Can Wifi be Turned Off on Sabertooth boards?

[edabbott]

I'm thinking of purchasing an Asus Sabertooth Mark 1 Z97 motherboard. My understanding is that this motherboard has built-in wifi. This page describes the wifi:

http://www.asus.com/us/site/motherboards/Z97/comparison/

The wifi is referred to as "Wi-Fi GO!" or "Remote GO!" on the above page. In the manual for the board, the wifi is referred to as "ASUS Remote GO! with Cloud GO! Remote Desktop, Remote Keyboard and Mouse, and File Transfer." Here's a link to the manual for the Sabertooth Mark 1:

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1150/SABERTOOTH_Z97_MARK1/E9389_Sabertooth_Z97_Mark1_V2.pdf

I'd like to be able to turn off the wifi if I purchase a Sabertooth board. Is this possible?

Specifically, I wish to turn off not only the functionality of the wifi, but the actual wifi signal itself. In other words, no radio or microwave signal being broadcast by the motherboard.

I find it strange that the manual for the Sabertooth board gives you so many ways to turn off or disable things, but it doesn't seem to give a way to turn off the wifi. Is this an oversight? Perhaps there is a way to disable wifi in the BIOS, but someone forgot to put it in the manual. Or maybe this is wishful thinking on my part.

In any case, if wifi cannot be turned off, then I may choose to purchase a Maxiumus Hero VII instead. I understand that this is essentially the same motherboard, but without wifi. Is this correct?

On general principle, I like to keep all unnecessary electromagnetic radiation off, even if that electromagnetic radiation is relatively low power. I do audio recording and I don't want any hum and buzz on my recordings. Also, I feel that being bathed in unnecessary electromagnetic radiation cannot possibly benefit anyone.

As a child, we used to pour mercury in our hands and roll it around in little beads. It was kind of fun, actually! We did this in both 6th grade and in 7th grade science class. At that time, the scientific model was that skin is impermeable and therefore handling mercury with your hands did no harm.

Now the model has changed and, for whatever reason, children are no longer invited to roll mercury around in their hands.

So, it seems, things that were formally thought to be OK are now deemed harmful and vice versa. This is another reason I don't like to keep a wifi signal going that I will never use.

Thanks to anyone who replies.

[CLReagh]

I do not believe this board has built in wifi. I have one as well and never seen anything about it. What the WifiGo is I do believe, Something you can access your PC with on the go with say a CellPhone. If you look again at the same Graph that you have linked you will see that the Wifi field was left blank on the Sabertooth Mk1. This is a great motherboard, The fan control is amazing, All Around a great motherboard.

[edabbott]

Thank you so much for your reply! I"m a bit mystified as to how one would access a motherboard on the go, especially with a cell phone. The only thing I can think of that would make that work is if the communication was sent to the motherboard via the wired ethernet connection that hooks up to your cable modem and then to the Internet. I'm still trying to figure out how this all works physically. In my mind, at least, it would have to be either wireless or hardwired.

I'm going to look into this some more. I keep looking for an antennae somewhere, but maybe I've got the wrong idea. Right now, it's all magic to me.

Thanks for your reply!

[CLReagh]

edabbott wrote:
Thank you so much for your reply! I"m a bit mystified as to how one would access a motherboard on the go, especially with a cell phone. The only thing I can think of that would make that work is if the communication was sent to the motherboard via the wired ethernet connection that hooks up to your cable modem and then to the Internet. I'm still trying to figure out how this all works physically. In my mind, at least, it would have to be either wireless or hardwired.

I'm going to look into this some more. I keep looking for an antennae somewhere, but maybe I've got the wrong idea. Right now, it's all magic to me.

Thanks for your reply!

. Like I said, there is no wifi signal being sent from the motherboard. Wifi is everywhere! Unless you have a pcie wifi card, you have nothing to worry about. I would be more worried that the Chinese are still putting lead in the solder they used in the traces on the motherboard.

[CLReagh]

http://event.asus.com/2012/mb/P8Z77_Series_Motherboards/page2_WIFI.htm Check this link for more info on the the wifi go service

[edabbott]

CLReagh,

Thanks for the link! It looks to me like the Wi-Fi Go! package used to be an add-on card. The above link uses language like "Wi-Fi onboard" and "Streamlined antennae design" and "Wi-Fi hotspot" and "Your extra router." The imagery that accompanies this language suggests to me that Wi-Fi Go! used to be an add-on card that broadcast a wifi signal from the motherboard.

Now it appears to me that Wi-Fi Go! is no longer an add-on card. Nor does it seem to be implemented in hardware on the motherboard. It appears to me to be done all through software magic. I suspect that the software magic is some kind of hardwired communication between the motherboard and your existing wifi router.

Since your wifi router will often lie inline between the cable modem and the motherboard, Asus engineers must have figured out a way to communicate with the wifi router over the hardwired line. Of course, this is all speculation on my part.

It seems to me that the newer implementation of Wi-Fi Go! is cheaper. No need for an add-on card. Just "tunnel through" to your existing wifi router via your ethernet cable.

Here's the add-on card that Asus used to sell: This page has a photo of an Asus Wi-Fi Go! add-on card at the bottom of the page:

http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/review-asus-p8z77-v-deluxe-intel-z77-mobo-preview/more-board

II'm guessing the above card is no longer necessary on the Asus Sabertooth Mark 1. Instead, I'm guessing, it is all done in software without the card. I suppose the other possibility is that the above card is integrated on to the board. Ifr so, where is it? I don't see any physical evidence of a Wi-Fi Go! card on the Sabertooth Mark 1.

If I stretch my imagination, I suppsoe it is possible to use the motherboard backplate as a wifi attennae. A bit of a stretch, to be sure.

It makes more sense to me to believe that Wi-Fi Go! is now implemented in software entirely without any dedicated motherboard hardware whatsoever. If so, that's quite a trick!

Perhaps someone who knows more than I do can chime in. My knowledge of networking is rather rudimentary.

Thaks again for your reply!







I