Internet dis-connect switch

[Robert L Stewart]

Does anyone use a switch to disconnect their comp from the internet? I see some home made looking ones available but they look hokey.
My windows 10 PC has a way of waking up in the wee hours of the night.

Thanks, Robert

[Kev Williams]

My Linksys router has an option where I can block internet service to ANY computer any time(s) during the day. All my computers are 'net dead' during hours I sleep...

[Paul F Franklin]

Have you run a full virus and malware scan? Do that first.

Unplug the LAN cable for a few evenings and see if that stops it from starting.

If it something on the Network starting it up, the most like suspect would be something using the Wake on LAN capability. For that to work, it has to be enabled in both the BIOS of the motherboard, and in Windows settings. Normally it is disabled by default in both places, but you can check it.

[John Ziebron]

You can buy inexpensive mechanical ethernet switches. My computer is on 24/7 so when I'm not using it a simple push of a button disconnects it from the internet.

[bill godber]

unplug the modem.

[Jim Koepke]

unplug the modem.

That isn't practical if you also use wi fi in the home for streaming video.

jtk

[Doug Garson]

If you connect thru WiFi maybe just put your computer in airplane mode? If hard wired disconnect the Ethernet cable?

[Chris Fairbanks]

Are you sure it’s the network waking up the computer. You should be able to disable wake on lan to stop it if it is. Check out https://www.onmsft.com/how-to/how-to-find-out-what-woke-your-windows-10-pc-from-sleep. It’s most likely a process on the computer waking it up and this article should help you figure out what it is. Good luck.

[Rich Engelhardt]

My windows 10 PC has a way of waking up in the wee hours of the night.Windows does security updates and other updates between 3:00am and 6:00 am. Make sure whatever you do you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater by disallowing Windows to update itself.
You can check &/or adjust the settings by going to ->settings ->Update& Security ->Windows Update

You can turn off the automatic updates - provided you make sure you do them yourself about every 7 days.

The downside to that is that if a threat comes out right after you do a manual update - instead of it being caught and handled ASAP - you run the risk of being a few days behind.

The safer way would be to adjust the hours to something better suited to your schedule.

[Jerome Stanek]

Just go into your bios and disable the wake on lan

[Chuck Wintle]

Just go into your bios and disable the wake on lan

*****This********

[Curt Harms]

Windows does security updates and other updates between 3:00am and 6:00 am. Make sure whatever you do you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater by disallowing Windows to update itself.
You can check &/or adjust the settings by going to ->settings ->Update& Security ->Windows Update

You can turn off the automatic updates - provided you make sure you do them yourself about every 7 days.

The downside to that is that if a threat comes out right after you do a manual update - instead of it being caught and handled ASAP - you run the risk of being a few days behind.

The safer way would be to adjust the hours to something better suited to your schedule.

This would be my guess. Adjust the allowed update time to something suitable. If that doesn't help you should be able to disconnect the network connection by left clicking the network icon in the lower right corner and selecting 'airplane mode'. If that doesn't help yeah look for wake on LAN. Or, if it's a notebook close the lid.:)

[Prashun Patel]

I installed a mesh network. Aside from improving access at all points of the house, it has a nice interface for blocking access for particular devices at certain times. You can implement “bed times” for all your kids devices or work pc.

[Jim Becker]

Does anyone use a switch to disconnect their comp from the internet? I see some home made looking ones available but they look hokey.
My windows 10 PC has a way of waking up in the wee hours of the night.

Thanks, Robert

Switching must be done electronically...you can't use any kind of physical switch on an Ethernet cable and stay anywhere close to spec. You can unplug a cable, manually turn off the connection in the router or, if the router provides the means, setup a schedule for when connectivity is and isn't available.

BTW, your machine may be just following the configured schedule for checking upgrades, etc. That's often done in the "wee hours" on purpose so that updates do not impact normal use.

[John Ziebron]

Switching must be done electronically...you can't use any kind of physical switch on an Ethernet cable and stay anywhere close to spec. You can unplug a cable, manually turn off the connection in the router or, if the router provides the means, setup a schedule for when connectivity is and isn't available.

BTW, your machine may be just following the configured schedule for checking upgrades, etc. That's often done in the "wee hours" on purpose so that updates do not impact normal use.

There seems to be a contradiction here. Using a physical switch is the same as unplugging an ethernet cable. I have been doing this for years with a switch like this (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DRG1SLO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and show no degradation in speed. And although I don't have high speed internet (around 10 MPS) some reviewers indicate no issues even on 1 Gig systems.

