Is there a way to manually control an ethernet connection??
 

The os is PCLinuxOS 2014 and the ethernet automatically connects at boot. Is there some place or configuration to set it up manually?? Thanks!!

There are the ifup and ifdown commands for starting and stopping a connection. Most distros that use sysvinit have those scripts. The ifconfig and ip programs can be used beforehand to assign an address and a route to an interface. But why would you want to do that when it's so much more convenient to have it start automatically?

It is nice that the ethernet starts automatically but I need a way to disconnect it besides just pulling the plug out of the back of my computer! As a computer illiterate I need some help with this please!

What is the output of:

Remove your IP address if needed. Just need to see the name of your active interface.

It should bring it down, replace down with up to bring it up.

There is also:

Thanks everyone!! As usual I had to re-install my os and then " configure the ethernet in the control panel" before starting the firewall! Thanks Again!!