_fetch.sh

Home Assistant

shell_command:
  zte_fetch: /config/zte_fetch.sh

The generated JSON can then be consumed using a REST or command_line sensor.

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Known Limitations

• The script supports only one active session at a time. If you are logged in elsewhere when the script starts, the existing session will be automatically logged out.
• Script relies on undocumented ZTE endpoints (goform_*)
• Firmware updates may change field names or authentication flow
• Some fields may be empty when the router is not fully connected

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Security Notes

• Store the router password in a separate file (zte_password)
• The password is never logged
• Only the hashed value is transmitted to the router
• Restrict file permissions on /config/zte_password

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Compatibility

Known to work with:

• ZTE MF286D
• ZTE firmware with classic goform API and SHA256(Base64) login
• Other ZTE models may work but are untested.

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License

GPLv3