Last updated: November 3, 2026
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Key Takeaways
- Every store-bought router has a switch that turns the WiFi radio off, usually under Wireless, Advanced Wireless, or Professional settings, and many have a physical WiFi button on the case. Turning the radio off is different from hiding the network name, which leaves the signal running.
- ISP gateways are mixed. Xfinity, AT&T, Verizon Fios, and most DSL gateways let you turn the WiFi off from their admin page. Spectrum and Cox rentals usually need a support call or bridge mode to switch the radios off completely.
- Use a wired connection to make the change. The moment you save, every device on that WiFi drops, including the phone or laptop you are using if it is connected wirelessly.
There are a few good reasons to turn off the WiFi on a router or modem. The most common one is that you bought a better router or a mesh system and the old signal from your ISP gateway is now competing with it. Others want a wired-only network, want the WiFi off overnight, or want to silence a rental gateway without returning it. Whatever the reason, the switch exists on nearly every device. It is just in a different place on each one.
This guide covers the exact menu path for every major router brand and internet provider, the difference between turning WiFi off and hiding it, how to switch off a single band or put the WiFi on a timer, and how to turn it all back on when you need it.
What is the difference between turning WiFi off, hiding it, and bridge mode?
These three settings get mixed up constantly, and picking the wrong one is the main reason people end up with a signal they thought they had switched off.
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Turn off the WiFi radio | Stops the wireless signal entirely. Wired ports and routing keep working. | You want no WiFi from this device, or you are using a separate router or mesh for WiFi. |
| Hide the network name (SSID) | Removes the name from the list on phones and laptops, but the radio keeps broadcasting and devices can still join it. | Almost never. It does not reduce interference or add meaningful security. |
| Bridge mode | Turns an ISP gateway into a plain modem. Routing, firewall, and usually WiFi all switch off. | You want your own router to run the whole network, not just the WiFi. |
If you are turning off the gateway's WiFi because your own router is taking over, you are usually better served by bridge mode, which also fixes the Double NAT problems that come from running two routers in a row. Our guide to putting your ISP gateway into bridge mode has the steps for every major provider. If you only want the WiFi off and the gateway's routing left alone, keep reading.
What do you need before you start?
Connect the computer you are using to the router with an Ethernet cable. This matters more here than with most settings changes, because the instant you save, the WiFi you are connected through disappears and the settings page may never finish loading. A wired connection also means you can get back in to turn the WiFi on again without a factory reset.
You will also need the admin login for the device, which is usually printed on a label on the bottom or back. If the label password does not work, our guide on how to log into your router lists defaults for every brand, and if the login page will not load at all, start with finding your router's IP address.
Finally, if anything in the house connects only over WiFi and has no Ethernet port (smart TVs, thermostats, cameras, printers), make sure it has somewhere else to connect before you flip the switch.
How do you turn off WiFi on a store-bought router?
These are the routers you bought yourself, whether from us, a big-box store, or Amazon. Each brand puts the radio switch in a slightly different place. On dual-band and tri-band routers there is usually one switch per band, so turn off every band listed. If you only see one network and one switch, a feature called Smart Connect is combining the bands, and one switch covers all of them.
