WLED-AP still active when connected over ethernet - expected to deactivate Wifi completely

[chrisp1001]

What happened?

I am using a WLED controller with ethernet port. Therefore I would like to deactivate the WLED AP completely as soon as the controller is running over LAN.
I tried this approach however the Wifi AP is still active: https://www.reddit.com/r/WLED/comments/vmxchv/comment/ie3qxg3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

To Reproduce Bug

Not setting a network name and setting AP opens to "Never" in Wifi settings

Expected Behavior

Wifi AP switched off permanently

Install Method

Binary from WLED.me

What version of WLED?

16.0

Which microcontroller/board are you seeing the problem on?

ESP32 with ethernet

Relevant log/trace output

Anything else?

No response

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[softhack007]

similar to

• Add compile-time WiFi hard-off mode (WLED_FORCE_WIFI_OFF) #5394

however PR 5394 intended to save flash by excluding all WiFi functionality. PR 5394 was considered too dangerous for normal use, because it will render esp-now remotes unusable, plus it makes Ethernet config impossible, because AP mode is removed completely.

[netmindz]

You can also disable the AP mode in the config

[chrisp1001]

You can also disable the AP mode in the config

I couldn't make it work as described above. Let me know if you have a different solution.

[chrisp1001]

Btw, this issue has been addresses here in past: tartinesKiller@47943c4

[netmindz]

@chrisp1001 - no just use

[chrisp1001]

@chrisp1001 - no just use

It doesn't work like this unfortunately. You may have read this in the link I mentioned in my inital post.

[softhack007]

@coderabbitai please analyse the source code in our 16_x branch. What happens if WLED is connected via ethernet, and apMode is set to 'Never'? Is the behaviour different from previous releases like v0.14.4 (tag)?

[coderabbitai]

🧩 Analysis chain

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

printf '%s\n' '== Relevant refs =='
git branch -a --no-color | grep -E '16_x|v0\.14\.4' || true
git tag -l 'v0.14.4' || true

printf '%s\n' '== Locate configuration and network symbols =='
rg -n -i -C 3 '\bapMode\b|AP\s*mode|WIFI_AP|ETH\.|Ethernet|ETHERNET' \
  -g '*.{cpp,h,ino,json}' . | head -n 500

printf '%s\n' '== Candidate source files =='
fd -t f -e cpp -e h -e ino . | grep -Ei '(wifi|network|ethernet|wled)' | head -n 200

Length of output: 34057

---

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

repo='wled/WLED'
refs=('16_x' 'v0.14.4')
files=(
  'wled00/wled.cpp'
  'wled00/network.cpp'
  'wled00/cfg.cpp'
  'wled00/const.h'
  'wled00/wled.h'
  'wled00/src/dependencies/network/Network.cpp'
  'wled00/src/dependencies/network/Network.h'
)

tmp=$(mktemp -d)
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

for ref in "${refs[@]}"; do
  safe_ref=${ref//[^A-Za-z0-9]/_}
  mkdir -p "$tmp/$safe_ref"
  printf '\n== Resolve %s ==\n' "$ref"
  gh api "repos/$repo/commits/$ref" --jq '.sha'
  for file in "${files[@]}"; do
    out="$tmp/$safe_ref/${file//\//__}"
    if gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
      "repos/$repo/contents/$file?ref=$ref" >"$out" 2>/dev/null; then
      printf 'Fetched %s\n' "$file"
    else
      printf 'Not present at %s: %s\n' "$ref" "$file"
    fi
  done
done

printf '\n== Definitions and decision paths: 16_x ==\n'
rg -n -i -C 8 'AP_BEHAVIOR|apBehavior|initAP\s*\(|initInterfaces\s*\(|findWiFi\s*\(|isConnected\s*\(|isEthernet\s*\(|ETH_GOT_IP|ETH_DISCONNECTED' "$tmp/16_x" || true

printf '\n== Definitions and decision paths: v0.14.4 ==\n'
rg -n -i -C 8 'AP_BEHAVIOR|apBehavior|initAP\s*\(|initInterfaces\s*\(|findWiFi\s*\(|isConnected\s*\(|isEthernet\s*\(|ETH_GOT_IP|ETH_DISCONNECTED' "$tmp/v0_14_4" || true

printf '\n== Focused source diff ==\n'
diff -u \
  "$tmp/v0_14_4/wled00__wled.cpp" \
  "$tmp/16_x/wled00__wled.cpp" \
  | grep -E -C 12 'AP_BEHAVIOR|apBehavior|initAP|findWiFi|Ethernet|ETH|^[+-]{1}[^+-]' \
  | head -n 800 || true

diff -u \
  "$tmp/v0_14_4/wled00__network.cpp" \
  "$tmp/16_x/wled00__network.cpp" \
  | grep -E -C 12 'AP_BEHAVIOR|apBehavior|initAP|findWiFi|Ethernet|ETH|^[+-]{1}[^+-]' \
  | head -n 800 || true

