internet, modem, how to turn off?

[Geri]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have an
on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is
designed to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't
sound safe to me. I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected to
my network inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and the
world has access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running
Windows XP.

Thanks, Geri

 

[Don Phillipson]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have an
on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is designed
to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't sound safe to
me. I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected to my network
inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and the world has access.
Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how can I isolate myself
from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running Windows XP.

Google for "wake on command." Your BIOS probably has an On/Off
switch for this, i.e. if set Off this will prevent your PC's booting on a
signal from the modem.

 

[Tester]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have
an on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is
designed to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't
sound safe to me. I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected
to my network inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and the
world has access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running
Windows XP.

Go and buy a new one that has the switch. Cable Modems are all
identical and they should work with any Cable Internet Suppliers. These
companies always supply you with the cheapest device possible because
they are all working within tight margins.

hth

 

[Paul]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have an
on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is
designed to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't
sound safe to me. I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected to
my network inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and the
world has access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running
Windows XP.

Thanks, Geri

Make and model number of modem ?

Paul

 

[VanguardLH]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have
an on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is
designed to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't
sound safe to me. I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected
to my network inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and
the world has access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC,
how can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm
running Windows XP.

So what does "turn off my PC" mean? Are you actually removing power
from your computer or are you leaving it in a low-power standby mode?
Are you removing power to the computer, letting Windows go into a
low-power mode, pushing the Power switch on the computer's case, what?

If you are yanking power away from your computer then how is anything
impinging on the cable modem going to somehow physically reconnect
power to your computer?

If you are instead shutting down your computer into a low-power mode
then it's possible it will awaken if it receives a packet over the
network that targets that host. Go into your BIOS settings and check
the alarm settings to see if the BIOS allows waking on LAN events.
Disable that. Or go into Windows in Device Manager and look at the
properties for your network interface(s) to make sure they are disabled
for wakeOnLAN events.

Of course, there's nothing preventing you from putting the cable modem
on a power strip with an on-off switch.

 

[Mayayana]

In addition to several informative answers you've
already got: I use a UPS that's on my desk. It has
network cable input/output. (Not all of them do.)
I just unplug the outbound cable when I'm not online.

 

[Mayayana]

| > In addition to several informative answers you've
| > already got: I use a UPS that's on my desk. It has
| > network cable input/output. (Not all of them do.)
| > I just unplug the outbound cable when I'm not online.
| >
|
| Why?
|
I guess because I'm a fuddydud. I use a firewall, and
since I went from dialup to cable there seem to be very
few incoming requests, other than a strange, occasional
attempt by my cable company to break in. I think the router
filter actually blocks a lot of incoming requests.

On the other hand, I like to play it safe. There have been
cases of router bugs that allow hacking. There could be
firewall bugs. I spend a lot of time working without going
online, wandering away from the PC and back again. I don't
want to be networked unnecessarily.

......I also leave the toaster oven door open for extra protection
against a short cicuit that could cause fire. And I never, ever
park in tow zones. Many people might say I take all the fun out
of life. But I've never, ever been towed. And I've never, ever
had a malware infection or had a PC converted to a spambot.
That sounds like fun to me.

 

[Mayayana]

| > And I've never, ever
| > had a malware infection or had a PC converted to a spambot.
|
| Nor have I but I don't turn off or disconnect my cable modem/router. I
| do have the modem/router's firewall enabled and password protected. Do
you?
|

Yes. I mentioned that. But there have been bugs
in router software in the past. Things are often safe
until it turns out that they're not.

I don't see why this is such a heated topic for you.
You don't have to unplug your cable if you don't
want to. Suit yourself.

 

[Dominique]

Google for "wake on command." Your BIOS probably has an On/Off
switch for this, i.e. if set Off this will prevent your PC's booting on a
signal from the modem.

I've bought many motherboards in the past and if I remember well and I'm
not mistaken, Wake-on-LAN has always been OFF by default in the BIOS.

With network add-in card, there had to be an optional chip added to the
card for WOL to work.

Still, it's a good idea to check. But I wouldn't worry too much about the
modem always ON.

People using cable for telephony have to leave the modem always ON anyways.

 

[choro]

|> And I've never, ever
|> had a malware infection or had a PC converted to a spambot.
|
| Nor have I but I don't turn off or disconnect my cable modem/router. I
| do have the modem/router's firewall enabled and password protected. Do
you?
|

Yes. I mentioned that. But there have been bugs
in router software in the past. Things are often safe
until it turns out that they're not.

I don't see why this is such a heated topic for you.
You don't have to unplug your cable if you don't
want to. Suit yourself.

