Disabling wireless access?

[kabiblueline]

I am trying to setup a simple home network.
One desktop (wired) and one laptop (wireless) with cable modem access.
It seems like a wireless router is the way to go, and I've been looking at the D-Link 713p. However, one thing concerns me.

The laptop will be used fairly infrequently and nothing will be used during the day (nobody home). So it seems the safest to disable the wireless link and only enable it when we know we want to use it. Thus preventing access when we aren't around or aware.

However, I looked through the online D-Link support stuff, and I can't see that they allow you to disable the wireless AP portion of the router. (The Linksys router does have enable/disable, but I like other features of the D-Link better...)

Is it alright to just shut the whole router down when we are not around? Or is it supposed to be up all the time?

It seems like most Wireless routers don't support disabling the radio. Am I missing something? That seems like a fairly easy security measure if your usage allows it?

Thanks for the help.

[yonah]

Shutting off your router won't hurt, especially if you have no need to access your computer remotely. This is the most secure option - if your router is off, no one can access your computer.

There are also various options that, although they won't completely stop people from mooching off of your LAN, they will make it hard for them to access it:

1. Enable WEP (Wired Equiv. Privacy) on your WLAN if you can

2. I don't know about the D-Link, but some routers (like the siemens, SMC, and Linksys) allow you to restrict wireless access via the MAC address of the WLAN card (again, consult your manual).

3. If your router provides a dynamic IP address for your Wireless LAN, you can limit it to 1 address. This way it will be easier to track if someone is mooching, and will prevent other people from gaining access to the LAN if you're already on it.

[kabiblueline]

Thanks for the reply, yonah.

I'm familiar with most of the security things that you mention.

It just seems to me that disabling the wireless altogether is a fairly simple, yet fairly strong method of security.
In my case there will be many times that the 802.11 portion isn't being used, so why leave it on and take the chance?
Even if I can turn off the router when nobody is around, I have to have it on when the wired LAN is in use.....

I may end up getting the Linksys just for that feature.

[brianskurka]

I am using the Linksys BEFW11S4 V2 and it has the ability to turn of broadcasting the ESSID. That's another way along with WEP and MAC filtering to secure your network.