How do I turn off automatic internet connection?

One of the most useful functions of Windows OS is the provision of automatic connection of a computer to the Internet (if technically possible for this, of course). But with all the demand for this option, in some cases it becomes necessary to disable it. How to do it?

The function of automatic connection to the Internet can be implemented in the OS in two main versions:

  • when the OS provides a permanent Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet via a network card using autonomous algorithms;
  • when using the settings that are manually assigned by the user at the level of system interfaces, as well as within the function of "autorun" files.

Moreover, if the operating system automatically connects to the network using at least one of these methods, then there is usually no need to use the other. In this sense, they are "mutually exclusive" and can be viewed as independent schemes.

or the second method of connecting the computer to the network.

Let us investigate, therefore, for a start, how to disable the automatic connection to the Internet, which functions when the autonomous algorithms of the OS are running, providing a constantly working Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection via a network card.

How to disconnect an always-on connection?

The basic principle of the considered scheme is that a computer is connected via a wired or wireless interface to a device that provides communication with a stably working Internet channel. This can be:

  • a router (wired or Wi-Fi) connected to a fiber-optic, cable, Ethernet, DSL channel from a provider, sometimes a 3G or 4G network from a cellular operator;
  • the switch of the communication service provider (via a wire that goes from it and connects directly to the network card of the computer);
  • another computer connected to the Internet in one way or another (it can also be connected via wired or wireless interfaces).

The main hardware component of the PC, which is used in the above schemes, is a network card (wired or equipped with a Wi-Fi module). When the OS detects that the corresponding adapter can connect to a constantly working Internet channel, it sets up system settings to automatically connect the computer to the network. In this case - local or LAN, which is connected to the Internet gateway at the expense of the provider's resources.

Deactivating an offline PC-to-network connection that is based on Wi-Fi technology is fairly straightforward.

After performing the operations that we mentioned above, the OS will not be able to automatically connect the PC to the Internet. However, the computer is sometimes configured to connect to the network without the knowledge of the user through another scheme - involving the use of the function of "autorun" files.

How? It's very simple: in the C: \ ProgramData \ Microsoft \ Windows \ StartMenu \ Programs \ StartUp folder there is a file of the form autostart.bat - in a format that is recognized by the OS as containing mandatory algorithms at the time of PC boot. In this case, those that instruct the operating system to run the same program rasdial.exe. All the user needs to do is delete this file. Or edit it so that the OS cannot correctly recognize the algorithms that automatically connect to the Internet (for example, changing the name of the rasdial.exe application to any other that does not match any of the programs available in the OS). Alternatively, rasdial_switch_off.exe.

First of all, of course, you need to make sure that the file in question is being deleted or edited. To do this, right-click on it and select "Open" or "Edit". In the window of the program that opens (most likely, it will be "Notepad"), you need to check if the text of the algorithm contains the word rasdial. If so, then the work is being done with the required file.

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