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enter image description here I am kinda freaked by this new computer that seems to be connected to my imac. It showed up ok I noticed it about 3 days ago. Am I being hacked? When I looked up epson it showed a microprocessing chip that's kinda pricey and only sold in japan I think and that is even weirder. Thank You

Trina Louise Gilmer
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It is an Epson device connected to your WiFi network, most likely a printer. However, it could also be a scanner, projector or even a pair of smart glasses.

If it's only new to your network, it could be that someone has plugged a USB stick (or similar) into a printer etc.

I wouldn't be worried unless you don't actually own an Epson product.

Monomeeth
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  • Looking at Google results for "Epson WF-" which can be seen on the left bar, it's almost certainly a printer. – figgyc Feb 26 '17 at 12:12
  • @figgycity50 Agreed. The only question is whether it's only now appearing because a USB stick is plugged into it, or because it's a new printer (at least in terms of being on the same network). – Monomeeth Feb 26 '17 at 21:48
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This is an Epson printer, copier or multi-functional device. The reason are may not have seen it before is because it isn't discovered automatically in all cases, as well as not always being discoverable like that in the first place.

The device has a memory card reader (often a SD card and CF card reader on the front, sometimes internally), or has the option to have one. In many cases, the software in the printer, copier or whatever device it happens to be has the ability to share the contents of the card, or, to store scans on the card and expose them over the network. Even when you don't explicitly enable or use this type of functionality, the systems in the device to make it work are quite often online anyway.

There is a second device in your sidebar, which is the same printer/copier/MFD but discovered using a different system. The one with the little computer display icon is a 'Bonjour' discovered device, while the one with the blue screen old-style icon is a NetBIOS, Workgroup or SLP discovered device. Bonjour is the 'newer' style and often used in Macs, the other one is older and used with Windows-based computers. Both of the icons point to the same device and most likely have the same features. Sometimes the Windows icon is used for files, card readers and scans, while the other one has no file functions but is used by macOS to automatically discover the printer when you first set it up.

Long story short: no worries, all is well, even if you didn't plug it in, it's okay to have those icons there, and they don't really do anything.

John Keates
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I assume this is happening at your home, according to the website you are visiting :-)

There is some Epson device connected to your network, and apparently made available to everyone on your network. If one of your family bought an Epson device and connected it to the network, that would explain it. Nobody is hacking into your computer. Someone made a device available to you, that is all.

However, if it's not one of your family, then the question is how this device is getting on your network. Your network should be protected by a password, so your neighbours for example shouldn't be able to connect to it. It could be that you are not using a WiFi password, that your neighbours are using your WiFi network possibly without even knowing, and they bought a new device that is now showing up on your network. That is also not hacking; that is having an open network that anyone can access.

PS. "Seiko Epson Corporation, or simply Epson, is a Japanese electronics company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer printers, and information and imaging related equipment. "

gnasher729
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