diff --git a/homeassistant/components/device_tracker/asuswrt.py b/homeassistant/components/device_tracker/asuswrt.py
index dd0c43efb2f..fb8a76a1488 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/device_tracker/asuswrt.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/device_tracker/asuswrt.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ https://home-assistant.io/components/device_tracker.asuswrt/
 """
 import logging
 import re
+import telnetlib
 import threading
 from datetime import timedelta
 
@@ -20,12 +21,14 @@ MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_SCANS = timedelta(seconds=5)
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 REQUIREMENTS = ['pexpect==4.0.1']
 
+_LEASES_CMD = 'cat /var/lib/misc/dnsmasq.leases'
 _LEASES_REGEX = re.compile(
     r'\w+\s' +
     r'(?P<mac>(([0-9a-f]{2}[:-]){5}([0-9a-f]{2})))\s' +
     r'(?P<ip>([0-9]{1,3}[\.]){3}[0-9]{1,3})\s' +
     r'(?P<host>([^\s]+))')
 
+_IP_NEIGH_CMD = 'ip neigh'
 _IP_NEIGH_REGEX = re.compile(
     r'(?P<ip>([0-9]{1,3}[\.]){3}[0-9]{1,3})\s' +
     r'\w+\s' +
@@ -55,6 +58,7 @@ class AsusWrtDeviceScanner(object):
         self.host = config[CONF_HOST]
         self.username = str(config[CONF_USERNAME])
         self.password = str(config[CONF_PASSWORD])
+        self.protocol = config.get('protocol')
 
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
 
@@ -100,22 +104,53 @@ class AsusWrtDeviceScanner(object):
             self.last_results = active_clients
             return True
 
-    def get_asuswrt_data(self):
-        """Retrieve data from ASUSWRT and return parsed result."""
+    def ssh_connection(self):
+        """Retrieve data from ASUSWRT via the ssh protocol."""
         from pexpect import pxssh
         try:
             ssh = pxssh.pxssh()
             ssh.login(self.host, self.username, self.password)
-            ssh.sendline('ip neigh')
+            ssh.sendline(_IP_NEIGH_CMD)
             ssh.prompt()
             neighbors = ssh.before.split(b'\n')[1:-1]
-            ssh.sendline('cat /var/lib/misc/dnsmasq.leases')
+            ssh.sendline(_LEASES_CMD)
             ssh.prompt()
             leases_result = ssh.before.split(b'\n')[1:-1]
             ssh.logout()
+            return (neighbors, leases_result)
         except pxssh.ExceptionPxssh as exc:
             _LOGGER.exception('Unexpected response from router: %s', exc)
-            return
+            return ('', '')
+
+    def telnet_connection(self):
+        """Retrieve data from ASUSWRT via the telnet protocol."""
+        try:
+            telnet = telnetlib.Telnet(self.host)
+            telnet.read_until(b'login: ')
+            telnet.write((self.username + '\n').encode('ascii'))
+            telnet.read_until(b'Password: ')
+            telnet.write((self.password + '\n').encode('ascii'))
+            prompt_string = telnet.read_until(b'#').split(b'\n')[-1]
+            telnet.write('{}\n'.format(_IP_NEIGH_CMD).encode('ascii'))
+            neighbors = telnet.read_until(prompt_string).split(b'\n')[1:-1]
+            telnet.write('{}\n'.format(_LEASES_CMD).encode('ascii'))
+            leases_result = telnet.read_until(prompt_string).split(b'\n')[1:-1]
+            telnet.write('exit\n'.encode('ascii'))
+            return (neighbors, leases_result)
+        except EOFError:
+            _LOGGER.exception("Unexpected response from router")
+            return ('', '')
+        except ConnectionRefusedError:
+            _LOGGER.exception("Connection refused by router,"
+                              " is telnet enabled?")
+            return ('', '')
+
+    def get_asuswrt_data(self):
+        """Retrieve data from ASUSWRT and return parsed result."""
+        if self.protocol == 'telnet':
+            neighbors, leases_result = self.telnet_connection()
+        else:
+            neighbors, leases_result = self.ssh_connection()
 
         devices = {}
         for lease in leases_result: