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What would be the best way to effectively isolate a computer from the internet so that especially the operating system cannot access the net, while still allowing the user to browse the web using some browser such as Firefox?
There's a couple different use scenarios that come to mind. First is that I have some oldish computer hardware that have limited amounts of memory and processing power and run more or less antique operating systems such as Windows 98, 2000 or XP and enabling any kind of virus protection on these machines, if even possible, would eat more memory than is available. So I'd need a safe networking environment for these. These machines still need to share some data occasionally with the outside world and I use memory sticks to copy files to/from the machine, but that's quite cumbersome and exceedingly difficult with Win98.
The second use scenario doesn't involve old operating systems but new ones. I have a nagging feeling, that the new operating systems seem to do all kinds of stuff behind the user's back, harvest usage data for advertisers and generally adopt the position that they can do whatever they like with the computer, install new programs and drivers and whatnot. And malicious programs also worry me; I certainly wouldn't want my computer to start sending spam or phishing. It seems to me that if I can cut the OS from the internet, then I can cut these malicious programs' access too.
Hmm, I'm thinking that perhaps could run Firefox on another machine on the local network using X11 and just use the local machine as a screen. What would be the drawbacks in that solution? Certainly I couldn't save any files to the local machine. Are there any other possibilities? Could the net access part of Firefox be rewritten to use a proprietary protocol or hardware, which the OS knows nothing about? Any other ideas?
[Edit] Just curious: why the downvotes? Do you really think it's a bad question? Why would you think so?
coward88
Posted 2015-11-22T15:56:53.063
Reputation: 7
No. You cannot browse the web without an internet connection. – DavidPostill – 2015-11-22T15:59:12.110
Obviously I need some kind of connection somewhere, the trick is to make it such that the OS doesn't know about it or cannot use it. – coward88 – 2015-11-22T16:04:56.847
It is the OS that provides the internet connection. – DavidPostill – 2015-11-22T16:05:59.810
Rather than taking this approach, you should learn about and fully understand the operating system(s) you are running, so that you can control them. You can disable tracking/telemetry services if you know what they are and how to get rid of them. The only reliable way to prevent these systems from tracking you is to either not get on the Internet at all (including your web browser), or to actually understand the software you're running - fully - so you can identify and then counter any tracking software. – allquixotic – 2015-11-22T16:06:39.377
@DavidPostill, Not necessarily. In Windows 3 you needed to install third party software for it. And how about my X11 way to do it? That already works but is cumbersome. – coward88 – 2015-11-22T16:08:26.783
3Most people don't understand that it is literally impossible for an operating system, or any piece of software, to sneak a packet by a downstream router. Just install a secure, packet capturing and filtering router downstream of your computer, and then you just have to build a collection of firewall blocking rules that prevent the tracking you don't want. There is literally no way for the OS writers to bypass this if your rules are good enough. That, and you can prevent many of those trackers from running in the first place by modifying registry settings. – allquixotic – 2015-11-22T16:09:39.897
Check out this program, for example. And if you don't trust it, audit the source code. If you don't know Python, then learn Python. Then you'll be able to learn from his source code how he disabled all of Windows 10's tracking systems.
– allquixotic – 2015-11-22T16:11:46.543In newer operating systems (Vista and above) this is very easy. In older ones you need a standalone customizeable firewall. – qasdfdsaq – 2015-11-22T19:56:54.550