Windows XP allows you to enable and disable installed network connections. When a network connection suddenly stops functioning, disabling and re-enabling it can repair the problem. Additionally, many Windows computers have multiple network connections installed. Sometimes these connections may interfere with each other. Disabling individual connections when they are not being used can improve network reliability and security.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: < 1 minute
Here's How:
- Open the Windows Control Panel. Control Panel can be found on the Windows Start Menu.
- Open the "Network Connections" icon in Control Panel. The Control Panel will refresh to become the "Network Connections" window. If necessary, first open the "Network and Internet Connections" icon in Control panel, then choose "Network Connections" from within that screen.
- The Network Connections window lists all Dial-up and LAN / High-Speed Internet connections installed. In the list of LAN / High Speed Internet connections, select the icon that corresponds to the network you wish to enable or disable.
- Right-click on the selected network connection. A pop-up menu appears. If the connection is currently enabled, the first option in this menu will be "Disable." Otherwise, the first menu option will be "Enable."
- Select this first menu option to alternately disable or enable the connection.
- Close the Network Connections / Control Panel window when finished.
Tips:
- When a Windows network connection suddenly stops functioning, it's common to first disable and then re-enable it as a troubleshooting and repair technique.
- Windows does not support Enable / Disable functionality for Dial-up network connections.
- In Windows XP Service Pack 2, a new Repair option has been added for wireless connections. The SP2 wireless connection repair option will automatically disable and re-enable the connection.
What You Need:
- Computer running Windows XP
- One or more installed Windows network connections on the computer
