I authorize only two MAC numbers on my router, one for each laptop.
MAC filtering is almost no protection. MAC addresses are transmitted in the clear and can be spoofed easily. ie. My router allows me to set its MAC address. MAC filtering is like locking your screen door. It will only keep out those that value your property. That said, I still do it myself for the heck of it. But I also have real security measures in place as well.
MAC filtering is almost no protection.
Thanks for that information. I layer mine: 5Ghz (fewer radios, much less distance), lower TX power on router, WPA2, frequently changing very long convoluted passwords, and MAC filtering. The latter is the biggest pain to administer when guests or new network cards need to be on the network. I can now drop the MAC filtering as it really isn't that valuable for the protection it offers in trade with the hassle involved.
The computers on the network don't share anything, and encrypt data drives. The only thing open is the network share drive for music, photos, clipart and videos.