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.
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.”