Length of output: 116250

---

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

repo='wled/WLED'
refs=('16_x' 'v0.14.4')
files=(
  'wled00/data/settings_wifi.htm'
  'wled00/data/settings_wifi.js'
  'wled00/data/settings_wifi.htm.gz'
  'wled00/wled.cpp'
  'wled00/network.cpp'
  'wled00/cfg.cpp'
  'wled00/src/dependencies/network/Network.cpp'
)

tmp=$(mktemp -d)
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

for ref in "${refs[@]}"; do
  d="$tmp/${ref//[^A-Za-z0-9]/_}"
  mkdir -p "$d"
  for file in "${files[@]}"; do
    gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
      "repos/$repo/contents/$file?ref=$ref" >"$d/${file//\//__}" 2>/dev/null || true
  done

  printf '\n== %s: UI mapping and AP options ==\n' "$ref"
  rg -n -i -C 4 'Never|button.only|AP_BEHAVIOR|behav|access point|AP mode' "$d" || true

  printf '\n== %s: initAP/initConnection/setup sequence ==\n' "$ref"
  awk '
    /void WLED::initAP\(/,/^}/ ||
    /void WLED::initConnection\(/,/^}/ ||
    /void WLED::setup\(/,/^void WLED::beginStrip\(/
  ' "$d/wled00__wled.cpp" | sed -n '1,520p'

  printf '\n== %s: Ethernet events and connection predicate ==\n' "$ref"
  awk '
    /void WiFiEvent\(/,/^}/
  ' "$d/wled00__network.cpp" | sed -n '1,260p'
  sed -n '70,95p' "$d/wled00__src__dependencies__network__Network.cpp"
done

Length of output: 14458

---

@softhack007, I compared 16_x (7230b2c) with v0.14.4 (2f6f0d2).

“Never” maps to apBehavior == 3, which is AP_BEHAVIOR_BUTTON_ONLY.

When Ethernet has link and an IP address

In both versions:

• WLED treats Ethernet as a network connection.
• The disconnected path does not run.
• The AP does not start.
• If code calls initAP() for the normal startup or reconnect flow, initAP() returns immediately for AP_BEHAVIOR_BUTTON_ONLY.
• The Ethernet-connected event calls WiFi.disconnect(true) when the AP is not active.

Therefore, with AP opens: Never and a working Ethernet connection, WLED operates through Ethernet and disables the Wi-Fi radio. ESP-NOW needs the Wi-Fi radio. Thus, ESP-NOW remotes are not usable in this intended Ethernet-connected state.

This behavior is not new in 16_x. v0.14.4 has the same AP guard and the same WiFi.disconnect(true) call in the Ethernet-connected event.

Difference from v0.14.4

The relevant difference is Ethernet link-loss detection:

• 16_x reports Ethernet connected only if ETH.localIP() is non-zero and ETH.linkUp() is true.
• v0.14.4 reports Ethernet connected when ETH.localIP() is non-zero. It does not check ETH.linkUp().

As a result, after an Ethernet cable disconnects, 16_x can enter the disconnected/reconnect path as soon as the link is down. v0.14.4 can still consider Ethernet connected while the interface retains its old IP address.

With AP opens: Never, this difference still does not enable the AP. The initAP() guard prevents it. It can affect Wi-Fi reconnection and the general disconnected state after Ethernet link loss.

Relevant 16_x locations:

• settings_wifi.htm — “Never” is value 3
• wled.cpp — initAP() rejects the normal call for behavior 3
• network.cpp — Ethernet connection disables Wi-Fi when no AP is active
• Network.cpp — Ethernet now requires both IP address and link state

_{You are interacting with an AI system.}

[softhack007]

@coderabbitai please compare the WiFi and ETH implementations between arduino-esp32 v1.0.6 (old release) and arduino-esp32 v2.0.17 (release 16.0). Could it be that differences in the framework's ETH or Network implementation can lead to "Never" not working as expected when ethernet is connected? Please look into static and dynamic(DHCP) IP adress assignments.

