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General discussion

Printer connecting to the internet

Aug 28, 2009 6:43AM PDT

I purchased a cheap printer Lexmark X2650 and found that the manufacturers software connects to the internet every time that I print.
They instructed me to download the minimal software on their download page, but I had already done that and it is not a minimal install.
I wanted to use this on my business computer, which is always disconnected from the internet for security, but obviously the printer is useless for that task.

Is this corporate required spyware the future? More important, I have to buy another printer. Are there other brands that I need to steer clear of for similar issues? I don't want to have a stack of useless printers in my garage and no where on the box did is say "Internet Connection Required".

Discussion is locked

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Re: printerdriver connecting to internet
Aug 28, 2009 6:52AM PDT

If there's no option to turn it this "feature" off in the driver, better return it.

I don't think it's spyware, by the way, sending a copy of what you print to Lexmark, the CIA or the mafia. Probably it's just trying to see if there are updated drivers available.

Things to try if you want to keep it:
- Activate a firewall and tell it to refuse connection to this program. My Zonealarm, for example, would pop-up and ask me and I could say no, never. It's quite imaginable that it just continues with printing if it can't connect.
- Let it connect once to see if it's happy with that. It doesn't make much sense to do it with every printjob after that.
- Find out the URL it wants to connect to and add that to your hosts file to redirect it. That's another way of refusing the connection.

This is new to me. And I hope - like you - it doesn't spread to other printers.

Kees

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Simple to solve.
Aug 28, 2009 6:58AM PDT

We solved that by installing a firewall.

If that is not acceptable then return the product as defective. Don't give them ANY long reasons or the ones you gave here. Just keep it simple. "This printer does not work for me."
Bob