How DISCONNECT from LAN/Internet?

[George]

Am using WinXP-pro. I wondered if there's a Windows software way to
effectively "disconnect" the PC from the LAN and/or INTERNET...in effect
making it absolutely impossible for to access the PC.

Only thing I see is... Control Panel > Network Connections > (right click)
Local Area Connection > Disable

Would this be the equivalent of pulling the plug on the ethernet cable to my
computer (or unplugging the DSL modem)?

If I re-enable later...will there be problems of any kind or is it simply
instantly back onto the network?

BTW, shat's the "Bridge Connection" choice for?

Thanks

 

[Ron Lowe]

Am using WinXP-pro. I wondered if there's a Windows software way to
effectively "disconnect" the PC from the LAN and/or INTERNET...in effect
making it absolutely impossible for to access the PC.

Only thing I see is... Control Panel > Network Connections > (right click)
Local Area Connection > Disable

Would this be the equivalent of pulling the plug on the ethernet cable to
my
computer (or unplugging the DSL modem)?

If I re-enable later...will there be problems of any kind or is it simply
instantly back onto the network?

BTW, shat's the "Bridge Connection" choice for?

Thanks

Just do exactly what you say.
Disable the connection.

That will do the same thing as pulling the cable.

Re-enabling will do the same thing as plugging it back in.
It may take a moment or two for the connection to sort itself out,
like get an IP address etc, but I'm talking a couple of seconds max.

 

[George]

So basically, if I use this method, a hacker could work forever and never be
able to get in since it's as good as unplugged from the network?

Or, it would be so difficult to get it, it wouldn't be worth it?

 

[Richard G. Harper]

A disabled connection is the same as unplugging the Ethernet wire - no
connection no matter what.

 

[Guest]

I had been using the exact method you descirbe below for quite some time
however, recently I encountered a problem:

If I go to START > SETTINGS > Network Connections > Local Area Connection,
then right click and select 'Disable", I get an error window :"Error
Disabling Connection. It is not possible to disable the connection at this
time. This connection may be using one or more protocols that do not support
Plug-and-Play, or it may have been initiated by another user or by the system
account." (However, if I go to Device Manager I can diable the LAN port from
there. )

This has always worked from either location, but seems to have stopped (from
Network Connections) recently when I removed some HP (USB) printer/driver s/w
in preparation to load an upgraded version.

I have tried removing/uninstalling the LAN port and letting plug-and-play
rediscover and install it --with no change. I have found that the registry
entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Network contains 5
'connection' listings which seems to account for the original connection plus
the 4 times I've tried to re-install it.

Any suggestions to correct this problem?

 

[Chuck]

So basically, if I use this method, a hacker could work forever and never be
able to get in since it's as good as unplugged from the network?

Or, it would be so difficult to get it, it wouldn't be worth it?

George,

If your connection is disabled, a hacker, or any worm circulating in your ISP's
net space, will pass you by, for a better target.

But, as soon as you reconnect, you'll get hit. On some networks, you can be
infected within 30 seconds - 2 minutes after connecting.

Please! If you intend to connect to the internet, protect yourself. And the
rest of us.

And George, please don't contribute to the spread and success of email address
mining viruses. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a
bit safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the
internet - read this article.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem. It appeared after installing an adware filtering
program. I suspect that program hosed some of my registry entries. Where is
Device Manager? Is there any way to get back the functionality of Local Area
Connection?