[DelilahC]

Hello, I was wondering if somebody would be kind enough to clear something up for me concerning my neighbour's printer turning up in my network devices list.

 

The other day I connected via WIFI as usual, but noticed a printer showing up in the same section as my laptop/my other devices. I don't own a printer so it's definitely not one of my devices.

 

I logged on to my router and checked the attached devices; the printer didn't show. I have a list of allowed MAC addresses set up already and the MAC address of the printer didn't match any on the list. When I looked at the printer properties there was no IP address, and as far as I can tell, this means it wasn't actually on my network? I have WPS switched off as well.

 

I changed the router and WIFI password (to something I don't think is easily cracked) and the printer was still there in the list afterwards. I think there's another way that Windows can connect to devices (something called Windows Connect Now?) but I can't find any settings related to it to switch it off.

 

This happened a couple of days ago and the printer hasn't appeared since. There was an option to configure the printer which asked for a code; perhaps my neighbour has finished setting up the printer to their own network so it's not showing up in my list anymore? Has this ever happened to anyone else? I've googled this but can't find an answer that makes sense to me (I'm not very knowledgeable about networks) so maybe someone could explain how this happened? I'm using Windows 7.

 

Thanks very much in advance

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Best Answer

Three possibilities that I can think of.

 

Network Discovery (may also use NETBIOS for all I know so you may want to try turning NETBIOS off first)

WPS

NETBIOS  (This is an obsolete protocol which Windows should have dumped years ago.  I remove it from all of my PCs routinely)

 

For Network Discovery:  Start, Control Panel (View Large Icons), Network & Sharing Center, Change Advanced Sharing settings, Check Turn Off Network Discovery

For WPS: Logon to your router and see if you can turn off WPS.

For NETBIOS:  Turn it off completely.

 

Start, Control Panel,(View Large Icons), Network & Sharing Center, Under the section that starts with View Your Active Networks look for Connections:
You should see Wireless Network Connection.  Click on that and a new window will open.  Click on Properties (not on Wireless Properties).  Click on
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).  Now click on Properties then on Advanced.  Click on the WINS tab.  Uncheck: Enable LMHOSTS lookup.  
Check: Disable NETBIOS over TCP.

OK

Close control panel.

Might as well be thorough and turn off the drivers too.

Start, in the search box type:  regedit.exe  hit Enter
Yes
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\NetBIOS

Click on NetBIOS. Look in the right pane for Start.

Double click on Start and change it to 4 OK.

Repeat for  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\NetBT.

Reboot.

[RKinner]

Best Answer

Three possibilities that I can think of.

 

Network Discovery (may also use NETBIOS for all I know so you may want to try turning NETBIOS off first)

WPS

NETBIOS  (This is an obsolete protocol which Windows should have dumped years ago.  I remove it from all of my PCs routinely)

 

For Network Discovery:  Start, Control Panel (View Large Icons), Network & Sharing Center, Change Advanced Sharing settings, Check Turn Off Network Discovery

For WPS: Logon to your router and see if you can turn off WPS.

For NETBIOS:  Turn it off completely.

 

Start, Control Panel,(View Large Icons), Network & Sharing Center, Under the section that starts with View Your Active Networks look for Connections:
You should see Wireless Network Connection.  Click on that and a new window will open.  Click on Properties (not on Wireless Properties).  Click on
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).  Now click on Properties then on Advanced.  Click on the WINS tab.  Uncheck: Enable LMHOSTS lookup.  
Check: Disable NETBIOS over TCP.

OK

Close control panel.

Might as well be thorough and turn off the drivers too.

Start, in the search box type:  regedit.exe  hit Enter
Yes
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\NetBIOS

Click on NetBIOS. Look in the right pane for Start.

Double click on Start and change it to 4 OK.

Repeat for  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\NetBT.

Reboot.

[DelilahC]

Thanks for your advice; I already had WPS switched off on the router but I turned off network discovery and disabled NETBIOS.

 

Does NETBIOS mean that others had access to my PC without being on the network? I'm not really sure how that works. The printer still hasn't reappeared, which is good. I found an explanation about WIFI direct on the Epson website which says that a printer can use that to connect to other computers without needing a router. I'm guessing it was set up like this initially, then either just hasn't been used since or has now been connected to my neighbour's router so it isn't acting as an access point itself anymore (learning a lot about wireless printers thanks to all this    )

[RKinner]

Regular NETBIOS doesn't travel past your local network.  NETBIOS over TCP/IP can but has to follow the regular rules.  Unlikely that anyone could use it to get on your PC but who knows.

 

I think I forgot to tell you to turn off the NETBIOS over TCP/IP service.  Search for:

 

services.msc

 

hit Enter

 

Find

 

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper

 

right click and select Proeprties then change the Startup Type:

to Disabled.

 

OK

[DelilahC]

I've now disabled the service as well. Is that all I need to do? Thanks very much for your help, I really appreciate it  

[RKinner]

Should be enough. 

[DelilahC]

Thanks again