[coderabbitai]

🧩 Analysis chain

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

framework_repo='espressif/arduino-esp32'
wled_repo='wled/WLED'
framework_refs=('1.0.6' '2.0.17')
framework_files=(
  'libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiSTA.cpp'
  'libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp'
  'libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiSTA.h'
  'libraries/ETH/src/ETH.cpp'
  'libraries/ETH/src/ETH.h'
)
wled_files=(
  'wled00/network.cpp'
  'wled00/wled.cpp'
  'wled00/cfg.cpp'
  'wled00/wled.h'
  'wled00/src/dependencies/network/Network.cpp'
  'wled00/src/dependencies/network/Network.h'
)

tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

fetch_raw() {
  local repo="$1" ref="$2" file="$3" out="$4"
  gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
    "repos/${repo}/contents/${file}?ref=${ref}" >"$out" 2>/dev/null
}

printf '%s\n' '== Framework tag SHAs =='
for ref in "${framework_refs[@]}"; do
  printf '%s: ' "$ref"
  gh api "repos/${framework_repo}/commits/${ref}" --jq '.sha'
done

for ref in "${framework_refs[@]}"; do
  dir="$tmp/framework-$ref"
  mkdir -p "$dir"
  for file in "${framework_files[@]}"; do
    out="$dir/${file//\//__}"
    if fetch_raw "$framework_repo" "$ref" "$file" "$out"; then
      printf 'Fetched %s @ %s\n' "$file" "$ref"
    else
      printf 'Missing %s @ %s\n' "$file" "$ref"
    fi
  done
done

dir="$tmp/wled-16_x"
mkdir -p "$dir"
for file in "${wled_files[@]}"; do
  out="$dir/${file//\//__}"
  fetch_raw "$wled_repo" '16_x' "$file" "$out" || true
done

printf '%s\n' $'\n== WLED 16_x: configuration and state call sites =='
rg -n -C 8 \
  '\b(ETH\.config|WiFi\.config|WiFi\.disconnect|ETH\.localIP|ETH\.linkUp|ETH_CONNECTED|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH|apBehavior|AP_BEHAVIOR_BUTTON_ONLY)\b' \
  "$dir" || true

for ref in "${framework_refs[@]}"; do
  dir="$tmp/framework-$ref"
  printf '%s\n' $"\n== arduino-esp32 $ref: public APIs and implementations =="
  rg -n -C 10 \
    '\b(config|disconnect|begin|localIP|linkUp|setHostname)\s*\(|(ETH_CONNECTED|ETH_GOT_IP|ETH_DISCONNECTED|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH)|tcpip_adapter|esp_netif' \
    "$dir" || true
done

printf '%s\n' $'\n== Focused framework diffs =='
for stem in 'libraries__WiFi__src__WiFiSTA.cpp' 'libraries__WiFi__src__WiFiGeneric.cpp' 'libraries__ETH__src__ETH.cpp'; do
  old="$tmp/framework-1.0.6/$stem"
  new="$tmp/framework-2.0.17/$stem"
  if [[ -f "$old" && -f "$new" ]]; then
    printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$stem"
    diff -u "$old" "$new" | \
      grep -E -C 12 '^[+-].*(config|disconnect|tcpip_adapter|esp_netif|ETH|WiFi)|^@@' | \
      head -n 1200 || true
  fi
done

Length of output: 143914

---

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

framework_repo='espressif/arduino-esp32'
tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

fetch() {
  local ref="$1" path="$2"
  gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
    "repos/${framework_repo}/contents/${path}?ref=${ref}" >"$tmp/${ref//./_}-$(basename "$path")" 2>/dev/null
}

printf '%s\n' '== Locate Ethernet source paths in each framework tag =='
for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$ref"
  gh api "repos/${framework_repo}/git/trees/${ref}?recursive=1" --paginate --jq \
    '.tree[].path | select(test("(^|/)(ETH|Network)\\.(cpp|h)$|libraries/(ETH|Network)/"))' \
    | head -n 100
done

for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  for path in \
    'libraries/ETH/src/ETH.cpp' \
    'libraries/ETH/src/ETH.h' \
    'libraries/Network/src/NetworkInterface.cpp' \
    'libraries/Network/src/NetworkInterface.h'; do
    fetch "$ref" "$path" || true
  done
done

