Disconnect/Disable

On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:58:34 -0000, "johnbee"
<> wrote:

> My modem does not have an on/off switch, and I would not like switching
>it on and off a lot and I certainly don't want to frequently remove the
>connections. In XP there was a little telephone icon on the task bar
>which
>could be used to disconnect the phone but of course on cable that is not
>relevant.

Sure it is. The same thing applies. Just go to your network
connections and enable the taskbar icon for your wired Ethernet
connection. Then you'll have easy access to an icon that you can click
to disable, enable, or repair, etc.

>As for the reason: I am not sure what proportion of people realise
>quite how simple it is to access other peoples' machines on a network
>as long as one knows the IP address and they are not very careful.
>Perhaps I am being paranoid.

Unless you have a service running (intentional or not) that's
listening for inbound connections, then outsiders can send you data
packets 24x7 and nothing will happen. A NAT router helps (since it
blocks unsolicited inbound connections be default), and a firewall
also helps, but again, if you don't have something running that
accepts connections, then no one can connect to you. You're being
paranoid.

"Char Jackson" <> wrote in message
news...
> On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:58:34 -0000, "johnbee"
> <> wrote:
>
>> My modem does not have an on/off switch, and I would not like switching
>>it on and off a lot and I certainly don't want to frequently remove the
>>connections. In XP there was a little telephone icon on the task bar
>>which
>>could be used to disconnect the phone but of course on cable that is not
>>relevant.
>
> Sure it is. The same thing applies. Just go to your network
> connections and enable the taskbar icon for your wired Ethernet
> connection. Then you'll have easy access to an icon that you can click
> to disable, enable, or repair, etc.
>

Thanks for that. It does not enable itself so is not as simple as I'd like.


>>As for the reason: I am not sure what proportion of people realise
>>quite how simple it is to access other peoples' machines on a network
>>as long as one knows the IP address and they are not very careful.
>>Perhaps I am being paranoid.
>
> Unless you have a service running (intentional or not) that's
> listening for inbound connections, then outsiders can send you data
> packets 24x7 and nothing will happen. A NAT router helps (since it
> blocks unsolicited inbound connections be default), and a firewall
> also helps, but again, if you don't have something running that
> accepts connections, then no one can connect to you. You're being
> paranoid.
>

On Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:14:42 -0000, "johnbee"
<> wrote:

>
>"Char Jackson" <> wrote in message
>news...
>> On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:58:34 -0000, "johnbee"
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> My modem does not have an on/off switch, and I would not like switching
>>>it on and off a lot and I certainly don't want to frequently remove the
>>>connections. In XP there was a little telephone icon on the task bar
>>>which
>>>could be used to disconnect the phone but of course on cable that is not
>>>relevant.
>>
>> Sure it is. The same thing applies. Just go to your network
>> connections and enable the taskbar icon for your wired Ethernet
>> connection. Then you'll have easy access to an icon that you can click
>> to disable, enable, or repair, etc.
>>
>
>Thanks for that. It does not enable itself so is not as simple as I'd like.

What doesn't enable itself? The icon or the connection?

"Char Jackson" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:14:42 -0000, "johnbee"
> <> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Char Jackson" <> wrote in message
>>news...
>>> On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:58:34 -0000, "johnbee"
>>> <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> My modem does not have an on/off switch, and I would not like
>>>> switching
>>>>it on and off a lot and I certainly don't want to frequently remove the
>>>>connections. In XP there was a little telephone icon on the task bar
>>>>which
>>>>could be used to disconnect the phone but of course on cable that is not
>>>>relevant.
>>>
>>> Sure it is. The same thing applies. Just go to your network
>>> connections and enable the taskbar icon for your wired Ethernet
>>> connection. Then you'll have easy access to an icon that you can click
>>> to disable, enable, or repair, etc.
>>>
>>
>>Thanks for that. It does not enable itself so is not as simple as I'd
>>like.
>
> What doesn't enable itself? The icon or the connection?
>

I did not express it very well. Using Windows XP and dial-up broadband,
when one disconnected by clicking on the little picture of a rather old
fashioned telephone on the right hand side of the taskbar (assuming the
taskbar was at the bottom of the screen) effectively the phone was
hung up and the internet disconnected. The PC could not be affected
in any way using the internet by any other computer using any type
of contact method via any port. As soon as Internet explorer was started,
the line was immediately reopened automatically.
That does not happen when, using cable broadband, the connection is
cut off by disabling it. The connection remains closed until it is
specifically re-enabled which is a bit of a nuisance for any other users
of the PC. I could easily set up the excellent method which you
suggested; but of course I would sometimes forget to re- enable the
connection.
Because the other user of my PC (my wife) is set up as a separate user,
and always logs in and out and does not use the PC for anything
other than for internet business purposes, I have got as far as deciding
that the best method for us would be to have a batch file running for
her on logging in, or perhaps for me on logging out though I am not
certain that is catered for.