Does it make a difference to anything including security if I turn off Airport when I'm not using it? Does it matter?
Why does my Airport connection slip out of a secure network and move to an insecure one, apparently when I move the laptop from one part of the house to another? The other computers seem to keep the connection.
Why does the Airport connection show # of days, hours and minutes on the bar for the laptops, but not for a desktop computer?
Why does the secure lock show on my laptops but not on the other computer? Is it better/more prudent to login every time if we're the only ones in the house?
5 related questions.
QuoteDoes it make a difference to anything including security if I turn off Airport when I'm not using it? Does it matter?
If you are transmitting nothing, then there is nothing for wireless eavesdroppers to detect. If you switch off Airport, you save battery power.
QuoteWhy does my Airport connection slip out of a secure network and move to an insecure one, apparently when I move the laptop from one part of the house to another? The other computers seem to keep the connection.
Interesting. What are these other computers? Airport may be automatically selecting a stronger signal. Are both of these networks yours, or is one a neighbour's network?
QuoteWhy does the Airport connection show # of days, hours and minutes on the bar for the laptops, but not for a desktop computer?
For computers in general, uptime (days, hours, minutes) is not displayed for a wired Ethernet connection because its stability is taken for granted. If you are very curious, though, you can open Terminal and type the command, "uptime".
QuoteWhy does the secure lock show on my laptops but not on the other computer?
The wireless "secure lock" means that the transmitted data is encrypted. For a general-purpose wired Ethernet connection, the data travels unencrypted through cabling and cannot be snooped by wireless means.
QuoteIs it better/more prudent to login every time if we're the only ones in the house?
If your wireless network is using modern encryption (WPA), security is not affected by the frequency of your logging in. However, users may find it annoying to have to log in often.
Thanks for the info. I'll save it to reread and perhaps ask more questions.