How do I activate Internet on a timer?

Here's my situation.

I have some networked computers in a Lab. They run 24/7 so I would like to install Folding@Home on them, but I don't want them to have internet access during the day. They are used from 8 in the morning till midnight. After that, no one is one them, so they can have internet access from midnight till 8 in the morning.

I figure, if I install Folding@Home on them, it can fold all day and it will have an eight hour windows every day to transmit completed units and get new ones.

How can I possibly set this up? I have a few junk computers that I can install remotely that can act as internet gateways, but how do I get it to switch on only during certain hours.

Any ideas???

How much data is actually transmitted when you submit/get a work unit? I don't think it is enough to disrupt someone using a PC in a lab. Is it currently disrupting the people using the lab computers?

BL

No, I just don't want them to have internet access. With internet access, comes downloads, and spyware, and Yahoo Messenger, and MSN Messenger, and viruses, etc, etc, etc.

It makes my job much more difficult, maintaining those computers. The only thing they are supposed to be used for is word processing.

You could change the permissions on the iexplore executable so that nobody but you could run it. Then, you are only succeptable to FTP via command prompt.

BL

These are Windows 98 machines. Too many loopholes, I'm afraid.

A lot of firewalls allow you to set specific times at which connections are permitted. Set up one of the "junk" computers as an internet gateway, install a firewall, and configure the firewall to only allow network connections between midnight and 8 AM. Alternatively, you could run WinGate -- as I recall, it also allows you to limit when connections are allowed.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try wingate in a couple days when I get a chance.