How to turn off WiFi on a router using only a network cable? Before closing, clearly distinguish the three key points: covering the five brand switch positions all at once

last month, during the child's exam week, our family set a rule: all tablets and phones must be taken away at night, and only the desktop in the study room can access the internet to look up information. The desktop had a network cable, but the router in the living room had WiFi on, and the child hugging the tablet and curling up under the covers still connected. I simply turned off WiFi completely for seven days, leaving only the network cable. After these seven days of turmoil, I've gone through all the ways and pitfalls brands use to turn off WiFi, and I'm writing this article to save some trouble for those who want to turn it off.

first distinguish three things: off, hidden, and timer—these are essentially three switches

many people search the backend for a long time and can't find "Turn off WiFi" because they have mixed three things into one. I tested the AX3000T at home one by one, and these three switch transistors are completely different:

the SSID hiding set, I previously wrote about the Xiaomi and Mercury versions, covering both the principle and manual network addition methods: How to hide WiFi signals on a Xiaomi router on Mercury routers. If you just want to disconnect at 11 PM and restore at 6 AM, don't shut it down completely. Using a timer switch is much more hassle-free. The Mercury edition tutorial is this WiFi timer switch . See how to set up a timed restart router for a timer restart.

hidden is 'the store is open even after the sign is removed,' the timing is 'closing on time and reopening tomorrow morning,' and a complete closure is 'immediate closure.' This article discusses the third type. Before reading, think carefully about which one you want.

Before

started, I counted the devices at home three times. You count them too

The first time I turned it off, I casually turned it on. Five minutes later, the living room camera app went offline, the bedroom speaker didn't respond, and the vacuum flashed red on the charging dock. Only then did I remember these guys were all WiFi addicts—not a single network port. Don't skip the step of counting devices: go through each room once, and any connected device without a network cable will lose contact the moment you turn off WiFi. I've written two articles about network failure and offline troubleshooting: What to do if robot vacuum can't connect to WiFi Mi Home device always shows offline , but that's only if WiFi is turned on. If it's really off, don't bother checking because they just don't have internet.

second thing is to leave yourself a way out. From the moment WiFi is turned off, the phone can't access the 192.168.1.1 backend—if the phone can't connect to WiFi, you can't just hold your phone up and shout at the router. You need to make sure you have something that can connect to the network: it's best if laptops come with built-in Ethernet ports, desktops come plugged in, and ultrabooks without Ethernet ports cost about 30 yuan per USB-to-Gigabit port, and USB-C ports are also available. This cable isn't just for turning it off; you have to rely on it to open it again.

third thing: record the backend access method and account password. Which device is responsible for backend, is the address 192.168.1.1 or something else, and what the management password is—write it on a note and stick it under the router. Don't overestimate yourself a week later. The first time I did it was after turning it off, I remembered to put my password in my old phone's notes, and that phone happened to be connected to home WiFi to check it—a loop of endless loops.

I checked the switch positions for all five brands for you

WiFi is hidden in different locations by each store, and the names are all sorts of ways. Here's a table below:

two common pitfalls. First, dual-band has two switches: one for 2.4G and one for 5G. If you turn off 5G, the 2.4G will still be quietly sending signals in the corner, and you'll find it just like it on your phone. If you want to turn it off completely, turn off both. After closing, use your phone to search around and confirm that the original WiFi name is completely gone before it counts. Second, don't look for the phrase "Turn off WiFi"—most backend apps don't say it that way—ASUS's "Enable wireless router wireless signal" was something else the first time I saw it, so changing it to "No" would actually turn it off. Mercury is hidden in the 'host network'; the visitor network switch is another matter, don't get it wrong.

By the way, if you have an old router at home that you can use to convert it into a switch (like connecting a LAN port to a LAN), you can also turn off that device's WiFi to avoid interference from another signal source. The wiring method depends on how router is used as a switch and how connect it.

What will your home look like after turning off the

, and how can you fix it if you accidentally turn it off

don't panic after shutting it down; the router hasn't stopped. Dial-up, DHCP, and wired ports are all active; desktops, NAS, and wired cameras plugged in with network cables work as usual, with no drops in speed—after all, WiFi is just one of its functions, not its lifeline. The only real disconnection is wireless connectivity: phones and tablets can't find that name, phones can still get data, but tablets that only rely on WiFi become bricks.

want to get back into the backend now, the network cable is the only main entrance. Plug the computer into the LAN port, and enter 192.168.1.1 as usual (Xiaomi uses 192.168.31.1, Mercury Tengda usually uses 192.168.0.1), then just go in and flip the switch back. Phones aren't completely helpless; USB-C to Ethernet cables can also be used, and once plugged in, it's a wired terminal.

has a lifesaver that many people don't know: devices that have been linked to the Cloud App can remotely turn on WiFi back. The principle is simple—the router connects to the internet via the network cable, maintains the channel to the cloud, and follows the app's commands. Xiaomi is linked to Mijia, so you can use Mijia app to manage remotely and you can turn WiFi back; The same applies to Mercury's cloud router that has linked a MERCURY ID, the Mercury remote management is still open. If your home doesn't have cloud storage, and your device doesn't have cloud functionality, just honestly find a network cable.

two kinds of people, I advise you not to mess around

First, a whole-home smart family. Dozens of bulbs, sockets, and sensors are all connected to WiFi and gateways. If you turn off WiFi, the lights at home won't even turn on, which costs much more than when kids play on tablets. There are so many devices that routers can't handle it how do you network dozens of smart home devices? That's another topic.

Second, to turn off WiFi for 'radiation.' To be fair, WiFi is non-ionizing radiation. The national standard 2.4G band has a transmission power limit of only 100 milliwatts, and the router is still one or two meters away, which is much less than the amount of phone phone used to make a phone call close to your head. There's really no need to turn it off. I did a calculation of the national standard for transmission power in the article 'Can Router Transmission Power Be Adjusted If you want some peace before bed, just turn it off for two hours. Another easy thing to miss: the real second source of transmission at home is the optical modem, and that device's WiFi needs to be turned off separately. The path is in How to turn off the telecom optical modem's WiFi? If you only turn off the router but not the optical modem, you're basically turning it off halfway.

take your seat and start in this order

steps are six: first count all devices that rely on WiFi, then prepare a network cable that can access the background, write down the background address and password and stick it under the device, go to wireless settings and turn off both 2.4G and 5G switches, use your phone to check if the signal is really gone, and after a week to restore it, plug in the network cable and turn it on the same way. Turning it off only takes ten seconds. These three things are the real trick. The first time, I skipped the first two, and the night I turned it off, I was exhausted and rummaging through my suitcase looking for a network cable.