[Robert L Stewart]

Thank you all for many good points.

Thanks, Robert

[glenn bradley]

I believe Jim is just pointing out that a switch would violate the spec, not that it can't be done. There are all sorts of commercially available electronics that trick or bend the specs and there have been since way before Ethernet ;-)

As to Roberts question, just disable your NIC(s) if you want to terminate your connection with the outside world temporarily. You could probably whip up a quick macro or customize a key to do this as well. Here's a quick and dirty I just Googled:



Create a batch file to execute the command below:
netsh interface set interface name="Local Area Connection" admin=disabled
Substitute the actual network connection name if it isn't "Local Area Connection".
Copy the batch file and change "disabled" to "enabled" for reactivation.
Use "Create shortcut" on both, right-click and set "Shortcut" > "Advanced..." > "Run as administrator".
Proper icons can be changed using "%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll" in "Shortcut" > "Change Icon...".
If you prefer white use "%SystemRoot%\system32\pnidui.dll" instead.



My keyboard of choice has no 'sleep' button so I made a key-combination activated shortcut for this. Same for a 'mute' function as my preferred music player has an inelegant solution and although my keyboard has volume buttons, it has no instant mute button(???). That's the great thing about computers; they do the work for you :)

[Doug Garson]

Just wondering why you are concerned that your computer wakes up in the middle of the night, as others have suggested it may be to check for and download updates or maybe email. Are you sure you don't have a backup set to run overnight?

[Jim Becker]

There seems to be a contradiction here. Using a physical switch is the same as unplugging an ethernet cable.

Not exactly because you cannot likely maintain the required twisting on the connections to/from a physical switch and still test out cleanly for Cat 5 or above. The cable you're unplugging as an alternative it built to the close specification that matches it's standards designation. But like anything, the physical switch may work just fine in many situations. As a network engineer for so many years, I get "itchy" when standards may not be followed because of how they can introduce puzzling and intermittent fun...

[Frank Pratt]

Not exactly because you cannot likely maintain the required twisting on the connections to/from a physical switch and still test out cleanly for Cat 5 or above. The cable you're unplugging as an alternative it built to the close specification that matches it's standards designation. But like anything, the physical switch may work just fine in many situations. As a network engineer for so many years, I get "itchy" when standards may not be followed because of how they can introduce puzzling and intermittent fun...

There are too many things to go wrong with a network without adding 'illegal' components & methods. It's not bad if it's just a small home network, but the more complex, the more important is is to stick to the spec. One of my favorite peeves is when male RF45 jacks are terminated onto the solid conductor structured cables, rather than terminating in a female jack & using a patch cable to complete the connection. That is neither approved nor reliable. It's probably the most frequent points of failure that we come across when trouble shooting network wiring.

[Jim Becker]

I agree, Frank.

[Jerome Stanek]

When I first read it I thought that He didn't want the computer waking in the middle of the night. That is why I said just to disable wake on lan.

[Jim Becker]

When I first read it I thought that He didn't want the computer waking in the middle of the night. That is why I said just to disable wake on lan.


Yes, this is similar to my mention of making sure that automatic updates are not causing the wake-up, too. That and what you mention are the least expensive and easiest solutions.

[Jerome Stanek]

If the computer is off it will not update

[Kev Williams]

^^^ yup! ^^^

I'm going to download this Windows Update Blocker and try it--
https://www.sordum.org/9470/windows-update-blocker-v1-6/

I am of the understanding (from trusted sources) that Microsoft still updates Win7 computers regardless of whether or not you have automatic-updates turned on or not, AND that Microsoft has admitted that these updates are slowing down the computers (not on purpose mind you, but just because the computers "are doing more work"-- uh huh ;) --Makes sense to me because 3 of my 4 Win7's have become nearly useless slugs within the past year. But the 4th that's still working okay, isn't connected to the internet.

[Richard Hart]

^^^ yup! ^^^

I'm going to download this Windows Update Blocker and try it--
https://www.sordum.org/9470/windows-update-blocker-v1-6/

I am of the understanding (from trusted sources) that Microsoft still updates Win7 computers regardless of whether or not you have automatic-updates turned on or not, AND that Microsoft has admitted that these updates are slowing down the computers (not on purpose mind you, but just because the computers "are doing more work"-- uh huh ;) --Makes sense to me because 3 of my 4 Win7's have become nearly useless slugs within the past year. But the 4th that's still working okay, isn't connected to the internet.

Very nice program and it works.