Manual switch for Internet Connection?

Is there such a thing as a manual switch for an internet connection?

I was thinking it would be really easy to have a simple switch by your keyboard that when switched off, the cable’s connection would be broken just as though you had reached around and un-plugged it from the back of your computer.

That way, when you’re done surfin, just hit the switch and while you’re gone or during the night, you know it’s not possible for anybody to get in to your computer cause the connection is physically disabled.

Anybody ever seen a product like this?
If so, where?

Hadn’t thought of that…didn’t know ethernet switches had power supplies

I’ll have to look in to that…thanks for the idea!

You could get a cheap workgroup ethernet switch and plug it’s power into a power strip with an on-off switch. Locate the power switch where you can reach it, then just turn the juice off when you want to disconnect your network without pulling any cables.

Simply install a decent firewall on the computer - they all come with an internet kill switch built into the software. The advantage is that it inly kills the internet connection and not the local network.

Mine has NO disable option at all…it just shows enable, even when it is connected

Correct. This is why I either need to figure out why I have no disable option, or go with the on / off switch as a work around to this problem.

There’s always a work around

True…or, I could get that switch from http://www.JustHitTheButton.com
and not have to move anything :eye:

I’m waiting on them to call me back cause I want to know if it’s CAT6
or not. CAT6 has been out for several years, so hopefully they aren’t
wasting time with CAT5

Since I use my computer for business purposes…no.

I need to be able to load software and have it actually work

Maybe I’ll look at linux in a few more years when it gets to the point where any software that works on Windows is also available for linux

Functionality FAIL!

I’m on a brand new computer with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

I was thinking it would be really easy to have a simple switch by your keyboard that when switched off, the cable’s connection would be broken just as though you had reached around and un-plugged it from the back of your computer.

Plus, on my new Win 7 computer…you cannot disconnect it from the internet without physically un-plugging the cable from the back of the machine…which sits under my desk making that a PITA

I have the network connection icon on the desktop, but the only option it provides is “Enable” and has no “Disable” option, so that’s useless

This also depends if you are on a fairly old setup, as Windows used to crash after 49.7 days…

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216641

^ Not to mention the fact that they have a hard time doing routine maintenance like scandisk, defrag and virus scans when they’re off.

True…I have things that are scheduled to be done during the night time hours…
Whilst I’m resting, my computer is keeping itself tuned up and is backing up data.

May I suggest that you just turn off your computer. Its cheap, secured, it conserves energy and it makes your computer’s life longer.

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!
That may just be the most “gimicky” thing I have ever seen!
@Aleksejs, I agree, how hard is it to just unplug the cable, or click “Disable Network Adapter”

I just don’t get it…

Don’t they have CAT6 ?

And, if I’m going to do this I think I’d rather have a switch as opposed to having to plug / un-plug something all the time.

It’d be kinda a simple, low tech device that eliminates connection to your computer.

I’m sure this is something James Bond would have used for security if the internet was around back in the day

I’d use straight-through female female adapter that sits on table and I can disconnect any time for that purpouse… Of course having an “internet switch” is kinda cool… :slight_smile:
http://www.adtek-fiber.com/product/309-cat5e-inline-coupler-c5u6rj45bk2-794f/
http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtModelID=2145

My plug in is on the back of my computer which sits on the floor under my desk…so, it’s a PITA to have to crawl under the desk to un-plug the cable.

On my XP machine, I have an icon on my desktop that I can enable and disable, although I’m not sure if a hacker could get around that or not and is it really disconnected? (do you know???)

On this new computer I’m setting up (Win 7 Pro) the network connection icon only shows “Enabled” and gives no option for “Disable”. The best I can tell is that un-plugging the cable is the only way to take the computer offline

So, I’m thinking the next best thing is a switch that would make it convenient to physically disconnect the internet cable

Sorry…I was just searching after posting this question and I actually found a physical switch at http://www.JustHitTheButton.com

I’m going to email them and see if the cable they are using is CAT6…if it is, I’m gonna try one.

That was a little bit of sarcasm :slight_smile:
In almost ideal world (because in an ideal world we would not have to worry about security) all I’d have to do - would be to press big red button/shortcut labled “make everything secure forever” :slight_smile: