Why wmp.exe accessing 208.111.168.6:80, Limelight Networks Inc, and others?

Viruses and worms
1

I have recently installed COMONDO firewall. And with it, I have discovered the tcp outs, still learning and lessening my paranoia with research. But my new discovery is that when I sometimes access Windows Media Player 11, that it accesses ip addresses, either when I start wmp.exe or play a mp3. I am familiar with Microsoft and my Comcast ip addresses, but I sometimes find 96.17.194.151, 208.111.168.6, 208.111.168.6:80, 85.92.200.253, 208.111.168.0, 200.41.8.158, 68.87.77.13, along with others. The number of the ip address varies and so does their addresses. I have recently done virus scans and find no evidence of infections. But why is wmp.exe accessing addresses for Limelight Networks Inc, or Akami Technologies, or even London. I don’t understand it all. Any REASONS or THEORIES would be great cure for my computer illiterate paranoia.

2

To clarify, wmp.exe only accesses ip addresses when I personally start the program.

3

A second question: Is there a way or is there anyone who knows where I can get info to stop wmp.exe from accessing internet?

4

To clarify: The connections are automatically terminate after a minute or so.

5

To clarify: I notice there is only connections made at startup of either program or some (but not all) mp3 files.

6

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/windowsxp/privacy.aspx

Also Google “Windows Media Player privacy” for more.

7

I know that when I used Jet Audio when I was playing a song it would try to connect to get the media info, lyrics, etc. so it may be something like that. I haven’t used WMP fpr some time now.

I also gave up on Jet Audio also as I couldn’t find a means to stop the pop-up and download of this data, etc. I guess they are hoping you will go pro, I just went elsewhere.

8

You could open up the tools menu, and go to Options. There are a few things that will make the player access the internet on this page.

Download updates automatically, will probably access the internet on startup.

Connect to the internet (overrides other commands), will access the internet.

Then, by clicking the “Privacy” tab, you’ll notice several checkboxes about downloading rights, info, etc. etc.

I’m pretty sure that all the IP’s your computer is accessing has to do with usage rights and media information, and updates.

9

Sorry for the delay in my responding, I had been away from the computer for a very busy week. Thank you all for your responses, it feels good knowing I’m not the only one dealing with this type of stuff. I have checked off all the internet- and connection- related options for wmp. The only thing I have left on is automatic updates for Windows, but I will probaly turn it off as it takes almost forever sometimes with the Comondo Firewall. I wonder if there is a hack I could manually change the wmp code. Not something to download, but to change in its like .ini file or something (I am only familiar with modding game files, so I don’t know if it would be something called .ini or other). Any thoughts?

10

Well, my only thoughts is that in many Microsoft programs, they aren’t as “simple” as modifying an “ini” file to get the desired results.

I would go through the program as suggested in my last post and uncheck anything that isn’t desired.

Hell, just disable anything that has to do with going online and then close, and restart the program.

Then check to see what is connecting to the internet. Hopefully, it will be a lot less, if not, non-existant and we will have successfully reproduced the problem. If not, I gues we’ll go back to the drawing board.