printf '%s\n' $'\n== Framework: Ethernet method implementations =='
rg -n -C 14 \
  '\b(ETHClass::(begin|config|localIP|linkUp|end)|NetworkInterface::(config|localIP|linkUp)|set_esp_interface_ip|esp_netif_dhcpc_|tcpip_adapter_dhcpc_|tcpip_adapter_set_ip_info)\b' \
  "$tmp" || true

printf '%s\n' $'\n== WLED 16_x: actual Ethernet configuration and event handling =='
rg -n -C 16 \
  '\b(ETH\.begin|ETH\.config|ETH\.localIP|ETH\.linkUp|WiFi\.disconnect|ETH_GOT_IP|ETH_CONNECTED|ETH_DISCONNECTED|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH|apBehavior|AP_BEHAVIOR_BUTTON_ONLY)\b' \
  wled00 platformio.ini 2>/dev/null || true

printf '%s\n' $'\n== WLED 16_x: PlatformIO framework pins =='
rg -n -C 3 \
  '(platform_packages|framework-arduinoespressif32|arduino-esp32|espressif32)' \
  platformio.ini platforms.ini 2>/dev/null || true

Length of output: 56856

---

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

repo='espressif/arduino-esp32'
tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

declare -A paths=(
  ['1.0.6']='libraries/WiFi/src/ETH.cpp libraries/WiFi/src/ETH.h libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp'
  ['2.0.17']='libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.cpp libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.h libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp'
)

for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  mkdir -p "$tmp/$ref"
  for path in ${paths[$ref]}; do
    outfile="$tmp/$ref/${path//\//__}"
    gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
      "repos/$repo/contents/$path?ref=$ref" >"$outfile"
  done
done

printf '%s\n' '== Public Ethernet API signatures =='
for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$ref"
  rg -n -C 4 '\b(bool|IPAddress|uint8_t)\s+(begin|config|linkUp|localIP|setHostname)\s*\(' \
    "$tmp/$ref"/*ETH.h
done

printf '%s\n' $'\n== Ethernet implementation: begin, config, link, and address access =='
for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$ref"
  rg -n -C 18 \
    '\bETHClass::(begin|config|linkUp|localIP|setHostname|end)\s*\(|\b(tcpip_adapter|esp_netif|esp_eth|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH|IP_EVENT_ETH_GOT_IP)\b' \
    "$tmp/$ref"/*ETH.cpp
done

printf '%s\n' $'\n== Framework Ethernet event translation and dispatch ordering =='
for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$ref"
  rg -n -C 12 \
    '(SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_CONNECTED|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_GOT_IP|ETHERNET_EVENT_CONNECTED|IP_EVENT_ETH_GOT_IP|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH_CONNECTED|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH_GOT_IP)' \
    "$tmp/$ref"/*WiFiGeneric.cpp
done

Length of output: 24309

---

@softhack007, yes. There is a concrete DHCP compatibility problem between these framework versions.

Main result

WLED 16_x selects Ethernet DHCP with:

ETH.config(INADDR_NONE, INADDR_NONE, INADDR_NONE);

This works in Arduino-ESP32 v1.0.6.

It does not select DHCP in Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17.

INADDR_NONE is 255.255.255.255. In v2.0.17, ETHClass::config() tests only whether local_ip is non-zero. It therefore treats INADDR_NONE as a static address.

Framework	ETH.config(INADDR_NONE, ...) result
Arduino-ESP32 v1.0.6	DHCP. The code recognizes INADDR_NONE as the non-static case and starts the DHCP client.
Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17	Static IPv4 configuration with address 255.255.255.255. The code does not restart the DHCP client.

This difference can break Ethernet DHCP in the v2.0.17 build.

Effect on “Never”

This does not change the AP_BEHAVIOR_BUTTON_ONLY guard. “Never” still prevents normal AP startup.

However, WLED disables Wi-Fi at Ethernet link-up, not when Ethernet obtains a valid IPv4 address:

case ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH_CONNECTED:
  if (!apActive) {
    WiFi.disconnect(true);
  }

The framework emits ETH_CONNECTED before ETH_GOT_IP in both versions.

