How to Connect to the Internet Using Windows Scheduler

Most of the people use Microsoft Windows XP as the operating system. This Operating System has been a Grand Success for Microsoft and is the major Operating System used till date. Many of the features provided by Windows XP support both Command Line and the Graphical User Interface (GUI). User can use those features from the command line interface or by using their mouse on the GUI. But this is a time tested fact that most users prefer GUI in comparison to the Command Line Interface.

Microsoft have also provided an extremely useful tool for automation of regular tasks without user interaction known as the Task Scheduler but unfortunately few people actually know the power of this wonderful weapon. In general terms, Task Scheduler is used for scheduling specific tasks at specific intervals for a specific number of times. Microsoft by default uses this tool to remind the users to update their system. Many Anti-Virus Software use this tool to schedule a Virus Scan at specific intervals of time without the user's intervention.

Now this tool is more of a Command Line Interface type than it is GUI. If you use it to perform tasks that require specific parameters to be passed while executing a task then you have to pass in the style of Command Line Interface. Same is the case of the ADSL Internet connection that we use to connect to Internet from a shortcut on desktop or from the Network Connections Menu. Mostly, Internet Service Providers allow a few hours of "free usage" to their customers every day. So people either turn their ADSL ON at that time or use software to turn that feature of Connecting to Internet at a specific time.

But there is no requirement of paying for such software. You can easily configure the Internet Connection using your Task Scheduler. Here's how. Open Task Scheduler and add a scheduled task. Click next and in the selection click on Browse. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32. Now select "Rasdial.exe" from the list. Then press next and enter the schedules and in the last screen click on the Open Advanced Properties Dialog and click finish.

In the Advanced Properties, you will see the location of Rasdial.exe. Now press Space and type the Name of the Connection (Usually Broadband Connection). If the name of the connection of 2 or more words, then type them in inverted commas. Now press space and type your username, again press space and type your password. That is all you require.

rasdial "Broadband Connection" username password

That is all. To disconnect the Internet just copy and paste this schedule and in the place of this username and password just type this: /disconnect. And set the appropriate Schedule.

rasdial /disconnect

This will disconnect Internet and just congratulate yourself for correctly setting up the schedule for Connecting and Disconnecting Internet.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308569