| Brand | Where to log in | Menu path to the WiFi switch |
|---|---|---|
| NETGEAR (Nighthawk and others) | routerlogin.net | Advanced, then Advanced Setup, then Wireless Settings. Uncheck Enable Wireless Router Radio for each band and click Apply. Most Nighthawks also have a WiFi button on the case. |
| NETGEAR Orbi | orbilogin.com | No radio-off switch on the main unit. Use Advanced, then Advanced Setup, then Router / AP Mode to run it as an access point behind another router, or unplug it. |
| TP-Link Archer | tplinkwifi.net or the Tether app | Advanced, then Wireless, then Wireless Settings. Uncheck Enable (shown as Enable Wireless Radio on some models) for each band and save. Many Archers have a WiFi button on the back. |
| TP-Link Deco | Deco app | No switch for the main network. More, then Advanced, then Operation Mode lets you switch to Access Point mode, or unplug units you do not need. |
| ASUS | router.asus.com or the ASUS Router app | Wireless, then Professional. Pick each band, set Enable Radio to No, and click Apply. In the app: Settings, then WiFi, then Wireless Settings. Some ASUS routers also let the WPS button toggle the radio under Administration, then System. |
| Linksys (classic routers) | myrouter.local or 192.168.1.1 | Wireless, then Basic Wireless Settings. Set Network Mode to Disabled for each band and save. |
| Linksys Velop | Linksys app | No radio-off switch. Use Bridge Mode under Advanced Settings, then Internet Settings, or unplug the nodes. |
| eero | eero app only | No radio-off switch. Settings, then Network Settings, then DHCP & NAT lets you set Bridge mode; otherwise unplug. |
| Google Nest Wifi | Google Home app only | No radio-off switch. Wi-Fi, then Settings, then Advanced Networking, then Network Mode lets you set Bridge mode on the main point. |
| Motorola / Arris SURFboard gateways (MG and SBG series) | 192.168.0.1 | Wireless, then Basic (or Primary Network). Set Wireless to Disabled, or uncheck Enable Wireless, for each band and apply. |
| Hitron gateways (CODA series) | 192.168.0.1 | Wireless, then Basic Settings. Set Wireless Enabled to Disabled for each band and save. Most CODA units have a WiFi button on the back. |
Menu labels shift a little between firmware versions. If the wording above is not there, look for anything called Wireless, WiFi, Radio, or Professional. The switch is almost always on the same screen as the network name and password, or one level deeper under Advanced.
The physical WiFi button
Many routers skip the menus entirely. Look for a button on the back, side, or top marked with a WiFi symbol, or labeled WiFi On/Off. Press it once (some need a two-second hold) and the WiFi lights on the front go dark. Press it again to turn the WiFi back on. Do not confuse it with the WPS button, which has a two-arrows symbol and pairs devices rather than switching the radio, or with the recessed reset pinhole.
Why mesh systems often have no off switch
eero, Google Nest Wifi, Deco, Velop, and Orbi are built around their WiFi. Turning the radio off would leave you with a box that does almost nothing, so the apps do not offer it. The practical options are bridge or access point mode (which keeps the WiFi but hands routing to another device), unplugging satellite units you do not need, or using the app's pause or schedule feature if you only want the WiFi off at certain times. If you have an older router you want to stop broadcasting, our comparison of mesh WiFi vs. traditional routers explains which device should be doing what.
How do you turn off WiFi on an ISP gateway?
If your provider gave you a combined modem and router, the switch may be in the device's own admin page, in the provider's app, or only available to the provider. Here is where it lives for each major ISP.
Xfinity
Xfinity gateways have the switch in the Admin Tool. Browse to 10.0.0.1 over a wired connection, log in, and go to Gateway, then Connection, then Wi-Fi. Click Edit next to each band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz on newer units) and set Wireless Network to Disabled, then click Save Settings. On current xFi Gateways the Admin Tool is switched off by default and has to be enabled in the Xfinity app first; our Xfinity default password guide covers how. Xfinity documents the steps in its hide or disable in-home WiFi article.
Two things to know. Turning off your private WiFi does not turn off the public Xfinity WiFi hotspot some gateways broadcast; that is a separate switch in your Xfinity account under WiFi settings. And some gateways keep one or two hidden networks running for Xfinity home security equipment even with everything else off. If the goal is a completely silent gateway, bridge mode is the closest Xfinity gets.
Spectrum
Spectrum-issued gateways do not expose a WiFi-off switch in the My Spectrum app, and the admin page on many models is limited. The reliable route is to call or chat with Spectrum and ask them to disable the WiFi on your gateway from their side, which they can do in a few minutes. If you are using your own modem and router instead of Spectrum equipment, the brand table above applies, and Spectrum has no control over it. Many people in this situation skip the rental altogether; our guide to the best Spectrum modem router combos covers what to buy and the monthly fee it removes.
Cox
For a Panoramic WiFi gateway, the Cox Panoramic WiFi app and the portal at wifi.cox.com let you turn off individual bands under advanced settings, and the public Cox hotspot is a separate switch in your Cox account under Security and Privacy. Cox does not offer a single switch that silences the gateway's radio entirely; bridge mode is the documented way to do that. For a gateway you bought yourself, such as the Arris DG3450, the switch is in the gateway's own admin page, and our Arris DG3450 setup guide has the steps.
AT&T (BGW210, BGW320, BGW620)
Browse to 192.168.1.254, enter the Device Access Code printed on the gateway when prompted, and go to Home Network, then Wi-Fi. Each band has a Wi-Fi Operation setting; set it to Off and save. The Smart Home Manager app can pause and rename the WiFi but does not switch the radio off, so use the browser page. This is also the step to take after setting up IP Passthrough, since AT&T gateways keep their WiFi running after passthrough is enabled.
Verizon Fios (G3100, CR1000A, and older models)
Browse to 192.168.1.1, sign in with the admin password on the router label, and open Wi-Fi Settings. Turn off each radio: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz if present. If the router has a single Self-Organizing Network setting, you may need to switch that off first to see the bands separately. One caution: Fios TV set-top boxes use the router's MoCA link, not its WiFi, so turning the WiFi off does not affect them. For the full menu layout, see our G3100 setup guide.
CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, Brightspeed, and other DSL providers
Most DSL gateways use a browser page at 192.168.0.1 with the admin username and password from the modem sticker. Go to Wireless Setup, pick each band, set Wireless Radio (or Wireless Enable) to Disable, and apply. We have model-specific guides for the Actiontec C3000A, the Zyxel C3000Z, and the Actiontec T3200.
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Can you turn off just the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band?
Yes, on almost every router that lets you see the bands separately. The same switches in the tables above work one band at a time: leave one band enabled and turn the other off. The usual reasons are an old smart home device that only speaks 2.4 GHz and keeps wandering onto the wrong network, or a crowded apartment building where the 5 GHz band is the only one worth using. If the router shows a single combined network, turn off Smart Connect (or Band Steering, or Self-Organizing Network, depending on the brand) first and the individual band switches appear. Before you decide which band to keep, our explainer on 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz covers what each one is good at.
How do you turn WiFi off on a schedule?
If you want the WiFi off overnight or during the workday rather than permanently, most major brands have a timer built in, and it saves you from going back into the settings every day.
- NETGEAR: Advanced, then Advanced Setup, then Wireless Settings. Check Turn off wireless signal by schedule, click Add a new period, and set the days and hours.
- TP-Link Archer: Advanced, then Wireless, then Wireless Schedule. Turn it on and add the times the WiFi should be off. Deco users have the same feature in the app under More, then Wi-Fi Settings.
- ASUS: Wireless, then Professional. Set Enable wireless scheduler to Yes and fill in the weekly grid for each band.
- eero and Google Nest Wifi: No radio schedule, but both apps can pause the internet for specific devices or profiles on a schedule, which covers most bedtime and homework use cases.
- ISP gateways: The Xfinity and Cox apps offer scheduled pauses per device rather than a radio timer. AT&T's Smart Home Manager and the My Spectrum app work the same way.
A schedule turns off the WiFi, not the router. Wired devices keep working during the off hours, and the router's clock needs to be correct for the schedule to fire at the right time, so check the time zone under the router's system or administration settings.
The outlet timer option
If your router or gateway has no built-in schedule, or you would rather not touch the settings at all, an outlet timer does the job for any device. A basic mechanical timer from the hardware store, or a smart plug with its own schedule, cuts power to the router at the times you set and restores it in the morning. The WiFi, the wired ports, and the internet connection all go off together, and the router simply boots back up when the power returns, which it is designed to do.
A few things to keep in mind. If you use a smart plug, pick one that stores its schedule on the plug itself, because once the router is off the plug has no WiFi to receive commands over. Give the router a few minutes after power returns to reconnect to your provider before expecting devices to work. And skip the timer entirely if the gateway also carries your home phone service, a medical alert device, or security cameras you want recording overnight, since those lose their connection too. For a wired-only household that wants the WiFi off at night, though, a timer is the simplest switch there is.
How do you turn WiFi back on?
