There a number of connect controls in BOINC that do different things:

1. The one given by retsof: The Activity menu, network section control the general, Always, Activity Based Preferences (from what's set in the profile) and Suspended.
The controls on the website Device Profile relating to networking:
2. The Connect to the Internet only between: 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm e.g. This would be used if you had taken the 'Activity Based Preferences' in the BOINC agent.
3. Confirm before connecting to Internet? No (More important if on dial-up)
4. Disconnect when done? Yes (Only important when on dial-up)
5. Connect to network about every 2.5 days. (Determined the size of buffered work you get).

There's an additional feature coming in version 5.10 which effectively splits the Buffer size and the scheduling. In effect you could say to buffer e.g. 5 days work and connect every 1 day. In the example that would be between 6 and 7 PM and cause you to get a daily refill to get back to 5 days buffer (same time reporting the completed results).

cheers

I had problems when setting up specific connect/execution times in the UD version. That means that would ONLY send in a workunit at those times, even though I might have wanted to do it at some other time. I also had to connect at those times to change anything. BOINC looks like it is working on something more versatile.

It is a lot easier to leave it set to 24 hours. Disconnect it yourself or turn off the computer yourself.

I don't connect all the time either, as I might want to use this dial-up telephone for real telephone calls sometime.