These groups seem to be full of people who have got nothing better to do
than to chat ceaselessly and endlessly about trivial things. I told them
elsewhere to go and find a clit to rub but they seem to be too old for
that either.
-- choro --

 

[Tester]

Well Geri, if you don't want to unplug the data cable, then how about
unplugging the power cable from the wall? All cable modems these days
work with power so just unplug it from the wall or just switch off the
power using the switch of the power source.

I would have thought that unplugging the cable from the modem is the
easiest but some people like to do things differently and that is why
some people are more successful than others!

hth

 

[N. Miller]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have an
on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is
designed to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't
sound safe to me. I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected to
my network inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and the
world has access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running
Windows XP.

I have a DSL modem with a power switch. I do not use the switch, nor do I
turn the modem off when I power down the computer. Many modems, for cable
service, or DSL, do not have power switches. The major selling point of
cable Internet, and DSL, is an "always on" connection (though DSL requires
some configuration on modem, or a router, to achieve that state).

"Wake-on-LAN" requires knowing the MAC address of the NIC in the computer to
be woken. The command happens on OSI Layer 2. Since a remote computer on the
other side of your cable modem is not on your network segment, WoL should
not reach your computer through your cable modem from the far ends of the
Internet. However, for the truly paranoid, adding a local router will just
put another OSI Layer 3 device between the world, and you, and make it all
the harder for WoL to happen from the Internet.

 

[choro]

Tell the idiot to de-activate the fuse on the ring. That way everything
connected to the mains sockets will be off!

I am getting fed up of these stupid endless threads over trivial things.
Some of us have got better things to do rather than go through this
rigmarole of pissing or not pissing standing up!
-- choro --

 

[Roy]

I have internet access thru a cable company modem that does not have an
on/off switch. I was told that this is normal, that the modem is
designed to stay connected to the internet 24/7. (????) This doesn't
sound safe to me.  I can turn off my PC, but with the modem connected to
my network inputs a simple turn-on command from the network and the
world has access.  Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running
Windows XP.

Thanks, Geri

==
Leave it be...nobody is going to "get into" your computer. If I
disconnect the power bar the cable company can't "poll" my computer
and will shut off my service if it isn't on 24/7. I don't know if
yours works that way but when I went to the hospital for ten days the
service was shut down on mine and I had to phone them to revive it.

I shut my computer off at midnight or later but leave the power bar
on. I re-start in the morning. Through the day it goes into stand-bye
if I am not using it. If I use a fax program and have it set for
receive, the computer will come alive take the fax which actually
comes in on a different modem and later it goes back to sleep. Works
well and have never had any problems.
==

 

[Etal]

What i find incomprehensible is why not all routers have a
hardware-switch (instead of making you yank out the cable, often
eventually ruining the connector) to disable the WAN-port
(internet) while allowing the LAN-ports to continue to be working.

I can turn off
my PC, but with the modem connected to my network inputs a
simple turn-on command from the network and the world has
access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note:
I'm running Windows XP.

[snip]

into Windows in Device Manager and look at the properties for
your network interface(s) to make sure they are disabled for
wakeOnLAN events.

Along that suggestion but more severe, here is what i do.
Right-click on the networking-icon in the notification-area (the
blue double-monitors icon) and select "Open Network Connections".
In the window that opens (turn it to details view if it is not
already) locate the network-controllers that have status =
Connected, and drag-n-drop the icons for this or these
controllers to the desktop, which will create shortcuts to the
controller on the desktop. These shortcuts (placed wherever) can
then be used to quickly enable/disable the computers
network-ability using their right-click context-menu.


If the computer in question is of the laptop kind there is often
a hardware switch on the computer that can turn on/off its
networking capability.

 

[Paul]

What i find incomprehensible is why not all routers have a
hardware-switch (instead of making you yank out the cable, often
eventually ruining the connector) to disable the WAN-port (internet)
while allowing the LAN-ports to continue to be working.

I can turn off
my PC, but with the modem connected to my network inputs a
simple turn-on command from the network and the world has
access. Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how
can I isolate myself from all the nuts of the world? Note:
I'm running Windows XP.

[snip]

into Windows in Device Manager and look at the properties for
your network interface(s) to make sure they are disabled for
wakeOnLAN events.

Along that suggestion but more severe, here is what i do. Right-click on
the networking-icon in the notification-area (the blue double-monitors
icon) and select "Open Network Connections". In the window that opens
(turn it to details view if it is not already) locate the
network-controllers that have status = Connected, and drag-n-drop the
icons for this or these controllers to the desktop, which will create
shortcuts to the controller on the desktop. These shortcuts (placed
wherever) can then be used to quickly enable/disable the computers
network-ability using their right-click context-menu.


If the computer in question is of the laptop kind there is often a
hardware switch on the computer that can turn on/off its networking
capability.

