How to Disable A Network Connection
Disabling and re-enabling network connections is done through Control Panel.
How to Enable A Network Connection
Enabling a network connection is similar, but you’ll use the Enable option instead. In Windows XP, change to Category view, select Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections, then skip to Step 4.
Tips
When you disable a network adapter, you lose network connectivity until you re-enable the adapter. The same is true for a wired connection. Before you disable a network connection, save any open web-based files so that you don’t lose your work. Device Manager manages network connections as an alternative to Control Panel. To disable a device in Device Manager, open Device Manager, expand the Network adapters section, and right-click or tap-and-hold the entry that corresponds to the network adapter to find the Disable option (enabling devices is similar). Uninstall connections you don’t need to tighten your network security and free resources. Windows XP supports a Repair option for wireless connections. This feature disables and re-enables the Wi-Fi connection in one step. While this feature does not exist in newer versions of Windows, the troubleshooting wizards in newer versions of Windows offer similar functionality.
