Disable Unused Network Card?

D

Daddy

[I have Windows XP Home SP3.]

I recently installed a wireless router. I didn't remove the old network card (that formerly connected to my cable modem with an ethernet cable), because I'll need a wired connection for firmware updates.

Is it okay to 'disable' the old network card in Device Manager or should I leave it 'enabled'? It's currently enabled, and there is an icon in the system tray telling me "a network cable is unplugged." No kidding? ;-)

If I disable the old network card, the icon goes away, but then Device Manager puts a big red 'X' on the entry for the network card.

Thanks for your advice.

Daddy
 
P

Patrick Keenan

[I have Windows XP Home SP3.]

I recently installed a wireless router. I didn't remove the old network card
(that formerly connected to my cable modem with an ethernet cable), because
I'll need a wired connection for firmware updates.

Is it okay to 'disable' the old network card in Device Manager or should I
leave it 'enabled'? It's currently enabled, and there is an icon in the
system tray telling me "a network cable is unplugged." No kidding? ;-)

If I disable the old network card, the icon goes away, but then Device
Manager puts a big red 'X' on the entry for the network card.

Thanks for your advice.

Daddy

=====
Just tell the Notification Tray manager to not show you that icon, and turn
off notifications for that network adapter. End of problem.

If you disable it, the red X is actally helpful for when you go to use it,
and have forgotten that you disabled it.

HTH
-pk
 
M

Malke

Daddy said:
[I have Windows XP Home SP3.]

I recently installed a wireless router. I didn't remove the old network
card (that formerly connected to my cable modem with an ethernet cable),
because I'll need a wired connection for firmware updates.

Is it okay to 'disable' the old network card in Device Manager or should I
leave it 'enabled'? It's currently enabled, and there is an icon in the
system tray telling me "a network cable is unplugged." No kidding? ;-)

If I disable the old network card, the icon goes away, but then Device
Manager puts a big red 'X' on the entry for the network card.

There is no reason to disable the NIC unless you want to. Having "a big red
'X'" in Device Manager is no big deal. I don't disable the ethernet
adapters on any of my laptops.

Malke
 
R

R. McCarty

If you don't want to disable the NIC, you can simply unbind all the
protocols and services from it. It stays as an active device but has
no functionality. Just untic/uncheck all the bindings from it's properties
(TAB).

Malke said:
Daddy said:
[I have Windows XP Home SP3.]

I recently installed a wireless router. I didn't remove the old network
card (that formerly connected to my cable modem with an ethernet cable),
because I'll need a wired connection for firmware updates.

Is it okay to 'disable' the old network card in Device Manager or should
I
leave it 'enabled'? It's currently enabled, and there is an icon in the
system tray telling me "a network cable is unplugged." No kidding? ;-)

If I disable the old network card, the icon goes away, but then Device
Manager puts a big red 'X' on the entry for the network card.

There is no reason to disable the NIC unless you want to. Having "a big
red
'X'" in Device Manager is no big deal. I don't disable the ethernet
adapters on any of my laptops.

Malke
 
R

Roy Smith

Daddy said:
[I have Windows XP Home SP3.]

I recently installed a wireless router. I didn't remove the old
network card (that formerly connected to my cable modem with an
ethernet cable), because I'll need a wired connection for firmware
updates.

Is it okay to 'disable' the old network card in Device Manager or
should I leave it 'enabled'? It's currently enabled, and there is an
icon in the system tray telling me "a network cable is unplugged." No
kidding? ;-)

If I disable the old network card, the icon goes away, but then Device
Manager puts a big red 'X' on the entry for the network card.

Sure you can do that, it's not going to harm anything by just disabling
the network card. In the long run it'll make it easier on you for when
you do need to use the wired connection. Then you wouldn't have to shut
down the pc, open it up, reinstall the card, etc...
 
D

Daddy

Thanks for everyone's help. I appreciate it.

Daddy

Roy Smith said:
Daddy said:
[I have Windows XP Home SP3.]

I recently installed a wireless router. I didn't remove the old
network card (that formerly connected to my cable modem with an
ethernet cable), because I'll need a wired connection for firmware
updates.

Is it okay to 'disable' the old network card in Device Manager or
should I leave it 'enabled'? It's currently enabled, and there is an
icon in the system tray telling me "a network cable is unplugged." No
kidding? ;-)

If I disable the old network card, the icon goes away, but then Device
Manager puts a big red 'X' on the entry for the network card.

Sure you can do that, it's not going to harm anything by just disabling
the network card. In the long run it'll make it easier on you for when
you do need to use the wired connection. Then you wouldn't have to shut
down the pc, open it up, reinstall the card, etc...
 

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