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Moof1904

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2004
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I no longer have any wireless devices in my house and I'd prefer not to have wireless active. When I go to the AEBS admin utility, the best I can see to do is reduce the signal strength to 10%. Is there a way to shut of wireless altogehter?
 
I no longer have any wireless devices in my house and I'd prefer not to have wireless active. When I go to the AEBS admin utility, the best I can see to do is reduce the signal strength to 10%. Is there a way to shut of wireless altogehter?

In your menu bar at top of screen the click Airport icon. You can turn it off in there.
 
Shut off your Airport card as MacboobsPro said. Also you could, you know, unplug the base station? Since you don't want it on? lol...
 
I no longer have any wireless devices in my house and I'd prefer not to have wireless active. When I go to the AEBS admin utility, the best I can see to do is reduce the signal strength to 10%. Is there a way to shut of wireless altogehter?

Unlike the Airport Express, there is no way to turn off the wireless network on the Extreme.

Are you still trying to use it as a wired print server? Why not disconnect it all together?
 
I can't disconnect the AEBS because it's the main router of my home network. I just don't want any wireless right now.
 
The AEBS has no other function but as a wireless router/printserver. That is what it does.

If you turn off the wireless, you will also turn off the wireless network put out by the base station. If it's your main router, then leave it on. It doesn't seem like you need it if you wanted its wireless to be turned off.

If, however, it is NOT an Apple airport base station, but a third party wired+wireless router, that's entirely different. They feature four ethernet ports in the back PLUS antennas for wireless.
 
The AEBS has no other function but as a wireless router/printserver. That is what it does.

Actually, since it does have a LAN port you could (as I do) use it to serve NAT DHCP addresses to multiple computers. I imagine this is what Moof1904 is intending. But it does look like there's no way to disable just the wireless part.

Hey you could wrap it in aluminum foil - that'd do it. :D
 
What kind of switch/router are you using?

Netgear GS605 gigabit switch. It's been reliable, and also matches the Airport Extreme visually. :cool:

You don't want to use a router if you can help it - the config might be a pain in the neck (basically creating a private NAT space underneath another private NAT space). With a simple switch it's just plug and play.
 
You can indeed disable Airport Extreme wireless...

It does appear possible to disable the Airport Extreme's wireless capability while retaining the router capability. At any rate, I have just done it. Here is how to proceed:

1. Open the Airport Utility.

2. Select your base station.

3. Click on the "Manual Setup" button at the lower left.

4. Click on the "Wireless" button at the top middle.

5. Select "Wireless mode: Off".

6. Click on the "Update" button at the lower right.

The Airport Extreme base station will reconfigure. Your ethernet connection will be active but your wireless capability will be disabled.

Also, if you would like to create a "closed" wireless network for which one must know the the name of the network in order to join it, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Airport Utility.

2. Select your base station.

3. Click on the "Manual Setup" button at the lower left.

4. Click on the "Wireless" button at the top middle.

5. Select "Wireless mode: Create a wireless network".

6. Check the "Create a closed network" box.

7. Click on the "Done" button at the lower right.

8. Click on the "Update" button at the lower right.

The Airport base station will now reconfigure.

In general, the "Manual" alternative provides for more flexibility than the "Assisted" setup.

Good luck!
 
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kirigiri's steps appear to be correct. I am not at my computer now to use AirPort Utility and check, but that seems to be right. (Manual setup -> Wireless -> "Wireless Mode: Off".) This will disable the radio. You can even save your old profile before you do this so you can switch it back on again easily.

Also, the people who say things like "The AEBS has no other function but as a wireless router/printserver. That is what it does" are clearly wrong and have forgotten that the AEBS has, in fact, wired connections, too. AirPort Express, and then maybe we'd be taking... ;)
 
AirPort Express, and then maybe we'd be taking... ;)
It's quite reasonable to use an AirPort Express as a print server and/or AirTunes destination, even if it's not using Wi-Fi.
 
You people DO realize this is a thread from 2006 right? To the person that resurrected it, please don't revive dead threads. And to those still replying, check the dates on the original thread. It could very well have been that there was no way to disable wireless on the Extremes in 2006
 
Got it to work on Mountain Lion! Thanks!

It does appear possible to disable the Airport Extreme's wireless capability while retaining the router capability. At any rate, I have just done it. Here is how to proceed:
1. Open the Airport Utility.
2. Select your base station.
3. Click on the "Manual Setup" button at the lower left.
4. Click on the "Wireless" button at the top middle.
5. Select "Wireless mode: Off".
6. Click on the "Update" button at the lower right.
The Airport Extreme base station will reconfigure. Your ethernet connection will be active but your wireless capability will be disabled.

Thanks for this advice! All it took was finding a method to install the Old Airport Utility (the one with Manual Setup, as 6.3.1 on Mountain Lion no longer allows for Manual Setup)..

So check http://frank.is/mountain-lion-and-the-old-airport-utility/
 
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