Number 291 - August 2007

Switch Your Cable or DSL Connection On and Off
by Linda Gonse, via Orange County IBM PC Users Group June 2007
I have a cable modem and a constrant "on" connection to the Internet. But, it makes me nervous. Maybe because I began browsing the Internet as a dial-up customer, being always connected just doesn't seem natural!    Yes, I know that my computer is probably secure enough with my Linksys router firewall. And, I tested my system security on Steve Gibson's site, just to be sure.    However, when I am working and not on the Internet or checking email, I use a software shortcut to switch my connection off. When I need the connection again, I use the same shortcut to enable it. The "switch" may not be necessary, but it sure makes me feel safer.    If you are interested in turning your DSL or cable connection off and on follow these steps:    Go to Start, Settings, and Control Panel. Click on Network Connections*. If the window is full screen, you will need to click on the window's title bar and drag it to one side or another, or grab an edge of the window and drag it to make it smaller. The goal is to be able to see and reach your desktop.    Now, right click on the Internet connection icon in the Network Connections folder and drag it to a clear space on the desktop. Release the mouse button and a dialog box will appear. Left	click on "Create Shortcut Here."    Close the windows you opened. Creating the turn-off switch was that simple! Now, try it out.    Right click on the shortcut, and left click on "Disable" (this is assuming you are connected to the Internet.) Wait a couple of seconds for the connection to shut down. You might see another dialog box telling you the connection is disabled.    Right click on the shortcut icon again, and left click on "Enable." wait a couple of seconds for the command to be performed. This shortcut to turn off the connection also makes me feel more comfortable when our granddaughters are visiting. No Internet connection is available to encourage unsupervised Internet visits by the girls.    Oh, and I used one more sneaky trick. I right-clicked on the shortcut icon and renamed it "Homework." I'm confident that my granddaughters won't ever go there now. TOGGLE Editor's Note:    *The terminology may be slightly different depending on which version of Windows you are using but you should be able to figure it out.
Number 291 - August 2007