I need a piece of software that will disable my internet connection?
May 26, 2010 1:03 PM   Subscribe

I need a piece of software that will disable my internet connection?

I use the same computer for work as for general entertainment and the internet has become way too much of a distraction for me. The temptations to look at a recent music video on You Tube or to see if their is any breaking news happening is just too strong!

Is there software out there that you can program to disable your internet connection between certain times?
posted by jacobean to Computers & Internet (8 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Most home routers have this feature.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 1:05 PM on May 26, 2010


Leechblock is a Firefox add-on that does this.
posted by Adam_S at 1:12 PM on May 26, 2010


Are you on a Mac? SelfControl is basically the best non-distraction software anywhere. Totally locks out all network traffic, except for sites you can specify on a "whitelist". Alternatively, you can just blacklist a few of your more distracting sites.

Warning: once you set it, there's no way to turn it off, including restarting or deleting the software. In fact, you can seriously screw stuff up by trying to get around it. Try it for fifteen minutes before you commit to a full day of distraction-free work.
posted by supercres at 1:16 PM on May 26, 2010


Freedom is what you are looking for. It's for PC and Mac now.
posted by jessamyn at 1:19 PM on May 26, 2010


Concentrate is what I use. Mac only though.
posted by whycurious at 2:09 PM on May 26, 2010


If you're looking to turn off all internet access, just pull the network cable. (or if you're using wireless, disconnect the router from the modem).

If you're looking for strictly software, you'll want Leechblock for firefox, or ChromeNanny for chrome.
posted by chrisamiller at 2:36 PM on May 26, 2010


Seconding Freedom. It's exactly what you want.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:47 PM on May 26, 2010


Here's a trick I use, because software solutions never work for me. Lock some critical component (i.e. router [or just its power cable] or ethernet cable) in your car. It's there if you need it, but it's just inconvenient enough to keep you productive.
posted by spiderskull at 12:10 AM on May 27, 2010


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