How do I turn off my network card?

[everdred12a]

I just want to know if there's a way I can turn off my network card in my laptop to conserve battery power when I can't get an internet signal. I'm running XP Home if that makes a difference.

[Steeltemplar]

I just want to know if there's a way I can turn off my network card in my laptop to conserve battery power when I can't get an internet signal. I'm running XP Home if that makes a difference.

Is this a wireless NIC or a hardwire? If it is wireless, is it built into the laptop or is it a PCMCIA or USB adapter?

[everdred12a]

If you're asking if I have wireless internet, then yes I do.

[Steeltemplar]

If you're asking if I have wireless internet, then yes I do.

Alright. If it's built in to your system (you don't have a card or something that you plug in to your computer), then there should be an actual physical switch somewhere on your computer to turn it on and off.

If it's a card that you plug in, then you can simply remove it when it's not in use.

[everdred12a]

I don't see a switch. I remember when I first got the laptop, it used to turn the card off everytime the computer wasn't hooked up to an AC adapter, but I turned that option off. I didn't know at the time that if I turned the option off, it would never give me that option again. I looked for some way to get back to that option, but I never found it, and I was hoping that someone would know where I could find it again.

EDIT: I don't know if a network card and a network adapter are the same thing, but all of the help stuff in XP talks about network adapters, and has doesn't have anything about network cards. So I might have a network adapter and not a card, but I don't know if that's possible or not.

[Steeltemplar]

I don't see a switch. I remember when I first got the laptop, it used to turn the card off everytime the computer wasn't hooked up to an AC adapter, but I turned that option off. I didn't know at the time that if I turned the option off, it would never give me that option again. I looked for some way to get back to that option, but I never found it, and I was hoping that someone would know where I could find it again.

EDIT: I don't know if a network card and a network adapter are the same thing, but all of the help stuff in XP talks about network adapters, and has doesn't have anything about network cards. So I might have a network adapter and not a card, but I don't know if that's possible or not.

Network card and network adapter are the same thing from my understanding.

Alright, try this then.....

Go to Start.

Go to Settings.

Double click on Network Connections.

Right click on your wireless connection.

Choose disable.

You can re-enable it whenever you want using the same process.

[termyt]

Right click on My Networks and choose Properties.

This should bring up the Network Connections window.

Locate your wireless network connection. It will probably be labeled "Wireless Network Connection 1" or something like that.

Right click on it and choose "Disable." Your computer will stop looking for a wireless network. You will need to enable it again when you want to use a wireless network.

Hope that helps.

[everdred12a]

My only question is this - will it end up saving me battery power?

[glitch1501]

yea it should, thats why there is usually a button on the laptop to press, it usually starts blinking searching for a network

[termyt]

It will, but probably not in any noticeable amount. The draw on your battery of your network card trying to detect a network probably is not that large. I have no data to back that up, mind you, just my thought on it. You can always try it and find out.

The exception to that could be if there is a weak signal out there that your computer can detect but it is too weak get a good connection to. Your computer may repeatedly try to connect to it, which would take up system resources and possibly drain your battery more quickly. Again, I have no real data to back that up. It is just a theory.

[everdred12a]

Thanks everyone.