Enable and disable Internet connection

For security reasons, I want to turn my Internet connection via my Netgear router on and off, as I like.
In Windows XP it was easy. I could pull out a LAN icon from the Network connection section in the Control Panel to the desktop.
Then all I needed was to click it and choose to disable/enable the Internet connection.
I could also disable it from the tray icon and enable it from the LAN icon.
In Windows 7 I don't find such a possibility. It is in the Internet all the time, or if I disable it, it is complicated to enable it again...
Is there an easy way, not around 7 corners?

Start -> Search -> View Network Connections

Let's go a step further. If you want to create a shortcut to this location on the desktop:

Right-click the desktop
Go to New -> Shortcut
Location of the item: : %windir%\system32\control.exe netconnections
Name for this shortcut: Network Connections
Finish

Windows 7 still contains the network adapter listing and controls under Network Connections. However, an updated networking stack and additional features have been added to the GUI that may make it a bit more difficult to find using the Classic Control Panel. I hope that this helps.

Thanks! That worked!

Nice shortcut Mike, but I was drawn to your comment regarding the classic view.
Have I missed an update or?? Mine is still the same (I think) I use the small icon view by default. - Device manager and there is the adapter. Or: Network and sharing centre - Local area connection.

I am talking about the ability to access it quickly from Networking and Sharing Center and how different it looks from XP.

ok- Understood.

Originally Posted by Mike

Start -> Search -> View Network Connections

Let's go a step further. If you want to create a shortcut to this location on the desktop:

Right-click the desktop
Go to New -> Shortcut
Location of the item: : %windir%\system32\control.exe netconnections
Name for this shortcut: Network Connections
Finish

Windows 7 still contains the network adapter listing and controls under Network Connections. However, an updated networking stack and additional features have been added to the GUI that may make it a bit more difficult to find using the Classic Control Panel. I hope that this helps.

Excellent advice...works perfectly