Easiest way to disconnect Ethernet temporarily (other than pulling the cat5 cable?)

Andy Burns wrote:
Paul wrote:

In the diagram here, it looks like an attempt to do single-ended
switching, followed by a transformer pack to convert back to balanced
or something.

Isn't that just the normal isolation transformer (often hiding inside
the shielded 8P8C socket these days) and which allows for PoE as
"phantom" between the pairs? e.g.

http://www.btoptech.com/uploadfile/2010/1204/20101204030437801.jpg

Could be :-)

The person didn't give the whole schematic, on purpose.
As that would violate his relationship with his employer.
It would be more fun to dissect if we could see the
whole thing.

Paul

On 5/31/2017 12:55 PM, Paul wrote:

*******

The purpose of unplugging the cable is "air gap" aka
"visual certainty". It's the equivalent of
"you *******s can't get me now".

What if some software talks to the NIC directly, and
doesn't give a fig about your network stack ? :-) Who
would write such software ? Microsoft.

Paul

I'd agree that unplugging the cable is the only SUREFIRE
method, but...diminishing returns applies.

The only way to prevent Microsoft from doing something
you don't want is to unplug the ethernet permanently
and install another OS.

You can prevent MS from doing ADDITIONAL stuff you don't
want by running windows with no internet connection, ever.

In the real world, where the internet is always on,
disrupting the network stack temporarily is almost as good as
pulling the cable temporarily. Any software that
seeks to connect to the internet will find a way
to do so. It's far easier to lurk in the background
until a connection is available than to bypass the
network software or modify the network settings.

Unless malware is focused on YOU in order to get some
specific thing, like the launch codes, they'd be far
ahead to move on or wait until a connection is available.
Attempting to change the network settings is a serious
risk of exposure.

Even MS datamining wouldn't bother with the 100 people
in the world who changed their default gateway temporarily.
If you've ever had a network connection,
they've already got you.

You take a risk every time you plug your computer into
power.
Installing mainline software from a trusted site is about
the best you can do.

People must live a stress-free life if some vendor
jumping thru some serious hoops to circumvent their
network block to
log their install is high on their worry list.

Think I'll go do some less risky stuff, like firing up
my smartphone to do some banking then riding my bicycle down the most
congested street in the county to eat from a food cart at the
local celebration. ;-)

mike wrote:


Think I'll go do some less risky stuff, like firing up
my smartphone to do some banking then riding my bicycle down the most
congested street in the county to eat from a food cart at the
local celebration. ;-)

I unplug the Win10 machine, when I want to start it up and
do a quick test, without a lot of Windows Update, Defender
scanning, defragmentation and other assorted high-disk activity.

The OS is a lot better behaved, for short runs, if you
just unplug it.

I've modified the rubber boot on all my cables here,
to expose the plastic tab and make it easier to
unplug the cable.

http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/wp-cont...-with-boot.jpg

http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/wp-cont...thout-boot.jpg

I just cut away the "rubber hump" so that the plastic
part can move freely.

Paul

Wolf K wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

My interpretation of the OP's starter post is that he does *NOT* want
to remain connected to the network. He wants to be connected only
during the download.

Looks like there's market for a multi-pole switch. I wouldn't mind one
myself.

In another my replies, I show how there are home-brew switch boxes, A/B
switches you can buy, and more simple solutions, like a cable splice
into which you simply snap in a couple cables. I don't think any of
that is needed. I suspect the other end of the Ethernet cable is
probably a lot easier to reach than the backside of the OP's computer
sitting on the floor (and maybe pushed under a desk).

Mark Lloyd wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

One wire? Ethernet is a differential signaling network: 2 wires for
receive (Rx+ and Rx-) and 2 wires for transmit (Tx+ and Tx-). Seems you
would want, at least, a 2-pole switch for both Tx lines but you'll
probably want a 4-pole switch to handle both Tx and Rx pairs. You also
want to terminate both ends of each wire at the switch instead of
leaving long antennae attached to your host and router.

Also, gigabit ethernet uses the other 2 pairs as well.

Twas mentioned.

"Chaya Eve" wrote in message
news
What is the easiest way to temporarily disconnect Ethernet on a Windows 10
desktop PC?

Whenever I install a newly downloaded program, I get down on the floor and
reach behind the desktop to pull the Ethernet cable out of the back RJ45
port.


A short ethernet cable from the back of the PC to an RJ45 coupler.
Coupler is 40p in the UK
-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/1001Cables-.../dp/B000HWXUIA

--
Regards
wasbit

On 06/06/2017 12:29 PM, Wolf K wrote:

[snip]


Do you mean a coupler? If so, doh, why didn't I think of that?!?

The first I heard of the thing, it was called a double female.

Thanks for getting me to think twice. :-)



--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"The Bible account of the creation of Eve is a preposterous fable."
[Thomas Huxley, English biologist]

On Tue, 6 Jun 2017 13:29:24 -0400, Wolf K
wrote:

On 2017-05-31 22:52, VanguardLH wrote:
Wolf K wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

My interpretation of the OP's starter post is that he does *NOT* want
to remain connected to the network. He wants to be connected only
during the download.

Looks like there's market for a multi-pole switch. I wouldn't mind one
myself.