The same way you turned it off, in reverse. Connect over Ethernet, log back in, and re-enable the radio for each band, or press the physical WiFi button if the router has one. The one trap is a router with no Ethernet cable handy and no button: with the WiFi off there is no wireless way back into the settings page, and the only remaining option is a factory reset, which restores the WiFi along with every other default and wipes your custom settings. Our guide on how to reset a router explains what to write down first. This is the reason the wired connection at the start of this guide is not optional.
Why is the WiFi still showing after you turned it off?
A few things keep a signal alive, or appear to, after the switch is flipped.
- You turned off one band and not the others. Go back and check every band, including 6 GHz on WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 routers.
- It is the public hotspot, not your network. Xfinity, Cox, and some other providers broadcast a separate hotspot network (xfinitywifi, CoxWiFi, and similar) from rented gateways. That is controlled from your provider account, not the gateway settings.
- It is a hidden service network. Some gateways keep a hidden network running for the provider's home security or mobile service. These do not appear in your phone's WiFi list but show up in a WiFi scanning app, and they cannot be turned off by the customer. Bridge mode is the closest you can get.
- You hid the name instead of turning off the radio. Hide SSID and Disable Radio are separate settings on most routers, often on the same screen. Hiding leaves the signal on.
- A firmware update turned it back on. ISP-pushed updates occasionally reset gateway settings. If it happens repeatedly, ask the provider to lock the change on their end.
- It is not your router. A neighbor's network with a similar name, or your own mesh satellite still plugged in, is a common surprise. Unplug the device you think you silenced and see whether the network disappears.
If a WiFi scanning app shows a signal you cannot account for, our guide to the best WiFi channel scanning apps explains how to read what it finds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off WiFi turn off the internet?
No. The wireless radio and the internet connection are separate. With the WiFi off, anything plugged into the router's Ethernet ports keeps working normally, and a second router or mesh system connected by cable can provide WiFi for the house. An outlet timer is the exception, since it cuts power to everything.
Is it better to turn off WiFi or use bridge mode?
If you are turning the gateway's WiFi off because your own router is handling the network, bridge mode is usually the better choice: it switches off the WiFi and the gateway's routing at the same time, which prevents Double NAT. If you just want a wired-only setup or want the signal off at night, turning off the radio is simpler and leaves the gateway doing everything else.
Can I turn off WiFi on my modem?
Only if the modem has WiFi to begin with. A plain cable or DSL modem with one Ethernet port has no radio, so there is nothing to turn off; the WiFi in that setup comes from whatever router is plugged into it. A modem router combo, which most ISPs issue, has a radio and the switches in this guide apply.
Does turning off WiFi save electricity?
A small amount. The radio is a fraction of the router's total power draw, which is already low, so expect pennies per month rather than dollars. The more noticeable benefits are less interference with a second router and one fewer network for devices to wander onto.
Should I turn off my WiFi at night?
It is a personal choice rather than a technical requirement. Routers are designed to run around the clock. People who do it usually want devices off the network at bedtime or prefer not to run a radio they are not using. If that is you, a built-in schedule or an outlet timer is easier than switching it manually.
Will turning off WiFi disconnect my smart home devices?
Yes, every device that connects wirelessly to that router drops the moment the radio goes off, and most smart home gear will not reconnect by itself to a different network. Before you turn the radio off permanently, make sure another WiFi network is already running and move those devices to it.
How do I turn off the Xfinity or Cox public hotspot?
From your provider account, not the gateway. For Xfinity, sign in at xfinity.com or in the Xfinity app and look for the WiFi hotspot setting under your WiFi or account preferences. For Cox, go to My Profile, then Security and Privacy, and turn off Cox WiFi for guests. Both changes can take a restart of the gateway to apply.
Related Guides
- How to Put Your ISP Gateway Into Bridge Mode
- How to Log Into Your Router (Any Brand)
- How to Find Your Router's IP Address
- How to Change Your WiFi Password on Any Router or ISP Gateway
- 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz: Which WiFi Band Should You Use?
- How to Reset a Router: Restart vs. Factory Reset
- Shop refurbished WiFi routers
