PC security with unprotected wifi?

[C102]

I need to be able to offer occasional visitors internet access via wifi on my home network.

I bought a second wireless router, Linksys E900, but have been unable to activate it as an unprotected access point with my Verizon M1424WR also enabled. In fact, whenever I followed various directions for doing this, as a "bridge" router or otherwise, things messed up and it took a while just to get the main router working. If anyone can point to a failsafe guide, I'd be very grateful!

I don't necessarily need Internet access while guests are here. So as an alternative, what about turning off the M1424WR's WEP security, and either putting my desktop PC on standby or pulling its ethernet connection to the router? Is there any way that guest connections could accidentally or via malware corrupt something in the router that would then infect my system?

Thanks for all advice here.

[C102]

I need to be able to offer occasional visitors internet access via wifi on my home network.

I bought a second wireless router, Linksys E900, but have been unable to activate it as an unprotected access point with my Verizon M1424WR also enabled. In fact, whenever I followed various directions for doing this, as a "bridge" router or otherwise, things messed up and it took a while just to get the main router working. If anyone can point to a failsafe guide, I'd be very grateful!

I don't necessarily need Internet access while guests are here. So as an alternative, what about turning off the M1424WR's WEP security, and either putting my desktop PC on standby or pulling its ethernet connection to the router? Is there any way that guest connections could accidentally or via malware corrupt something in the router that would then infect my system?

Thanks for all advice here.

[eljefe2 · Accepted solution]

If you have your PC is powered down it's safe, and there is no way (yet) that a guest could infect your router. 

[C102]

Very good - thanks!

[viafax]

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@C10 wrote:

I need to be able to offer occasional visitors internet access via wifi on my home network.

I bought a second wireless router, Linksys E900, but have been unable to activate it as an unprotected access point with my Verizon M1424WR also enabled. In fact, whenever I followed various directions for doing this, as a "bridge" router or otherwise, things messed up and it took a while just to get the main router working. If anyone can point to a failsafe guide, I'd be very grateful!

I don't necessarily need Internet access while guests are here. So as an alternative, what about turning off the M1424WR's WEP security, and either putting my desktop PC on standby or pulling its ethernet connection to the router? Is there any way that guest connections could accidentally or via malware corrupt something in the router that would then infect my system?

Thanks for all advice here.

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How is your e900 connected with the rest of your network?

I believe the e900 supports open guest access 

If you connected the e900 as a secondary subnet  there should be no issues, it really depends what the main purpose is of your e900.  You should be able to have both ssid;s on the e900 running, the main one protected and the guest one open and have the actiontec running protected too.

[viafax]

I need to be able to offer occasional visitors internet access via wifi on my home network.

I bought a second wireless router, Linksys E900, but have been unable to activate it as an unprotected access point with my Verizon M1424WR also enabled. In fact, whenever I followed various directions for doing this, as a "bridge" router or otherwise, things messed up and it took a while just to get the main router working. If anyone can point to a failsafe guide, I'd be very grateful!

I don't necessarily need Internet access while guests are here. So as an alternative, what about turning off the M1424WR's WEP security, and either putting my desktop PC on standby or pulling its ethernet connection to the router? Is there any way that guest connections could accidentally or via malware corrupt something in the router that would then infect my system?

Thanks for all advice here.