Need help buying a WAP with scheduling

[Roveer]

It's time for a new WAP. I say WAP because my router is special (checkpoint) for VPN use so I keep the wireless seperate. Most of our devices are G, maybe some of them are N but that's about it. Lots of iPads, Android's, xbox's, wii's WIFI capable TV's etc. A few older laptops etc. Believe it or not, I can see 14+ devices attached at times. Pretty crazy for a family of 6.

The biggest feature I need is the ability to schedule dark times in the evenings. Otherwise I can't get the kids to put down the tech. I have been turning on and off MAC filtering, but it's a real pain. I want to be able to set a schedule to block all but certain devices after a certain time.

DD-WRT has these features and I was so hopeful but they didn't work on my series of WAP. I was crushed.

So can anyone reccomend a new WAP that has scheduling in it? I appreiate the help.

Roveer

 

[CaptainSTX]

If most of your devices are really only G capable and you want a simple, low cost and effective way to control your wireless network, buy a simple router on e-bay such as a Linksys 54G, set it up as an AP and then plug it into a lamp timer.

If you need something more sophisticated you are going to have to repurpose a more sophisticated and powerful router. You may need to do this because of the number or devices/ users you have. The ASUS router allows you to specify on and off times daily for WiFi. AS you mentioned DD-WRT also allows you to do this.

If you want to just to restrict just certain wireless devices from using the Internet nothing is really go to be 100% effective as any reasonably knowledgeable user will be able to change their devices IP and or MAC address and thereby defeat any scheme you may devised and tried to implement.

 

[remixedcat]

Meraki APs will soon have this in a more advanced way. I have a Meraki MR12 and I will be also able to shut off certain applications/services during certain times as well. Like block facebook at certain hours, netflix at night so people would go to bed at a decent hour, etc.

 

[Roveer]

If most of your devices are really only G capable and you want a simple, low cost and effective way to control your wireless network, buy a simple router on e-bay such as a Linksys 54G, set it up as an AP and then plug it into a lamp timer.

If you need something more sophisticated you are going to have to repurpose a more sophisticated and powerful router. You may need to do this because of the number or devices/ users you have. The ASUS router allows you to specify on and off times daily for WiFi. AS you mentioned DD-WRT also allows you to do this.

If you want to just to restrict just certain wireless devices from using the Internet nothing is really go to be 100% effective as any reasonably knowledgeable user will be able to change their devices IP and or MAC address and thereby defeat any scheme you may devised and tried to implement.

I neglected to mention that turning the entire WAP off is not an option. I've got thermostats and lots of other devices connected.

What I have decided to do is to put my current WAP on an X10 timer to shut it off, but to also have a 2nd WAP for all my persistant connections. I'll do channel 1 on one and channel 11 on the other, different SSID's and not broadcast the 2nd WAP. Best of both worlds, already have the hardware. Solves my problem.

Roveer

 

[stevech]

Limiting kids... Some routers have a scheduler for go/no-go by day/time, based on MAC address. Kids' devices' MAC could be in that list.

Hope no neighbors have an open WiFi!

Then, there's parental authority: Consequences for disobeying.

 

[Samir]

Meraki APs will soon have this in a more advanced way. I have a Meraki MR12 and I will be also able to shut off certain applications/services during certain times as well. Like block facebook at certain hours, netflix at night so people would go to bed at a decent hour, etc.

But these are super expensive. I loved their indoor and outdoor APs and have had them deployed in some critical production environments for years. Solid units.

But their new series ups the price a couple-fold and the bang for buck isn't like the old units.

What I have decided to do is to put my current WAP on an X10 timer to shut it off, but to also have a 2nd WAP for all my persistant connections. I'll do channel 1 on one and channel 11 on the other, different SSID's and not broadcast the 2nd WAP. Best of both worlds, already have the hardware. Solves my problem.

Another solution would be to replace your gateway router with one that could do some scheduling. All the small business class routers I have, many almost a decade old, have these features built-in. Then you could leave the network alone and just set up access rules for your kids' macs'.

 

[stevech]

This thread is a lot of tech crud in lieu of a simple parenting solution.

 

[Samir]

This thread is a lot of tech crud in lieu of a simple parenting solution.

Parenting has gotten high tech too. This network is just the implementation of that.

 

[stevech]

Parenting has gotten high tech too. This network is just the implementation of that.

Are you suggesting that tech/networking eliminates the need for parental control of, in the home, Internet habits, with consequences of disobeying?

 

[Samir]

Are you suggesting that tech/networking eliminates the need for parental control of, in the home, Internet habits, with consequences of disobeying?

Absolutely not. These technologies are to be used hand-in-hand with existing parenting controls.

You have to remember that this is a networking forum, so the OP asked for help on the networking part of the equation, not the parenting part.