spooler subsystem app trying to access the internet

[rande]

Anyone know why spooler subsystem app would want to access the internet? Zonealarm keeps catching it trying to do so.

Does it need to do this to print things from the web?

[Harold7]

No reason I can think of for your printer to have any need to access the internet... what you're seeing is the standard printer installation trying to access a network connection... HP printers are really good for trying this.

Apparently most Windows printers are configured by default to look for a network connection, so unless you have networked computers that need to use this printer, just block the print spooler from internet (network) access and you should be OK.

[rande]

Thanks for your reply. I've had others' ask me this and I couldn't think of what to tell them, but this makes sense. Win2k is so net-aware I suppose I should be expecting the tentacles to be reaching out for stuff like this.

[Harold7]

Glad I could help... the reason this happens I believe is that the large companies that make printers (HP, Canon, Lexmark etc.) make most of their sales in bulk sales to business or government and most will be networked and shared, so it makes sense that the installation software woulld be configured to look for a network connection by default.

Stand-alone PC users just have to understand that are really dealing with commercial software for their printers... maunufacturers aren't going to create special software just for home users.