remove/disable network

ok so i bought a crossover cable and connected my 2 pc's. worked a charm. This was only to screw about with and when i finished with it i tried to turn off the network connection. I wasnt sure how so i did numerous things.

one of these things i will probably regret. Under the via rhine 2 fast ethernet adapter properties, i unchecked the share files and printer, and still not satisfied, i uninstalled it. Whoops. I should have probably just left it unchecked.

So, i have 3 questions.

1 - How do i turn off the network connection? So other pcs over the network cant even see the computer. Apart from unplugging the cable. This is for security as i know nearly nothing about networks and dont trust myself

2 - Can i get the share files and printers item back? if so, how?

3 - If i wanted to completely remove the network, how do i do this?

Thanks for help :D

I would just unplug the cable from one machine - boom you're done.

Anytime you want to transfer files - plug it back in - boom you're done.

yes but i have heard that that beast called the internet is a security hole if you have file sharing enabled. Considering i use the same port for networking my computers as i do for connecting to the internet surely this is still leaving me open, but to the world instead?

What hardware do you use to connect to the Internet? If you have a router for your high speed connection, it should be using NAT (Network Address Translation) which should provide considerable protection from internat hackers. You could also use a software firewall as well.