4 Ways to Disable Internet Access

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A step-by-step guide on preventing your computer or specific programs from accessing the internet

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: July 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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Disabling Internet Access on Windows

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Blocking Apps from the Internet on Windows

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Blocking Apps from the Internet on Mac

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Internet-Toggling Apps on Windows & Mac

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

You may want to block a program—or several—from accessing the Internet. You may want to block someone's entire computer from accessing the Internet, or you may want to temporarily disable your own access so that you can get work done without being distracted. The easiest way to disable access, regardless of the operating system, is simply to remove the network interface hardware from the computer or disconnect the computer's LAN cable or wireless network. This wikiHow article teaches you software-based ways to disable access from within the computer's user interface.

Quickly Disabling Internet Access on a Computer

Use the Control Panel and disable your Internet connection in "Network and Security" quickly and easily.
Adjust your Firewall settings to allow certain programs to access the Internet and disable the Internet for other programs.
Alternatively, use a fake proxy server to block internet access to your computer.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Disabling Internet Access on Windows

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1
Press ⊞ Win+R. This will open the Run dialog.
- Use this method if you want to quickly disable the network for your computer.
2
Enter "ncpa.cpl". Press Enter after typing the command and wait for the "Network Connections" window to open.
- You can also open the "Network Connections" window by going to Control Panel.
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3
Right-click your Wi-Fi connection and click "Disable". This will block the computer from accessing this particular Wi-Fi network's internet connection. This setting will not stop any other computers from logging onto the Wi-Fi network.
- This process is reversible. If you want to enable the network connection later, you can do so by clicking on the Wi-Fi connection and selecting "Enable."

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Blocking Apps from the Internet on Windows

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1
Open Windows Defender Firewall. Press the Win key, type in Windows Defender Firewall, then click Windows Defender Firewall at the top of the Start window.
- This will allow you to block certain programs from the internet, like Minecraft or Sims, but not everything. In that case, this is the best option if you want to stop someone from playing online games when they should be focusing on something else, like schoolwork.
This link is at the top-left side of the Firewall window.
3
Click Change settings. It's at the upper-right side of the window, just above the list of programs on your computer.
- You may have to click Yes on a pop-up window after doing this before you can continue.
- If you don't have administrator privileges on your computer, you won't be able to do this.
The list of programs in the middle of the page displays all programs that Windows Firewall is blocking or allowing; you can scroll down to find your specific program.
5
Add a program to the list if necessary. If you can't find your program in the list, you can add it by doing the following:
- Click Allow another app... below the list.
- Click Browse....
- Go to the location of the app or program file (usually an EXE) you want to block.
- Select the app or program file.
- Click Open, then select the program's name in the window and click Add if it doesn't automatically add.
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Click the checkmark to the left of the program. Doing so should remove the checkmark, thereby blocking the program through Windows Firewall.
- If there is no checkmark to the left of the program, Windows Firewall is already blocking the program.
- Leave the two checkboxes to the right of the program ("Home/Work (Private)" and "Public") alone.
7
Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. This will both save your changes and prevent the program from connecting through the network (and/or from running properly on your computer).^{[1]
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- For example, if you unchecked Firefox, you won't be able to access the Internet with that web browser, but you can still use Chrome to go online.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Blocking Apps from the Internet on Mac

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1
Open System Settings. Do this by clicking the Apple logo in the menu at the top of your screen and selecting System Settings.
- macOS versions Monterey and older will see System Preferences instead.
It's next to a connected globe icon.
You may need to scroll down to see this.
4
Click Options. If you aren't able to select Options, make sure Firewall is turned on.
- You'll see a list of apps and services on your Mac that use the Internet.
5
Click + (to add an app or service). If you see the app or service in the list, skip this step.
- Use the window that opens when you click + to navigate and find the app or service you want to stop from accessing the Internet.
- If you want to stop any apps from accessing the Internet, click the switch next to "Block all incoming connections. This will still allow your Mac to use the Internet, however, for basic processes, including DHCP and IPSec.
This prevents the specific app or service from accessing the Internet.^{[2]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Internet-Toggling Apps on Windows & Mac

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These programs may come in handy if you want to temporarily disable your Internet access for an entire computer, but you don't want to navigate the firewall settings each time you do so. Perhaps you want to get some work done offline, but you don't want to completely isolate yourself from the possibility of using the Internet. You can usually choose to disable all sites or just certain sites.
This app will help you “forcefully” step away from the Internet by temporarily disabling all Internet access from your computer. This little script will allow you to completely disable the Internet on your Windows computer with a click. You can restore the Internet connection anytime later with another click. To get started, download Toggle-Internet.bat to your desktop.
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Toggle your Internet. Right-click on the Toggle desktop icon. Choose “Run as Administrator,” and you’ll be instantly disconnected from the Internet. Later, when you need to reconnect, just right-click the same file and run as an administrator as before.
- Internally, the script merely toggles the status of your Network Adapter (also known as the LAN adapter or Ethernet card), thus shutting down the Internet for you. If you were to disable or enable the Network Adapter manually, the steps would be Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> View Network Status -> Change Adapter Settings.
Toggle Internet will temporarily block all sites, but you may wish to disable access to a select group of distracting websites while staying connected to Google Docs or your email. Download the Let Me Work script. You can specify the list of sites that should be blocked, and this script will modify the Windows HOSTS file to shut them off temporarily.^{[3]
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Can I block a specific iPhone from accessing my home broadband?

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Yes, you can block specific devices. Access your router's administration page, typically via an IP address like 192.168.0.1, and locate the device to add its MAC address to a blocking list. This will prevent the iPhone from accessing the internet, a common feature on most modern routers.

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How can I prevent others from accessing my Wi-Fi network?

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To prevent unauthorized access, secure your Wi-Fi network with a password. This requires anyone attempting to connect to enter the correct credentials. Most routers have built-in security features; consult your device's instructions for specific setup guidance.

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How can I block internet access for a device that uses an Ethernet cable?

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To temporarily block access, you can unplug the Ethernet cable from your device or the wall jack. For a permanent solution, you could physically cut the cable.

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Tips

Bear in mind, however, that most methods are reversible.

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Always check the Firewall exceptions for unauthorized programs.

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Disabling Internet access means that the program can never connect to the Internet, whether to download updates or to send any data.

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