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Whenever I open my Network folder on Windows 10, I see a device called ZTE_Blade_A475. I don't know what this is. My Windows 10 laptop has two usb ports: One has the mouse, the other has a toshiba USB stick. I can right-click on the device and it has "create shortcut" and "properties". Properties tells me that this device is a ZTE_Blade_A475! Thanks properties! Is there a way to get rid of whatever it is?

frumbert
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    It's a smart phone. Do you have your smart phone connected (USB or Wireless)? – John Dec 18 '19 at 00:33
  • https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/model/e94b3b74 –  Dec 18 '19 at 00:34
  • You should disable Device Sharing and/or network discovery. In any event it's a device connected or was discovered or on your intranet network. – Ramhound Dec 18 '19 at 00:43
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    @Ramhound, No, sadly, Windows' "Network" window will confusingly show WPS-capable devices merely in range of, but which have never been connected to, your WPS-enabled AP, in case you want to initiate WPS to get it on your network. This is at least the third time I've seen this issue come up on SU, but I can't find a good dup at the moment. – Spiff Dec 18 '19 at 00:47
  • @Spiff - Comment was suppose to say "discoverable" but by the time i figured out how to spell it the correct way, which ended up being correct, 5 minutes went by. I always thought turning off network discovery would prevent Windows from looking for other devices, it certainly took a smart switch I had connected to my network, out of the list when I used it. – Ramhound Dec 18 '19 at 00:53
  • I have an iPhone. It's not connected via cable - I don't think I have ever connected it via a cable to this laptop. – frumbert Dec 18 '19 at 05:50

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Windows 10's "Network" window can show devices that are merely in range of your Wi-Fi AP, but not actually connected. The idea is these may be your guests' devices, and the intent is to give you an opportunity to trigger "Windows Connect Now" (WCN), which uses WPS ("Wi-Fi Protected Setup") to help get those devices onto your network.

But yes, it's very confusing.

If you don't want to see unknown devices in the Windows "Network" window, you can either disable WPS on all your Wi-Fi APs (a good security move), or you can disable the "Windows Connect Now Config Registrar" service (WCNCSVC) in Windows.

See also: Windows 10: Phones appearing in Network

Spiff
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  • No wifi on this laptop (its broken). Bluetooth is disabled. I do my networking via ethernet over usb (because no actual port on this laptop) but at the time of writing there was only a mouse and usb stick plugged in - not the network. So where is Windows finding this device? – frumbert Dec 18 '19 at 05:51
  • Hey, I also found up that it shows up when I put the device into "Aeroplane Mode" – frumbert Dec 18 '19 at 06:44
  • @frumbert How you connect to the network is irrelevant for this case. Please read again the bold parts, at least. –  Dec 18 '19 at 07:13
  • @GabrielaGarcia Hmm so if the Wireless acceess point can see a device then it somehow broadcasts all the devices it can see to the network in such a way that Windows can see it in the network connections, even when aeroplane mode is enabled? Wow. Windows is amazing. – frumbert Dec 18 '19 at 07:23
  • Again, how it is connect to the network is irrelevant (and someone with your resumé should know that, it's sort of basic stuff). Windows isn't amazing and there's nothing unusual in this case either. What information it gets from the router should be the same regardless of using wireless or wired). –  Dec 18 '19 at 17:16