Therefore, this sequence is possible with DHCP on v2.0.17:

1. Ethernet link becomes active.
2. WLED receives ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH_CONNECTED.
3. WLED calls WiFi.disconnect(true).
4. The Wi-Fi radio turns off.
5. The WLED DHCP call has configured 255.255.255.255 instead of enabling DHCP.
6. Ethernet does not receive a valid DHCP lease.
7. No Wi-Fi AP becomes available because “Never” suppresses it.

There is also an incorrect connection-state risk. WLEDNetwork::isEthernet() checks:

return (ETH.localIP()[0] != 0) && ETH.linkUp();

255.255.255.255 is non-zero. If the Ethernet link stays up, WLED can treat this invalid address as an Ethernet connection. This can suppress normal disconnected/reconnect handling.

Static IPv4 configuration

Static Ethernet configuration does not have this INADDR_NONE problem.

WLED uses static Ethernet only when both multiWiFi[0].staticIP and multiWiFi[0].staticGW are non-zero:

ETH.config(
  multiWiFi[0].staticIP,
  multiWiFi[0].staticGW,
  multiWiFi[0].staticSN,
  dnsAddress
);

Both framework versions stop DHCP and install the specified IPv4 configuration for this case. The framework migration from tcpip_adapter to esp_netif does not materially change this WLED static-IP path.

Framework changes

Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17 adds an esp_netif Ethernet interface during ETH.begin(). It still implements the examined ETH.config() path through tcpip_adapter compatibility APIs.

The important behavior change is the DHCP sentinel check:

• v1.0.6: local_ip != 0 && local_ip != INADDR_NONE
• v2.0.17: local_ip != 0

Thus, the problem is not general Ethernet event handling. It is the meaning of WLED’s DHCP configuration call in v2.0.17.

Recommended correction

For Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17, WLED should request DHCP with zero addresses:

ETH.config(IPAddress((uint32_t)0), IPAddress((uint32_t)0), IPAddress((uint32_t)0));

This matches WLED’s Wi-Fi DHCP path and makes v2.0.17 restart the Ethernet DHCP client.

A second hardening change would validate that ETH.localIP() is a usable unicast address before WLEDNetwork::isEthernet() reports connected. This would prevent 255.255.255.255 from being accepted as a valid Ethernet connection.

Relevant sources:

• WLED 16_x: Ethernet static/DHCP configuration
• WLED 16_x: Wi-Fi disabled on Ethernet link-up
• WLED 16_x: Ethernet connection predicate
• Arduino-ESP32 v1.0.6: ETHClass::config()
• Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17: ETHClass::config()
• Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17: Ethernet link and got-IP event mapping

_{You are interacting with an AI system.}

[coderabbitai]

🧩 Analysis chain

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

repo='wled/WLED'
tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

fetch() {
  local project="$1" ref="$2" path="$3" out="$4"
  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$out")"
  gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
    "repos/${project}/contents/${path}?ref=${ref}" >"$out" 2>/dev/null || \
    printf 'NOT FOUND: %s@%s:%s\n' "$project" "$ref" "$path" >&2
}

printf '%s\n' '== WLED framework configuration =='
for ref in v0.14.4 16_x; do
  printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$ref"
  for path in platformio.ini platformio_override.ini; do
    fetch "$repo" "$ref" "$path" "$tmp/wled/$ref/${path}"
    if [ -s "$tmp/wled/$ref/${path}" ]; then
      rg -n -i -C 3 'platform|framework|arduino|espressif32|board_build' "$tmp/wled/$ref/${path}" || true
    fi
  done
done

framework='espressif/arduino-esp32'
for ref in 1.0.6 2.0.17; do
  printf '\n== %s source map ==\n' "$ref"
  gh api "repos/$framework/commits/$ref" --jq '.sha'
  for path in \
    libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.h \
    libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.cpp \
    libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiSTA.h \
    libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiSTA.cpp \
    libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.h \
    libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp \
    cores/esp32/NetworkEvents.h \
    cores/esp32/NetworkEvents.cpp \
    cores/esp32/NetworkInterface.h \
    cores/esp32/NetworkInterface.cpp \
    cores/esp32/Network.h \
    cores/esp32/Network.cpp; do
    fetch "$framework" "$ref" "$path" "$tmp/framework/$ref/${path}"
  done
  printf '%s\n' '-- relevant declarations and paths --'
  rg -n -i -C 4 \
    'bool begin|bool config|esp_netif|ETH_(START|CONNECTED|GOT_IP|DISCONNECTED|STOP)|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH|WiFi\.disconnect|disconnect\s*\(' \
    "$tmp/framework/$ref" || true
done

