Anyone run sonar on a studio computer you leave disconnected from the internet? I'm starting to think about having my studio system completely shut off from the net. I'll only connect it for updates and maintenance. I can just use another system for everything else. That way I just have a pure dedicated sonar workstation. Or is that being paranoid, like not going outside cause you might trip on a crack?
 
 
 

The only time my DAW is connected to the internet is for updates & downloads

I keep mine off the t'interweb. Its evil!!!

Generally speaking, if you keep your software up to date (Windows and browser especially), don't install Java or Flash in your browser, leave User Account Control on, have your firewall enabled, don't install anything unless you're confident about the source and have double-checked everything in the installer, and don't visit dubious sites, you are almost certainly going to be fine online all of the time. There aren't hackers waiting to connect to your PC to attack it - pretty much every infection that happens comes from the user accessing a website with outdated technology or by them being careless with what they install.

It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you.
 
Actually, fear of a hostile internet isn't the main reason to disconnect. Steps can be taken to protect your computer from evildoers, such as not using your DAW for general web browsing and email. The compelling reason to take your DAW off the net is that network interfaces and drivers think they are the most important components in your computer and have no problem sucking valuable CPU cycles away from audio processes, which for normal computers is way down on the list of priorities.

When recording just disable the network adapter if you so wish. Get the real story though by downloading latencymon, process monitor and process explorer. Disable services and startup applications you don't need. Optimize! I strongly urge you to install antivirus, just make sure exclude the sonar file paths and sonar.exe process from real time scanning.

Another thing to consider is dual boot, that way you can run your non DAW related stuff on another OS.

I dual boot my machine. Using Windows 10 and disabled all networking, firewall, virus scan, etc.Windows runs considerably faster with all of the networking stuff turned off. I also don't like Microsoft getting reports from my machine on everything I do, so now it can't get them. System is much more stable, too.
 
Use Linux Mint for web surfing and most every thing else.

MandolinPicker
I dual boot my machine. Using Windows 10 and disabled all networking, firewall, virus scan, etc.Windows runs considerably faster with all of the networking stuff turned off. I also don't like Microsoft getting reports from my machine on everything I do, so now it can't get them. System is much more stable, too.
 
Use Linux Mint for web surfing and most every thing else.

Strongly recommend you don't disable your firewall and antivirus unless you never ever connect to the internet and never ever update You will be if updating Sonar and running windows update I assume. Win10 updates are making the OS faster and more stable (an OS that has yet to fully mature). In theory viruses and malicious activity can be detected even after something has been downloaded and installed (several layers of security).

I have my wireless off and only connect to the internet via a dsl land line.  And then I only update the computer (win 7) and programs and then disconnect.
 
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I pretty much have mine connected full time without issues. As Bit mentioned the real issue is the networking card (more specifically Wi-Fi if connected to a router), but when I rebuilt this machine in July I found the biggest culprit is a wi-fi router doing an "auto-detect" of new devices. That can be disabled, is totally unnecessary, and sends a query pulse every 4 seconds that is a "high priority" process. My machine is hardwired to the router, but that query is atrocious. I also have anything "auto" disabled on this machine (or set to manual start) - type in "Services" in Windows search and can do this there, but be advised some things (especially Adobe) will reset status to "Automatic" the first time you manually run them. Between "Services" and "msconfig" you can catch 99% of things you don't want running on there own, and an internet connection does give some of these reason to "go active" on you. Easiest fix is to disconnect when using the DAW if desired.
 
As long as you judiciously use the internet, there is no need to get overzealous with things, but disconnecting when tracking can be useful to remove that batch of resources.