Many HP Printers will broadcast their own Wi-Fi Network, allowing users to connect directly to the printer instead of going through the regular network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). While this adds convenience, IF the printer is also connected to your local network it is not as secure.
If a hacker gained access to the printer through its Wi-Fi network, the hacker can easily get to the rest of your network through the printer’s network connection. We recommend NOT having the printer accessible via Wi-Fi Direct if it is also on your local network (via Ethernet or Wi-Fi).
If you choose to turn off the Direct Wi-Fi network on HP printers, the printer can still be connected to your network via Wi-Fi. For instructions for specific HP printer models, I recommend searching for the phrase "disable Wi-Fi direct for HP printer " for your specific model.
Why would you expose your printer to other network access if you are relying on Wifi Direct. Isn’t that the whole point and also redundant to have all those interfaces active? Disconnect from your local Wifi network and/or unplug the ethernet cable.
@gmolson1 That’s a good point! I have updated the post to account for situations where the printer is NOT on the local Wi-Fi network and is ONLY accessible via Wi-Fi Direct.
The message shown in inSSIDer 5.1.16 has been tweaked to also mention this is only a problem if Wi-Fi Direct is enabled and the printer is connected to the local network.
The only reason i had both on was so we all could print from iPhone’s and iPads. I forget the reason now, but it wouldn’t work through the local wi-fi network.
Hi there, thank you. I don’t even own a printer (as I’m doing my best to minimise my paper usage) yet HP it is showing as part of my network. Thank you for the tip
He’s absolutely right. I was hacked through my printer. I believe that a neighbor who visited me from time to time stole a key, and when I wasn’t home he came inside and changed my printer settings on an Epson to Wifi-Direct, which I’d never used. It was only when I began to see my mouse moving on the screen of my laptop that I knew something was terribly wrong. Through my printer is how he, and who knows who else, got into my network; then my cell phones, my surveillance cameras,… anything attached to the network was hacked. Who knows what information they stole, but it was awful. There was a group of them in my network and I wasn’t knowledgeable about my wifi environment AT ALL. So, take heed. Be careful who you let inside your home. Breaching privacy is an addiction of many people who spend most of their time online.
