Disable WiFi hardware switch on laptop

[Uchiha]

Hi.

I have a pesky little brother who keeps switching off the WiFi switch on my laptop when I leave home without some downloads on. He does so that he can hog up all the bandwidth for himself.

Is there any way I could disable the WiFi switch so that my WiFi stays on at all times? I have a Lenovo Y560.

Thanks.

 

[MilesAhead]

If he can't turn off the WiFi what will stop him from just powering the system down?

There may be a way to catch the key using AutoHotkey. You would have to have a script running that echos the vk key codes as each key is pressed. Once you know the code for the WiFi key you can just intercept it with a one line script.

But he could still just close the program running the script or hold down the power button.

 

[Uchiha]

Be rest assured he can't do anything besides switching off that little switch.

So, what do I do?

 

[MilesAhead]

I haven't been able to find the script I'm looking for. But on Laptop there is a switch so that you have to hold down the FN key to do the special keys like Airplane Mode, volume up/down, brightness etc. and the F1 to F12 keys work without holding FN key down. A toggle.

This article should explain how to toggle the "hotkey mode" for lenovo. On my Toshiba I have a settings program called hardwarekey or something that does the same thing.

If you think maybe he wouldn't catch on to holding the FN key down at the same time as pressing the Airplane Mode key, then it might be the easiest way.

keyboard - Enable F1-F12 keys without Fn on Lenovo Ideapad S400u - Super User

 

[Uchiha]

I'm not quite sure I understand you're asking me to do.
Fn + F5 brings up the wireless device settings which allow me to turn on or turn off the WiFi and Bluetooth. There's nothing else that has anything to do with the WiFi on it.

 

[MilesAhead]

So it is a switch and not a key? This Toshiba is the only Laptop I've ever owned. It has "Airplane Mode" on the F12 key. It sounds like yours may be an actual hardware switch instead of a key.

 

[Uchiha]

Yes. It is an actual hardware switch.

 

[MilesAhead]

Yes. It is an actual hardware switch.

In that case I don't think you could do anything to disable it short of a tech bypassing the switch by taking it out of the circuit. I have no idea what that would cost.

 

[Layback Bear]

Uchiha you don't have a computer switch problem; you have a brother problem.

If you disabled the switch it would not help. Their are many simples thing one can do to stop a computer from using the internet, including just turning the computer off. Your brother is using the internet so he has some knowledge of computing.

Let me guess.
Your brother thinks you are the bandwidth hogger and you think he is the bandwidth hopper.

 

[MilesAhead]

If downloading very large files, perhaps from a server like GigaNews with a binary newsreader, then there may not be much bandwidth left over. Most of those newsreaders have a download speed limiter setting. If limited perhaps your brother will leave it alone.