TR8620 phones home????

Mowerman90

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I have a new TR8620 printer that wants to "phone home" providing new drivers and usage statistics along with trying to sell subscriptions to ink by recording usage. How can I prevent the printer from phoning home to report these things? Many years ago I had another program (which name escapes me) that I modified the "hosts file" in W10 to prevent it from phoning home . Can anyone
tell me how to prevent my TR8620 from phoning home?

PS it is connected to my computer via a USB cable
 

wdt

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Err, if it is connected by usb, how can it possibly "phone home" unless you do something?
 

PeterBJ

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It orders the computer to do the call.

An example: With newer Canon printers you can access Canon Creative Park Premium for download of a lot of print projects, but only if the printer has only OEM cartridges installed. Before allowing access to the site Canon checks the status of the printer, which must be connected via USB.
 
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wdt

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>Canon checks the status of the printer, which must be connected via USB.
And, i assume, turned on. Windows registry surely doesn't have a field for cartridge?
Again, are you saying that the printer driver has permissions to access network??
 

stratman

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are you saying that the printer driver has permissions to access network??
Yes, either when you agreed to install the software - see EULA? - or answering yes during the installation to a question(s) that provide the printer access to a port for outgoing and incoming internet data.

Even if careful to answer no to anything potentially allowing internet access during the printer/driver installation, you still may have phoning home.

I'm pretty sure I did not allow my Canon Maxify printer access to the internet but I have been getting a message on the printer's LCD screen that there is updated firmware available. I ignore it the instructions for updating. As far as I can tell, there have been no ill effects.

If you know the address that the printer uses to phone home then you may be able to block it in your HOSTS file and/or firewall.

At this moment I do not know the address(es) in order to block them and am not concerned as Canon has not surreptitiously updated the firmware.
 

PeterBJ

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As explained by stratman you instal not only a driver when installing the printer from the driver CD, The CD contains a software suite and one or more of the programs can phone home.. The Creative Park Premium website cannot be accessed by a browser, only from the program "My Image Garden" When you want to access the premium content a pop up window tells you that OEM cartridges must be installed in the printer and the printer must be scanned. To get access to the content you have to click OK, so in this case you give Canon the permission to scan your printer.

If you join the Ink subscription program you accept that usage data is sent to Canon..

During a standard install from the driver CD you might also be asked to participate in a survey by allowing the printer to send usage data.

I admit that the EULA is boring and maybe difficult reading, but being impatient and just clicking "yes - yes - OK - accept- install" or similar might not be a good idea.
 
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The Hat

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I admit that the EULA is boring and maybe difficult reading, but being impatient and just clicking "yes - yes - OK - accept- install" or similar might not be a good idea.
One other thing that has not been said or noticed:- You cannot properly in stall any new Canon printer without first having internet access, regardless whether or not you have all the relevant drivers on a CD, the printer simply won’t work !
 

stratman

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You cannot properly in stall any new Canon printer without first having internet access, regardless whether or not you have all the relevant drivers on a CD, the printer simply won’t work !
I did not know this.

I listened to a talk by a medical informatics person today about how social media is already being used by certain medical systems and groups to forecast where certain medical needs may be needed. This is used to note areas where there may be high risk for transmissible diseases like HIV and STD's or dangerous drug use, for instance. If people are talking about it on their social media then there may be a coming flurry of newly contracted diseases. The idea is if a bunch of people are talking about a new drug on the streets or doing searches for information on drugs, sex and diseases then there may be a window of opportunity to introduce more protection measures to the public and prevent disease, illness and deaths.

It is slick and scary at the same time. Government may not be watching at the moment but you can bet it will try to - for our own "good". I don't think it too far a stretch that insurance companies and/or governments would love to know all your spending habits in order to assess your risk of disease or harmful behaviors. Then they can charge you more when they see ice cream on your grocery bill habitually.

:eek:
 

wdt

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My oh my,, I didn't click any EULA, I don't/won't use windows, things like this are why
 
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