Simple On/Off for DSL

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YE GADS!
Have you ever set out to do a quick search for something thinking it will just take a couple of minutes to find – but then you can’t find any mention of it anywhere on the internet!#$!#?

All I want is a simple freeware app which will disable my 10/100 network card (ie; my DSL connection). I’ll even settle for a commandline or the location of a registry key I can delete & recreate using a couple of REG files. No, I don’t want to use a firewall to do this. I want to completely disable the network connection in a way that has no memory overhead. It can’t be that complicated! My system specs are below.

Thanks in advance to you incredible WOWsers.

System Description for Internet
Dell Dimension XPS T450 PIII w/256MB PC133 SDRAM
A11 BIOS – April 2002 | Win98SE – Office 2K Pro (SR-1a)
60 GB WD600BB – Ultra ATA 100 PCI
NVidia RIVA TNT – Factory
MSIE 6.0 – Eudora Pro 5.1
Linksys BEFSR41 DSL Router (no home network)
Alcatel Speed Touch Home Modem

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Well… I don’t have Windows 98 to kick around any more, but I can tell you that in Windows 2000, I can do this by navigating the menus (see below, generated by right-clicking the connection; you also can left click and use the Disable button in a dialog). I have no idea, however, how many steps this operation requires behind the scenes.

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If you run ZoneAlarm then it comes with a big friendly button to stop all Internet activity. I know that you said “with no memory overhead” but outgoing firewalling is becoming so essential lately that I think it is worth installing anyway, and it does come as a fee version.

StuartR

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If you were running Internet Connection Sharing (which you probably aren’t, since you don’t have a home network), I think there is an icon in the lower right that allows you to disable/enable ICS on your (client) machine.

Did your LinkSys Router come with any kind of management/troubleshooting software? That might be an angle to try.

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Mike,
I haven’t really looked at the LinkSys manual. Since I would have to log in to the router using MSIE then uncheck an option. This is too cumbersome since it is password protected. I’ll read the manual tho.

No, I’m not using ICS. I’ve started posting on usenet in the “Networking” newsgroups for a solution.

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Excuse the (somewhat) silly question, but what’s wrong with pulling the plug when you want to be “off line,” i.e. the ethernet cable from the wall or the router?

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Or, if it’s anything like my DSL connection, simply “flipping the switch” on the DSL box.

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OK folks, excuse the (somewhat) silly answer . . . but I was just wondering if I could avoid reaching over and “pulling the plug” by using a simple software solution. I can’t “hit the switch” since that would disconnect my son in the next room but I can easily pull the plug and may have to settle for that solution. I guess I’m just hopelessly curious and desperately lazy.

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David:
Don’t you have software that connects your network card? e.g. I have winpppoverethernet that runs when I connect to the internet. If you Ctrl+Alt+Del & end task on it, your off, aren’t you?

edited to add: Oh, an easier way. Under Dial-Up Networking, if you select your connection & choose Connections…/Settings…/General tab, there is an option that says “show an icon on the taskbar after connected”. Just right click that icon & choose “Disconnect”.

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Phil,
I thought DUN was completely separate from anything dealing with a network card.
But your suggestion about the icon has helped me to formulate a better question.
This should have been my original question . . .

Is there a way to create or enable an icon for a broadband connection (ie; an icon for the network connection)?
If so, will that icon have right-click options?

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If you are NOT the host machine all you need to do is pull your network plug on your machine. But if you are the host machine then you will need to be always connected so the others can.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Hi Dave:
I may have misunderstood your original post. I inferred that what you wanted was a way to easily connect or disconnect from the internet, with your DSL connection. And your post said that you didn’t have a home network. I have DSL, also, & never keep the connection active unless I go online. I use the icon in the systray to disconnect. Isn’t that what you’re trying to do?

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Dave–
I have ATT BB (Cable) but I thought the Icon that Start>Connect To>Show all Network Connections>Right Click the icon and the first item on the top of the right click context menu is disconnect. Doesn’t that do it for you? Or if you click status, the next item down, you get a disconnect button right next to the properties button. I am not sure, and I will look in a little while, but can’t Proxy among Analog X’s Network downloads provide you with a simple “on and off switch” that you want among its other options. This site has about 95 downloads in 5 categories–some are pretty helpful, so take a look anyway. I mentioned “Proxy” because I thought it might solve the problem of not disconnecting your son in the next room while allowing you to turn on/off.

defrag

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I’m sorry David. I took your original post saying …. (no home network) … to mean there was no home network.

You’re right. Simply hitting the switch, is not the answer you want.

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