How to Disable Internet Without Disabling LAN in Windows 10

To disable the internet without disabling your LAN in Windows 10, remove the default gateway from your network adapter. Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings, right-click your adapter, choose Properties, open Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and set a static IP address and subnet mask with the Default gateway left blank. Your PC can still reach printers, NAS drives, and other computers on the local network, but it has no route to the internet. A Windows Firewall rule that blocks non-local addresses is another option.

This guide covers three methods in detail, from simplest to most flexible, plus router-based options, how to test the result, and how to undo each change. The steps also work in Windows 11.

How this works

Your PC sends traffic for local addresses (like 192.168.1.x) directly on the LAN. Everything else goes to the default gateway, usually your router, which forwards it to the internet. Remove the gateway, or block non-local traffic, and local devices keep working while the internet stops.

Before you start

• Note your current settings: open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /all. Write down your IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers.
• Pick a static IP address that won’t conflict with other devices, ideally outside your router’s DHCP range or reserved in the router.
• You need administrator rights.

Method 1: Remove the default gateway

1. Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter to open Network Connections.
2. Right-click your Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties.
3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
4. Choose Use the following IP address and enter your IP address (for example, 192.168.1.50) and subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0).
5. Leave Default gateway empty.
6. Leave the DNS server fields empty, or enter a local DNS server if you have one.
7. Click OK, then Close.

Also block IPv6. If your network provides IPv6, the PC may still reach the internet over it. In the adapter’s Properties, uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), or use Method 2.

Without DNS, you’ll need to reach local devices by IP address (for example, \\192.168.1.20), though Windows can often still find local computers by name through local name resolution.

Method 2: Block internet traffic with Windows Firewall

This keeps your normal automatic (DHCP) settings and blocks every address that isn’t on a private network.

1. Press Windows + R, type wf.msc, and press Enter.
2. Click Outbound Rules > New Rule > Custom > Next.
3. Leave All programs and protocol Any, and click Next.
4. On Scope, under remote IP addresses, choose These IP addresses and add these ranges, which cover everything except common private network ranges:
   • 0.0.0.0-9.255.255.255
   • 11.0.0.0-172.15.255.255
   • 172.32.0.0-192.167.255.255
   • 192.169.0.0-223.255.255.255
5. Choose Block the connection, apply to all profiles, name it Block Internet, and click Finish.

With this rule, the PC can still talk to 10.x.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x, and 192.168.x.x addresses, including your router for local DNS. Multicast and broadcast discovery on the LAN keep working because those ranges aren’t blocked. To go back online, right-click the rule and choose Disable Rule.

Method 3: Delete the default route with Command Prompt

For a quick, temporary cut, open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

route delete 0.0.0.0

This removes the default route until you restart, reconnect, or renew your IP address (ipconfig /renew), which brings the internet back. It’s useful for quick tests but won’t last.

Router-based options

• Parental controls or access control – many routers can block internet access for a specific device while leaving it on the LAN.
• Guest or isolated networks – these do the opposite (internet without LAN), so they’re not a fit here.
• DHCP reservation without gateway – advanced routers can hand out settings with no gateway to one device.

Test the result

1. Ping a local device: ping 192.168.1.1 (your router) or another PC. It should reply.
2. Ping an internet address: ping 8.8.8.8. It should fail.
3. Open a website in a browser. It shouldn’t load.
4. Open a shared folder or print a test page to confirm LAN access.

Undo the changes

• Method 1 – in IPv4 Properties, choose Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically, and recheck IPv6.
• Method 2 – disable or delete the Block Internet firewall rule.
• Method 3 – restart the PC or run ipconfig /renew.

Frequently asked questions

Will Windows show “No internet”?

Yes. The network icon may show a globe or “No internet,” and some apps may complain, but local file sharing and printing still work.

Does this stop Windows Update?

Yes, Windows Update can’t download anything without internet access. Remember to reconnect periodically for security updates.

Can I allow internet for just one app?

With Method 2, add a separate outbound allow rule for that app. Note that in Windows Firewall, block rules win over allow rules, so you’d need to restructure the rules with Windows Firewall’s default outbound action set to block. This is advanced and easy to get wrong.