# Free Public WiFi - a virus?



## andi3 (Jul 8, 2009)

For the last couple weeks I have been seeing an *ad-hoc network called "Free Public Wifi"* show up in my list of wireless networks. It doesn't matter where I am, it's always there. In fact, it shows up there *even if I disable my wireless adapter*, so I know it's something coming from my computer. It has the yellow star next to it as if it were a preferred network, but it's not in my list of preferred networks. I removed every network from that preferred networks list except for the few I use regularly, and that didn't do anything to make the Free Public Wifi go away. Do you think this is a virus? I've tried running SpyBot Search and Destroy (that is the anti-virus software that came with my computer) but it didn't find anything. What can I do to remove this from my list of wireless networks? [on Windows XP]


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi and Welcome,
Please try this:

To prevent your device (WinXP) from participating in this issue, perform the following:
Click on the Wireless option in the System Tray and open the Wireless Network Connection window
Click on *Change advanced settings*
Click on the *Wireless Networks tab*
Click *Advanced*
Select the "Access point (infrastructure) networks only" radio button.
Hope this works?

Richard.


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## andi3 (Jul 8, 2009)

Thanks Richard. I tried that, but it doesn't make the Free Public Wifi network disappear; it only blocks me from connecting to it.


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

Sorry about that. This article offers a possible explanation for what's happening:
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/09/free_public_wif.html

Richard


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## andi3 (Jul 8, 2009)

I saw that article and other similar ones when I was trying to research this, but all those articles say to remove Free Public Wifi from your list of preferred networks. Since FPW is not in my list of preferred networks, the articles seem like they're describing a slightly different situation. 
If FPW is somehow cloaking itself to not be visible in my preferred network list, is there some other way that I can remove it?


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