Hi;
I thought that I would post here to see if anyone is using a manual on/off RJ-45 switch to disconnect the cable from your computer while you are in Sonar. And maybe would post problems that they encountered.
 
I know that most will say that they use either - another computer; a swap-able drive or some other method to remove themselves from the internet. And maybe some just don't think it worth the fuss, but given the issues that I have had lately I want to protect as much as possible when I set up a new computer.
 
But my question is has anyone ..or does anyone use a manual switch to disconnect from the RJ-45 cable.
 
I found one on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/2PORT-CAT5-Manual-Switch-Beige/dp/B000JHEKIM
 
Any thought or suggestions?
 

I don't know that there's any reason to bother. On a modern system, IP traffic takes very, very, little resources. You are not likely to notice any difference with a network connection on or off.

I disable the NIC when I record.  Even with a "clean" machine, there are potential interruptions.  I've experienced a couple of dropouts when I forget to disconnect from the Internet, and I have a fast PC (i7 3770 CPU and 16GB RAM).
 
I would think disabling the NIC is better than a switch to disconnect.  With the disconnect the PC is still trying to access the Internet.

If you are having issues then ya, disabling the NIC is probably the way to go. Instead, you might wish to look at a different NIC since I would call that a problematic NIC based on my experience. A good one shouldn't cause any issues as it should sit on its own interrupt and modulate its resource usage. Intel is the gold standard and they aren't too expensive.

I had a (Z77) motherboard with both an Intel and Marvell NIC's.  Both worked the same.  The motherboard I'm using now (another Z77) has a Broadcom NIC and it too works the same way.   My backup system is a different brand motherboard (ASUS Z77) and the NIC's in it work the same way.

Interesting. No real idea what the cause could be and without hands on the system there's no way to diagnose it. However if you've found an easy resolution then no reason not to do it :).
 
It has just been my experience that network doesn't interfere with audio these days, but some people still disable it out of habit. However if it clears up a specific problem in your case then no reason not to do it. You are also correct in that if you are trying to clear up an issue, the correct answer is to shut off the hardware, not to disconnect the cable.

By the way, I'm a PC Tech.