In another my replies, I show how there are home-brew switch boxes, A/B
switches you can buy, and more simple solutions, like a cable splice
into which you simply snap in a couple cables. [...]

Do you mean a coupler? If so, doh, why didn't I think of that?!?

Thanks for getting me to think twice. :-)

If the OP wants to disconnect from the Internet temporarily when
installing a program then the easiest way is to use a firewall. I have
Avast installed with only two components activated, Anti Virus and
Firewall, all the other components are bloat IMO. When I want to
disconnect from the Internet I just go to the Avast tray icon, right
click and select 'Enable Offline Mode'. After installing the program
re-enable and you are back online. I think unplugging the Ethernet
cable is totally unnecessary.

Suggesting switches, coupler, etc. is making a simple thing into
complicated overkill IMO.

I haven't been following the discussion so I might have missed
something. If so then disregard my remarks.
--
JT

On Wed, 07 Jun 2017 13:06:26 -0700, Justin Tyme wrote:

If the OP wants to disconnect from the Internet temporarily when
installing a program then the easiest way is to use a firewall. I have
Avast installed with only two components activated, Anti Virus and
Firewall, all the other components are bloat IMO. When I want to
disconnect from the Internet I just go to the Avast tray icon, right
click and select 'Enable Offline Mode'. After installing the program
re-enable and you are back online. I think unplugging the Ethernet
cable is totally unnecessary.

Suggesting switches, coupler, etc. is making a simple thing into
complicated overkill IMO.

I think the simplest method is to get an ethernet extension cable and
just unplug the cable from it when needed. Do a search on eBay for
ethernet extension cable, they have a plug at one end and a socket at
t'other.

--
Faster, cheaper, quieter than HS2
and built in 5 years;
UKUltraspeed http://www.500kmh.com/

"Wolf K" wrote in message
...
On 2017-05-31 22:52, VanguardLH wrote:
Wolf K wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

My interpretation of the OP's starter post is that he does *NOT* want
to remain connected to the network. He wants to be connected only
during the download.

Looks like there's market for a multi-pole switch. I wouldn't mind one
myself.

In another my replies, I show how there are home-brew switch boxes, A/B
switches you can buy, and more simple solutions, like a cable splice
into which you simply snap in a couple cables. [...]

Do you mean a coupler? If so, doh, why didn't I think of that?!?

Thanks for getting me to think twice. :-)


I posted this further down the thread on 2017.06.01

A short ethernet cable from the back of the PC to an RJ45 coupler.
Coupler is 40p in the UK
-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/1001Cables-.../dp/B000HWXUIA

--
Regards
wasbit

On Thu, 08 Jun 2017 06:23:47 +0100 (BST), "Rodney Pont"
wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jun 2017 13:06:26 -0700, Justin Tyme wrote:

If the OP wants to disconnect from the Internet temporarily when
installing a program then the easiest way is to use a firewall. I have
Avast installed with only two components activated, Anti Virus and
Firewall, all the other components are bloat IMO. When I want to
disconnect from the Internet I just go to the Avast tray icon, right
click and select 'Enable Offline Mode'. After installing the program
re-enable and you are back online. I think unplugging the Ethernet
cable is totally unnecessary.

Suggesting switches, coupler, etc. is making a simple thing into
complicated overkill IMO.

I think the simplest method is to get an ethernet extension cable and
just unplug the cable from it when needed. Do a search on eBay for
ethernet extension cable, they have a plug at one end and a socket at
t'other

Simpler than 2 clicks to turn off the connection with a firewall? I
don't think so. Internet can also be turned off with Ethernet settings
or turning off wifi if a person is using wifi. There is absolutely no
reason to get an ethernet extension cable or anything else. It is so
simple to go offline that one does not need to even get out of the
chair.
--
JT

On Thu, 8 Jun 2017 10:37:40 +0100, "wasbit"
wrote:

"Wolf K" wrote in message
...
On 2017-05-31 22:52, VanguardLH wrote:
Wolf K wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

My interpretation of the OP's starter post is that he does *NOT* want
to remain connected to the network. He wants to be connected only
during the download.

Looks like there's market for a multi-pole switch. I wouldn't mind one
myself.

In another my replies, I show how there are home-brew switch boxes, A/B
switches you can buy, and more simple solutions, like a cable splice
into which you simply snap in a couple cables. [...]

Do you mean a coupler? If so, doh, why didn't I think of that?!?

Thanks for getting me to think twice. :-)


I posted this further down the thread on 2017.06.01

A short ethernet cable from the back of the PC to an RJ45 coupler.
Coupler is 40p in the UK
-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/1001Cables-.../dp/B000HWXUIA

The title of this post says (other than pulling the cat5 cable?).
Why is everyone suggesting he pull the ethernet cable when he clearly
says in the title of his post that it is not what he wants to do?
--
JT

On Thu, 08 Jun 2017 02:49:05 -0700, Justin Tyme wrote:

The title of this post says (other than pulling the cat5 cable?).
Why is everyone suggesting he pull the ethernet cable when he clearly
says in the title of his post that it is not what he wants to do?

Because in an earlier post the OP says that the problem is getting to
the back of the
pc to pull the cat5 cable so we are just giving easier access to cable
options.

--
Faster, cheaper, quieter than HS2
and built in 5 years;
UKUltraspeed http://www.500kmh.com/