printf '%s\n' '== Focused framework diffs =='
for path in \
  libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.h \
  libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.cpp \
  libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiSTA.cpp \
  libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp; do
  old="$tmp/framework/1.0.6/$path"
  new="$tmp/framework/2.0.17/$path"
  if [ -s "$old" ] && [ -s "$new" ]; then
    printf '\n-- %s --\n' "$path"
    diff -u "$old" "$new" | grep -E -C 8 \
      '^(---|\+\+\+|@@|[+-].*(begin|config|disconnect|esp_netif|GOT_IP|CONNECTED|DISCONNECTED|dhcp|DHCP|localIP|linkUp)|[^+-].*(begin|config|disconnect|esp_netif|GOT_IP|CONNECTED|DISCONNECTED|dhcp|DHCP|localIP|linkUp))' \
      | head -n 1000 || true
  fi
done

Length of output: 228611

---

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT

fetch() {
  local repo="$1" ref="$2" path="$3" out="$4"
  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$out")"
  gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw+json' \
    "repos/$repo/contents/$path?ref=$ref" >"$out"
}

framework='espressif/arduino-esp32'
for spec in \
  '1.0.6 libraries/WiFi/src/ETH.h' \
  '1.0.6 libraries/WiFi/src/ETH.cpp' \
  '1.0.6 libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp' \
  '2.0.17 libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.h' \
  '2.0.17 libraries/Ethernet/src/ETH.cpp' \
  '2.0.17 libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiGeneric.cpp'; do
  set -- $spec
  fetch "$framework" "$1" "$2" "$tmp/framework/$1/${2//\//__}"
done

printf '%s\n' '== Arduino-ESP32 1.0.6 Ethernet =='
rg -n -C 10 'ETHClass::begin|ETHClass::config|ETHClass::localIP|ETHClass::linkUp|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH' \
  "$tmp/framework/1.0.6"

printf '%s\n' '== Arduino-ESP32 2.0.17 Ethernet =='
rg -n -C 10 'ETHClass::begin|ETHClass::config|ETHClass::localIP|ETHClass::linkUp|ARDUINO_EVENT_ETH' \
  "$tmp/framework/2.0.17"

printf '%s\n' '== Exact Ethernet config comparison =='
python3 - <<'PY' "$tmp/framework/1.0.6/libraries__WiFi__src__ETH.cpp" "$tmp/framework/2.0.17/libraries__Ethernet__src__ETH.cpp"
import re, sys
for f in sys.argv[1:]:
    text=open(f).read()
    print(f"\n-- {f} --")
    m=re.search(r'bool ETHClass::config\(.*?\n\}', text, re.S)
    print(m.group(0) if m else 'ETHClass::config not found')
PY

printf '%s\n' '== WLED 16_x Ethernet configuration and event handling =='
for path in wled00/wled.cpp wled00/network.cpp wled00/cfg.cpp wled00/src/dependencies/network/Network.cpp; do
  fetch 'wled/WLED' '16_x' "$path" "$tmp/wled/${path//\//__}"
done
rg -n -C 12 \
  'ETH\.begin|ETH\.config|ETH\.localIP|ETH\.linkUp|ETH_GOT_IP|ETH_CONNECTED|ETH_DISCONNECTED|WiFi\.disconnect|apBehavior|initAP' \
  "$tmp/wled"

printf '%s\n' '== WLED v0.14.4 Ethernet configuration and event handling =='
for path in wled00/wled.cpp wled00/network.cpp wled00/cfg.cpp; do
  fetch 'wled/WLED' 'v0.14.4' "$path" "$tmp/wled144/${path//\//__}"
done
rg -n -C 12 \
  'ETH\.begin|ETH\.config|ETH\.localIP|ETH\.linkUp|SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH|WiFi\.disconnect|apBehavior|initAP' \
  "$tmp/wled144"

Length of output: 103858

---

@softhack007, yes. I found a framework-compatibility issue that can break Ethernet DHCP in 16_x.

Important version detail

v0.14.4 uses the Arduino-ESP32 1.0.6.4 fork.

16_x defaults to the Tasmota Arduino Core 2.0.18 package. Its platformio.ini lists upstream Arduino-ESP32 2.0.17 as an optional alternative. The result below applies directly to upstream 2.0.17. The Tasmota 2.0.18 package must still be checked for the same implementation.

