Q: Will shutting off the wifi on my computer keep some from entering the computer from the internet?

No, if the computer is still connected using a wired Ethernet connection and you have a wireless router providing a signal to other devices.

Yes, if you have both the wireless and wired connections on the computer disabled.

If you are using the standard default wireless security setting on the AirPort Extreme and you have a good wireless password consisting of random letters and numbers, it is extremely unlikely that anyone could tap your network using wireless.

It would take a supercomputer a few months to get into your network.

If you have information that might interest the NSA on your devices though, they will find a way to get it.

Did you use your computer to originally set up and configure the AirPort Extreme?

If yes, is it still using OS X (10.6.8)?  If you are not sure, click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen, then click About This Mac.  Post back with the OS X Version number that you see there. We don't need anything else.

Lady,

In your upper-most Menu Bar, towards the right side, you will see a Wi-Fi indicator; it looks like a fan -- click it Once to confirm it is Wi-Fi and you will see a "Turn Wi-Fi off" choice. Click it; it will then say "wi-fi not connected" and the symbol will turn to an empty fan symbol. No wi-fi = no internet connection to the MacBook (but the iPad still remains connected until you perform a similar task with it). No internet connection means no hacker unless he has a hardwire connected to your MacBook somehow.

Of course, when you do want to use the internet on your MacBook you need to click Airport back on -- but Bob Timmons is generally correct that, if you have a good wireless password, it is extremely unlikely anyone could tap your network. Except the NSA, of course...

You can also utilize a hidden network with SSID filtering (a/k/a Mac Address filtering); it is built into your Airport Utility app and tells your network "allow only these devices with this SSID to utilize this network."  It's somewhat technical and mistakes create great frustrations but you could browse this article to get an idea what might be involved:

  AirPort: Unable to join a Wi-Fi network with hidden SSID (Wi-Fi network name) - Apple Support

And don't forget all the other Good Practices.

Best

{SORRY -- I stepped away and didn't see the last couple of posts; this is perhaps now off topic -- but after you get back up you might take a look at this, Lady}

ladybass wrote:

 

Will shutting off the airport on my computer keep someone from hacking into my computer?

So,  you are saying that you do not have an Apple wireless router?

Or, maybe you are using some sort of free public WiFi?  That is dangerous.