I need help deleting a guest network

Hello. I feel like I've tried it all. I have a guest network I made years ago for my kids' friends when they come over. Now the kids are grown and I don't want this no-password-guest account hanging around for neighbors to use. I clicked the minus button under advanced. It goes away, but it comes back. I've added a password, it says it requires security, but when I look at available networks from my phone, there it is with no lock again. I've perused several (old) forums. Nothing sticks. Help me please? (macbook pro 10.6.8)

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 16, 2016 2:40 PM

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2 replies

Jan 16, 2016 6:57 PM in response to MrHoffman

NOTE: If your neighbors have a guest account that you are seeing, there is nothing you can do about them. Then again, it would be their network bandwidth being used 🙂


If your WiFi base station is offering a Guest Network, then chances are it has the exact same BSSID (numeric ID) as your regular network. You can check this by connecting to the Guest network, then Option-Click on the WiFi menu bar icon and you will see details about your WiFi connection, including the BSSID number nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn. Now reconnect to your normal WiFi network, and again Option-Click the WiFi menu bar icon to see your normalnetwork's BSSID. If they are the same, then the Guest Network is definitely coming from your WiFi base station.


You could also use the Wireless Diagnostics. Option-Click on the WiFi icon and select Wireless Diagnostics. Then from the Wireless Diagnostics -> Window -> Utilities, select the Wi-Fi Scan tab. Then click Scan and see what WiFi networks can be seen from your Mac including the BSSID values for each (and other fun WiFi network information).


As MrHoffman has said, if this is an Airport Extreme WiFi base station, then you use the Applications -> Utilities -> Airport Utility to disable the Guest network

User uploaded file

If you do not have an Airport Extreme, Apple Time Capsule, or Airport Express, then you will need to use the manufactures instructions for enabling/disabling a guest network. Generally this is done via a Web browser, but each vendor has different methods for doing this.

Jan 16, 2016 4:25 PM in response to RMT1

Could you describe a little more about the sequence being used? I'm not entirely certain of the details here. Are you removing the entry in System Preferences > Network, or are you removing the guest network entry in AirPort Utility? What sort of Wi-Fi device?


Shut down the Wi-Fi device that is serving the guest network, remove the network entry from System Preferences, and see if the network still appears or re-appears on your client devices. If it does — and your Wi-Fi device is shut down — then there's probably a Wi-Fi attack underway in your area; somebody is sniffing network traffic in your proximity.


If you're concerned about security, upgrade off of OS X 10.6.8 — that version is missing many of the recent SSL and TLS security updates.

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I need help deleting a guest network

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