It is also good practice to check your msconfig setup. In addition to the computer pinging (Automatic Network Discovery being the primary offender), software which loads on boot (or has been opened by you) can tend to do handshaking in the background (update ping, validations, etc.).
 
Pretty much all of that can be disabled, but it is not simple or intuitive in many cases. The simplest solution (especially for those that do not want to deal with such rigamarole) is not to be connected when running in "DAW mode" since most of these lie dormant until a port is active for use.
 
Dave's comment about licenses is also a valid one, which may also come into play depending on what you have installed.

Sanderxpander
To each their own, I won't pretend that the Internet isn't potentially a dangerous place if the other side won't pretend that being online is pretty convenient. 

I don't think anyone here has a tin foil hat fear if being online. My studio and daw are not 'air gapped'. Should I need to be online it takes the push of a single button to do so. That's a pretty low bar of inconvenience:)
 
 

Good points all. I've simply never run into problems across at least eight systems in the last fifteen years. While that of course is statistically irrelevant, it has never given me any reason to be anything but online and I find it useful for all the reasons stated.

hockeyjx
I can right click and enable my adapter to be online in less than 10 seconds. I'm not skerrred of bad things happening, I'm just taking a potential reason the DAW may have a hiccup out of the loop.

Somewhat similar here, I just plug in my USB Wi-Fi dongle and let it connect - takes about 10 seconds.

Bristol_Jonesey
I'm with hockeyjx-  the only time my DAW is connected to the internet is when I need to download or update something.

 
I am with him also.

MarioD

Bristol_Jonesey
I'm with hockeyjx-  the only time my DAW is connected to the internet is when I need to download or update something.

 I am with him also.

As am I.

I use desktops, use CAT cable instead of wifi. Life is great.  If I were using a laptop, keep it offline when doing DAW stuff.

The great thing about being off line with your audio machine is you can disable many processes that may be taking up memory and CPU use. Antivirus programs. Some of these things can go into scan mode and almost take over your (C and others) hard drives.  The only process that should really be running on your music computer are those processes involved with that and nothing else.
 
My audio machine boots up with no firewall, virus checker or anything. I have to turn all those things on before I get started (updating virus checkers first with latest viruses etc) and like many it is only to update or authorise something. Then I turn them all off again and keep working.
 
For those who like keeping their computers on line ZoneAlarm has a great feature that lets you completely disable your computer from the net by a simple click.  It is like a switch and removes your machine from being on line.  Great for going away from it for long periods etc.  It only takes one click to go back on again.
 
For those who have had trouble free time on line that is great and you have been lucky.  I have been attacked by things in the middle of important paid projects where audio settings and the registry even got hacked and changed. And major music things broke as well. Forcing you to waste sometimes days getting your computer back to normal operation.