Is this unknown object in Explorer's network area a security threat?

Seeing other PCs are also related to services so don't mind them at the moment. From one of the wired PCs go into your router's management interface (using Internet Explorer) and set a password (pass-phrase) for the wireless network, also check the SSID of the wireless network. Now, check all the wireless PCs to see if they are indeed connected to that one. Change the ones that are not.

If you change the pass-phrase you may need to forget the wireless connection and re-connect to it. This is normal.

I have changed the wireless passwords and the login password of my R7000.

Wireless broadcast names: 17 characters each
Wireless password: 13 characters
Router login password: 14 characters

I had to re-enter the new wireless keys at the two wireless computers. Is this as good as a reinstall?

All four computers can login and use the internet. I tried speedtest on three of them (#1-3 below) and they are 1/4 the download speed as before changing codes. But that doesn't make sense -- I think Comcast must be slow this evening.

Here are the interactions between the computers within the network:

What is your download speed supposed to be? What does it say in SpeedTest? Restart your modem and router in case. If the problem was with wireless only I would say other connection was better, but there is a wired PC among them.

Changed and re-connected on wireless devices - correct.

Check these services if they are started:
- Computer Browser
- DHCP Client
- DNS Client
- Network Connections
- Network Location Awareness
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
- Server
- TCP/IP Netbios helper
- Workstation
- IPSec

GokAy said:

What is your download speed supposed to be? What does it say in SpeedTest? Restart your modem and router in case. If the problem was with wireless only I would say other connection was better, but there is a wired PC among them.

Changed and re-connected on wireless devices - correct.

Can I assume that by "changed and re-connected" you mean to enter the changed wireless key when I connected the first time after the change in router setup? I did that.

My Comcast cable provider recently upgraded my category of service for 50 to 105 Mbps. I bought the R7000 router to make sure I was taking full advantage of that. I think that last night's slow downloads on all 3 computers that I tested was temporary problem with the cable service.

Today with Speed Test I am getting 118 Mbps on the wired Win 7 -- which exceeds specification.
For the wireless at 2.5 and 5.0 MHz: all targeting the same server.

Ref: wired=118
Wireless Computer 2: 86, 114
Wireless Computer 3: 74, 84

The was an anomaly where with computer 2 I got excessive variability during a series of repeat tests, one after the other, same server, ping=26-28 ms:

33,80,37,80,43 Mbps

I will next check the services on computer #3, as it is consistently not accessible from other computers.

Hmm, you have both bands (2.4 and 5) active same time? They should be 2 different networks (2 SSIDs) as far as I know. Or at least that has been my experience so far.

On PC 3, after checking services, check Advanced Sharing Settings - make sure:
- Network type is Home
- Turn on network discovery
- Turn on file and printer sharing
- Use 128 bit
- Turn on password protected sharing
- Restart PC after the change, later also restart any PC you try to access from (this restarting is to reset any open connections that may interfere)
- If still no go, try disabling any firewall as a test.

GokAy said:

Check these services if they are started:
- Computer Browser
- DHCP Client
- DNS Client
- Network Connections
- Network Location Awareness
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
- Server
- TCP/IP Netbios helper
- Workstation
- IPSec

All of those services are correctly running on the computers #1-3. Computer #4 is Windows 98 and doesn't seem to have services as such.

GokAy said:

Hmm, you have both bands (2.4 and 5) active same time? They should be 2 different networks (2 SSIDs) as far as I know. Or at least that has been my experience so far.

There are two SSID radio signals that broadcast "samplingplans 2x5" and "samplingplans 5x0". I gave them both the same pass-phrase. I can connect the wireless laptops to either SSID signal but only to one at a time.

GokAy said:

On PC 3, after checking services, check Advanced Sharing Settings - make sure:
- Network type is Home
- Turn on network discovery
- Turn on file and printer sharing
- Use 128 bit
- Turn on password protected sharing
- Restart PC after the change, later also restart any PC you try to access from (this restarting is to reset any open connections that may interfere)

I changed password protected sharing to on. The other items were as you listed.
The Network and Sharing Center showed the network as a home network. However, the Advanced sharing Settings [Computer Name] tab [Network ID] was/is set to "This computer is part of a business network; I use it to connect to other computers at work." I tried to change that value to "This is a home computer..." but when I restart the computer it has restored the original setting. The other computers act the same way.

GokAy said:

- If still no go, try disabling any firewall as a test.

It made a difference when I turned off the firewall temporarily. The on/off control of the firewall is located within my Kaspersky Internet Security -- which is installed on computers 1-3. With the firewall off the other computers can see computer 3. So far I can't see how #3 is set up differently from the others. I will continue looking.

If you can see Comp 3 but can't access it from others, and it starts working when you disabled the firewall, then most likely you have not added the network /subnet to trusted list. Work and Home shouldn't matter much, it may disrupt accessibility if it is set as public.

See How to use Firewall in Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 how to set network to Local and Trusted. Change to local first and then trusted if it doesn't work.

Also for W98 machine, read https://social.technet.microsoft.com...s-on-windows-7 - the 2nd post (marked as answer)

Can you then post an updated accessibility table?

GokAy said:

If you can see Comp 3 but can't access it from others, and it starts working when you disabled the firewall, then most likely you have not added the network /subnet to trusted list. Work and Home shouldn't matter much, it may disrupt accessibility if it is set as public.

See How to use Firewall in Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 how to set network to Local and Trusted. Change to local first and then trusted if it doesn't work.

On each of the two wireless computers I changed network type of my two SSID connections (2.5 and 5GHz) from public to local. That did it.

Alright, good news :) So only W98 left? Any stray PCs?