XPS printer connected to internet

[daisya]

Hi can someone help a non techy computer person (me) please?

I have a secure wifi connection to my HP laptop. Today on the list of network connections I noticed one there that I've not seen before. It is under the wireless network connection list though not near my connection on the list and the name is hpsetup - it is unsecured - excellent strength - Type 802.11b (mine's 802.11g) and its SSID is hpsetup. The icon under the wireless connection is not like any other connection showing, it's a little picture type thingy (technical info there ahem) whereas all the other ones are like radio waves.

I have been into "devices and printers" and see there's an XPS printer thing there set as default which I've not done or even knew about. I couldn't un-default it but I went and disabled it in the "uninstall or change a program" window and it's taken it out of my devices and printers (haven't got a printer installed on lappy anyway). However I see the icon in the network connections is still there. Now I'm wondering if it's anything to do with my laptop or not....as I say I've never seen it before so just assumed because mine is an HP laptop it would come from this.

Has anyone any ideas on the matter please and if it IS from my machine and being unsecured what can I do about it and is my laptop at risk <scream>?

Will be so grateful for any advice please - I don't need the stress at the moment...

Thank you.

[Gizmonster]

First things first - your "secure" wi-fi connection is not on your laptop - it's on your wireless router. The router would have been set up to be secure, either by yourself or whoever set up the router for you. Anyone wanting to access the internet via your wireless router, will need to know the "key" (password). This has already been set up on your laptop, hence you don't need to keep inputting the key.
Your laptop scans for other wireless routers and it seems like it has found another router, located nearby and this is not secure, i.e. anyone can use it, as there is no need to input a key.
No need for alarm in my opinion, unless I'm misinterpretting what you're saying ............

[daisya]

Hi GM thanks for your reply. Yes of course you're right, the secure connection is on the router which I set up and secured - just got my terminology wrong there so thanks for putting it straight.

Since putting my question, I closed the window for the devices after I checked that the XPS had been shut down and have re-booted the laptop again and (touch wood - that's my head btw..), the unsecured hpsetup icon has disappeared from my network connection box. Quietly holding my breath that that's the last I will see of that and in doing the disabling method...it won't have messed up anything else. Phew..everything crossed.

[ChuckFickens]

Presumably you are using windows XP?

If so don't worry about the HPsetup network, it's a slight glitch in XP causing it, nothing to worry about.

The XPS printer is a virtual printer installed by Microsoft office, it's also noting to worry about, but change your default printer to the your proper printer.

[rojash]

The XPS Printer is a virtual printer that allows you to "print" without an actual printer. Put simply, it looks like a printer to an application, so that you can use it from any app, but it actually creates a file (.xps) that you can then send to other people, or print from another machine. It works in much the same way as a PDF printer - a means of producing PDF files from any application.

It has absolutely nothing to do with your network, and it's perfectly safe.

[ChuckFickens]

if you want to make sure the hpsetup doesn't pop up again follow the below.

http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_ran/WG2_RL2/Org/Turning_off_WLAN_Ad-Hoc_mode_l.pdf

But it's really not anything to worry about.

[rojash]

Damn fickens and his fast typing :-)

[ChuckFickens]

your answer was more verbose than mine though :)

[daisya]

Thanks for the explanations everyone, very much appreciated, I didn't even know what it was as not encountered before. I forgot to say OS is Windows 7. I don't have a printer installed for the laptop so at the moment won't need to make one a default. I guess the hpsetup thingy scared me a bit because it was on the connection list and I'd never seen it before. I will forget about it now from what's been said and hope it doesn't happen again, just wondering why it did this time when I've had the lappy a couple of years.

[daisya]

Hi again,

As you know from above, I managed to turn off the XPS printer connecting to the network connection but tonight I notice that the FAX in control panel - devices and printers is now ticked and set as default printer!! It's in the network connection box with the same little icon thingy showing but it goes on and off from the connection as though it's switching on and off to connect (searching?).

I am presuming it's from my connection and no one else in the vicinity because of the icon thing in the connection box being the same as the one for the printer last time. I didn't tick the Fax as default printer, I never use it so why is that switched on now and how can I untick it or switch it off do you know please? I have Win 7 on my laptop.

Thanks again for any help you may be able to give me.