What causes the wireless card to activate?

[Barb Bowman]

Try WPA. WEP is just not safe -

Well, I tried to set the authentication to "Shared" on both affected
computers. Both lost their connection immediately and it took me an
hour to get everything working again.

--

Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/

 

[DGD]

Try WPA. WEP is just not safe -

Converted to WPA, but can't get it to work on one of the affected
computers. The other computer, however, demonstrates the same
traits. Constant wireless communication with the wireless printer.


Doug

 

[DGD]

Converted to WPA, but can't get it to work on one of the affected
computers. The other computer, however, demonstrates the same
traits. Constant wireless communication with the wireless printer.

Doug

All computers and printer are now working with WPA. No difference in
what is happening with the printer's transmissions.

Doug

 

[Barb Bowman]

if you completely uninstall any HP software on the PC and disable
any HP services, do you still see this traffic?

All computers and printer are now working with WPA. No difference in
what is happening with the printer's transmissions.

--

Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/

 

[DGD]

if you completely uninstall any HP software on the PC and disable
any HP services, do you still see this traffic?

I have only disabled all HP software on one of the affected computers
and still saw the same traffic. I have another computer on this
network that I have not installed the HP printer sw on and it does not
see or react to any of the HP printer traffic. I assume if I
uninstalled the sw on one of the affected computers, I would get the
same result.

Thanks

Doug

 

[Barb Bowman]

some of the HP software installs as a service, did you disable the
services?

is there a way to install the printer driver only?

I have only disabled all HP software on one of the affected computers
and still saw the same traffic. I have another computer on this
network that I have not installed the HP printer sw on and it does not
see or react to any of the HP printer traffic. I assume if I
uninstalled the sw on one of the affected computers, I would get the
same result.

--

Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/

 

[DGD]

some of the HP software installs as a service, did you disable the
services?

is there a way to install the printer driver only?

I traced the problem to the HP Digital Monitor Software that loads
upon start up and is present in the system tray. When this program is
stopped, the communication issue disappears on the computer on which
the HP monitor SW is installed. The printer works fine wirelessly,
but with the Digital Monitor stopped, the HP solution center does not
function. This is another piece of sw that relies upon the HP Digital
Monitor SW to communicate with the printer. Scanning, copying, and
faxing can no longer be done through the HP Solution center with the
HP Digital Monitor SW disabled. Once disabled, I cannot find a place
to re-start it again, without rebooting the computer. Although I had
orginally thought the printer was initiating the communication with
the computer, it is, in fact, the other way around. It is the HP
Digital Monitor SW that is constantly initiating communication with
the printer, and the printer is simply responding to queries. Why it
does this with no requests for any kind of printer services I do not
know. The HP Digital Monitor SW also seems to reek havoc with my
wireless network and communicating on the internet. I am constantly
disconnected for no reason and it took me over an hour to establish a
link between this computer and the wireless network. The WPA
encryption is also playing into this somehow, but I don't know why.
Anyway, I think I understand what the problem is with the printer and
software. I am very disappointed in HP's sw. This HP Digital Monitor
SW appears to be a very poorly put together piece of sw that one has
to disable to get some basic functionality. Shame on HP for such a
shoddy product.

Doug

 

[Barb Bowman]

well, at least you know what the cause of the issue is. does HP have
any user forums where you could start a thread on this?

Anyway, I think I understand what the problem is with the printer and
software. I am very disappointed in HP's sw. This HP Digital Monitor
SW appears to be a very poorly put together piece of sw that one has
to disable to get some basic functionality. Shame on HP for such a
shoddy product.

--

Barb Bowman
MS-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/

 

[DGD]

well, at least you know what the cause of the issue is. does HP have
any user forums where you could start a thread on this?

There are some forums on their web site, however, I posted there as
well to track this issue down. I received no replies to any of my
queries. I have stopped the Digital Imaging Monitor SW from loading
up on start-up and have created a shortcut to the program on the
desktop. When I need to use the HP Solutions SW, I can start the
Digital Imaging Monitor SW through the shortcut. Once running though,
it is a difficult thing to stop. Merely existing the program doesn't
do the trick. Killing all HP-related processes also doesn't do the
trick. Once that HP Digital Imaging Monitor SW is initialized at any
time (at start-up or when required), the end result is constant
transmission between the computer and printer. Killing processes
through the Task Manager doesn't stop this transmission. There is
something else affected. Anyway I have a work-around that is better
than what I had before. At least it is not doing it all the time.


Doug

 

[smlunatick]

The lease time is usually two weeks, but I will check later. The
traffic I am concerned about is coming from the printer and is
independent of any "management console" software installed on the PC.
I disabled all HP software on the laptop and this had no affect on the
amount of transmissions being received on the laptop. These
transmissions only stopped when the printer's radio was turned off.
I don't see the relationship between an auto or static IP address and
the amount of time the printer is communicating with computers. Why
would making the printer's address "static" make any difference to why
it constantly transmitting?

Doug

Using a static IP address for the printer will remove the DHCP service
"activity" over the network for the printer. With DHCP "clients,"
they request an IP address over the network when the lease time-out
has expired. For servers and printer, these are units that you must
always find across your network and with their DHCP "clients," these
may obtain a different IP address at every lease renewal. I have
encountered times where these never got a valid IP address so they
were not shown across the network.

 

[DGD]

Using a static IP address for the printer will remove the DHCP service
"activity" over the network for the printer.  With DHCP "clients,"
they request an IP address over the network when the lease time-out
has expired.  For servers and printer, these are units that you must
always find across your network and with their DHCP "clients," these
may obtain a different IP address at every lease renewal.  I have
encountered times where these never got a valid IP address so they
were not shown across the network.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My IP address lease extends for two weeks, so the amount of activity
DHCP is adding to the network is neglible. This problem has only
started with the installation of the wireless printer and it only
affects those Windows computers that have the HP wireless printer
drivers and associated Solutions SW installed. It is also installed
on a Mac, but there is no way to see if it is doing the same thing.