DHCP behavior changed

In Arduino-ESP32 1.0.6, ETH.config() selects DHCP when the local address is either 0.0.0.0 or INADDR_NONE:

if (local_ip != (uint32_t)0x00000000 && local_ip != INADDR_NONE) {
  // static address
} else {
  // DHCP
}

In upstream Arduino-ESP32 2.0.17, the equivalent condition only checks for zero:

if (static_cast<uint32_t>(local_ip) != 0) {
  // static address
} else {
  // DHCP
}

INADDR_NONE is 0xFFFFFFFF. It becomes 255.255.255.255 as an IPAddress. Therefore, upstream 2.0.17 treats INADDR_NONE as a static address, not as the request to enable DHCP.

WLED 16_x uses this call for Ethernet DHCP:

ETH.config(INADDR_NONE, INADDR_NONE, INADDR_NONE);

This is in wled00/network.cpp at Line 280.

Therefore, with upstream Arduino-ESP32 2.0.17, WLED can configure Ethernet with 255.255.255.255 instead of starting the DHCP client. This can leave ETH.localIP() nonzero but invalid. Network.isEthernet() can then remain false because it also requires ETH.linkUp() and a usable connection path.

This is a credible cause of Ethernet DHCP failure after the framework migration.

Static address behavior

A configured static address uses this WLED condition:

if (multiWiFi[0].staticIP != 0 && multiWiFi[0].staticGW != 0) {
  ETH.config(staticIP, staticGW, staticSN, dnsAddress);
}

This path passes a real local address. Both Arduino-ESP32 1.0.6 and upstream 2.0.17 then:

1. Stop the Ethernet DHCP client.
2. Set the configured IPv4 address, gateway, and subnet mask.
3. Keep DHCP disabled.
4. Set the specified DNS server.

I found no equivalent static-address regression in the compared ETH.config() paths.

WLED uses the first Wi-Fi profile’s static IPv4 settings for Ethernet. It does not have independent Ethernet IPv4 settings.

Effect on “AP opens: Never”

The framework difference can affect whether WLED sees Ethernet as connected. It can therefore affect reconnect processing and the reported network state.

It does not cause WLED to start the AP when the setting is “Never.”

AP opens: Never maps to AP_BEHAVIOR_BUTTON_ONLY. WLED::initAP() returns immediately for this mode unless a button-reset call explicitly sets resetAP=true. This guard is independent of Ethernet address assignment.

There is a separate effect on the Wi-Fi radio:

• Both framework versions emit the Ethernet-connected event when the PHY link comes up.
• This event occurs before ETH_GOT_IP.
• WLED calls WiFi.disconnect(true) on that event when no AP is active.

Thus, a failed DHCP lease can produce this state:

1. Ethernet link is up.
2. WLED disables Wi-Fi.
3. Ethernet does not receive a usable address.
4. “Never” prevents the AP from starting.

This is consistent with “Never” working as configured, but the device becoming unreachable when Ethernet DHCP fails.

WLED behavior also changed

v0.14.4 calls ETH.config() in the Ethernet-connected event.

16_x calls ETH.config() immediately after ETH.begin().

Arduino-ESP32 2.0.17 adds a 50 ms delay in ETH.begin() to let DHCP start. WLED can then reconfigure the address mode immediately afterward. For DHCP, the INADDR_NONE incompatibility makes that timing change more significant.

Conclusion

The upstream Arduino-ESP32 2.0.17 implementation has a likely DHCP incompatibility with the WLED call:

ETH.config(INADDR_NONE, INADDR_NONE, INADDR_NONE);

For a framework where INADDR_NONE is not handled as a DHCP sentinel, WLED should use zero addresses instead:

ETH.config(IPAddress(0U), IPAddress(0U), IPAddress(0U));

This change should be validated against the exact Tasmota Arduino Core 2.0.18 package used by the 16_x release build. If that package retains the upstream 2.0.17 condition, it has the same DHCP defect.

The static-IP path does not show this specific defect.

_{You are interacting with an AI system.}

[softhack007]

For Arduino-ESP32 v2.0.17, WLED should request DHCP with zero addresses: ETH.config(IPAddress((uint32_t)0), IPAddress((uint32_t)0), IPAddress((uint32_t)0));

@coderabbitai please review the arduino-esp32 migration guides for version 2.0.x. is the DHCP suspicion supported by espressif documentation?