No other devices will connect to your network, if you hard code the mac addresses of every piece of hardware in your router setup.

Limit the DHCP range, and only allow listed devices on your router.
My example;

192.168.1.254 Main Router Address
192.168.1.253 Airport Express (Ethernet connected)

DHCP Starting and ending Range 100 to 104.

192.168.1.100 74:XX:XX:XX:XX:90 USB Wireless TP-Link
192.168.1.101 54:XX:XX:XX:XX:6C VAIO Ethernet
192.168.1.102 78:XX:XX:XX:XX:B1 VAIO Wireless
192.168.1.103 A4:XX:XX:XX:XX:49 iPad
192.168.1.104 88:XX:XX:XX:XX:79 iPod Touch

*********************************************

Hard code the mac addresses for the iLive stuff too.

192.168.1.1 00:XX:XX:XX:XX:7C iLive iDR48 Mix Rack
192.168.1.2 00:XX:XX:XX:XX:86 iLive T112 Surface
192.168.1.3 00:XX:XX:XX:XX:DD iLive T112 Touch Screen

I choose not to have wireless security enabled, to prevent bottlenecks on data rate speed.
My router log never shows any other devices that connected to my network.

I do not believe polling an SSID causes interference on a network if that device does not handshake and secure a connection to begin with.

Most interference issues I experience, are in areas with many SSID’s. If I go into any venue or even outside, I use my wifi analyzer on my android phone. If it sees more then 5 different access points that have a -70 dbm or higher signal strength, I will surely encounter wireless interference. Once did a show outside a college dorm and noticed over 60 routers. I could not use wireless at all that day.

CRJ
Oswego, IL

T112 & iDR48
Sony F 1.73GHZ I7 8 Core
Win 7 Pro 500GB HD 8G RAM
TP-Link WR1043ND & Airport Express

R.E SSID, After a bit of reading …. it depends !

The access point transmits the SSID via a beacon message which is broadcast at mac level.

The clients can then just listen passively for broadcast messages:

https://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/1492071

The clients can however actively scan for access points by emitting probe request messages.

My guess would be when you have the wifi networks screen open on your iphone its actively scanning, otherwise its passive.

The problem with hiding your SSID is, you don’t stop the clients sending the probe messages when in active mode, and the Ap has to send beacons every 100ms anyway, so I’m not sure its much of a saving ! Also the SSID can still be found, which was the point I was making previously.

https://www.dslreports.com/faq/10907

I’ve have heard lots of people say when the venue fills up with customers they get wifi drop outs. A guess would be this is a signal / reflection issue as opposed to the punters mobile phones interrogating the AP… but I could be wrong.

Most of this depends how Apple / Google etc have implemented their wifi scanning, and Apple at least appear to be keeping that part of the code private!

Anyway hope this helps.

Andy
A&H