There was one cable modem, with a switch to disable it.

"SB5100 series with standby button"

http://www.broadbandsupport.net/site_images/hardware/modem/motorola/motorola_sb5120.gif

Buttons like that, are a tech support nightmare, because
nobody ever reads the manual, and sooner or later,
the button is pushed by accident.

*******

For my own personal networking setup, all network boxes
(ADSL modem/router, separate router box, cheap GbE switch)
are all plugged into the same power bar, and flipping the
switch on the power bar at the end of the day, kills all of
them. I do this, to save electricity. Two of the three
boxes, don't seem to have power saving modes. The GbE switch,
does (states that fact, on the box). But putting them all
on the same power bar, makes them easy to deal with.

Paul

 

[Etal]

There was one cable modem, with a switch to disable it.

"SB5100 series with standby button"

http://www.broadbandsupport.net/site_images/hardware/modem/motorola/motorola_sb5120.gif

Buttons like that, are a tech support nightmare, because
nobody ever reads the manual, and sooner or later,
the button is pushed by accident.

He!, i have one of them. It worked very well, still does, but
unfortunately now must rest unconnected and unused since i had to
/upgrade/ to a different cable modem when i now also connect my
old voice-phone through that broadband-service-device. This newer
cable modem unfortunately lacks a standby function, which is why
i came up with the strategy i described i my previous post.

 

[Etal]

This is not going to solve the OPs problem because he thinks
that by keeping his modem connected, some hackers can manage
to connect their systems and send out spam messages under his
name/IP address. Now this is OPs concern and you should
address it rather than giving your own solution based on your
experience. His computer is always switched off when he is
not using it so your solution is rather moot!

Why did you in your followup explicitly delete what s/he posted,
when you claim i misinterpreted the OP's question?

<quote>
Other than unplugging the data cable at my PC, how can I isolate
myself from all the nuts of the world? Note: I'm running Windows XP.
</quote>

 

[VanguardLH]

What i find incomprehensible is why not all routers have a
hardware-switch (instead of making you yank out the cable, often
eventually ruining the connector) to disable the WAN-port
(internet) while allowing the LAN-ports to continue to be working.

For routers, and assuming the router doesn't have a WAN-side disable
switch, you could go into its config screens to release the DHCP address
assigned to the WAN-side of the router assigned by your ISP. Without an
IP address, there's nothing to which the outside can connect. In fact,
at times when your ISP's DHCP service isn't functioning, you might find
you have no IP address assigned to the WAN-side of your router and why
you can't connect anywhere. Some cable modems will default to APIPA
(automatic private IP addressing) for the WAN-side of your router (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apipa). This to allow intranet networking
despite not getting a usable external IP address from the upstream (ISP)
DHCP server. So you could have 0.0.0.0 or 169.254.1.x for your router's
WAN-side IP address when you have no Internet connectivity.

For cable modems, powering them down still leaves the router powered up
so you have your active intranet network through the still-powered
router while disconnecting the Internet network with the powered-down
cable modem. There's nothing preventing you from separately controlling
power to the router and modem so you can power one off and leave the
other powered up.

By the way, the Motorol SB5100 cable modem *does* have a Standby switch
to suspend Internet access without having to power it down. All the
front-panel LEDs go off in Standby mode, come back on in non-Standby
mode.

Along that suggestion but more severe, here is what i do.
Right-click on the networking-icon in the notification-area (the
blue double-monitors icon) and select "Open Network Connections".
In the window that opens (turn it to details view if it is not
already) locate the network-controllers that have status =
Connected, and drag-n-drop the icons for this or these
controllers to the desktop, which will create shortcuts to the
controller on the desktop. These shortcuts (placed wherever) can
then be used to quickly enable/disable the computers
network-ability using their right-click context-menu.

But that doesn't achieve the continued intranet connectivity of your
hosts while disconnecting from the Internet as per your above
requirements. You would not only be disabling Internet connectivity but
also all other network connectivity which means you no longer can
connect to your other intranet hosts. Also, you would have to
physically wander over to each intranet host to disable its network
interface.

If the computer in question is of the laptop kind there is often
a hardware switch on the computer that can turn on/off its
networking capability.

But the scenario was to disable Internet connectivity, not all network
connectivity.

 

[Nil]

By the way, the Motorol SB5100 cable modem *does* have a Standby
switch to suspend Internet access without having to power it down.

Not all of them. I used to have at Motorola SB5100 that I leased from
Comcast that had the Standby button. I had a problem with it and I had
to swap it out for a new one. The new one had a dimple in the top where
the button would have been... but no button.

The Standby button wasn't very useful anyway, and was prone to being
accidentally pushed at inconvenient times. Better to have had a power
on/off button there.