Same device appearing multiple times

I have recently installed a new Philips 43PUS8555/12 smart TV which is connected to my router via 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi.

My desktop PC is connected to my router via ethernet cable and when I look at the “Devices and Printers” / “Multimedia Devices” area I see the ‘43PUS8555/12’ listed 44 times. When TV is switched ON only one becomes active.

I also have a DELL laptop which is connected via 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi and this lists the same ‘43PUS8555/12’ device 24 times. When TV is switched ON only one becomes active.

Both Desktop and laptop are running Windows 10 Home 20H2, build 19042.630.

Questions: -

1. Why are there multiple devices with the same name when I only have one TV?
2. Also why the difference between Desktop (44) and my laptop (24)?
3. Can I remove all the extra devices using “Remove Device” so that only one device remains?

Here is picture of my Desktop PC 'Multimedia Devices' list: -



Thanks.

I don't think that is it. It seems dynamic. Devices are being added and the 'active' device changes.

I have just watched TV again and now there are 46 'devices' and it showed one of the newly added devices as being active. I switched TV OFF and after 15 minutes switched it ON again and this time another device in the list was activated.

See picture: -



- - - Updated - - -

The first two devices are my Samsung Blue Ray Player so, ignoring these, the number of 43PUS8555 devices is now up to 45. If devices are going to be added on a daily basis I am going to finish up with hundreds of them which is unsatisfactory.

Is it my router adding the devices? Is there any way to stop this behaviour?

Picture shows the random nature of which device (A, B, C) becomes active when TV is switched ON: -

Thank you thomaseg1 - FYI - I have done what you said and I am waiting to see what happens.

It is possible the router required a reboot to fix the issue. I know routers need rebooting every so often and problems can happen if they are not. Maybe the router wasn't 'registering' the device properly so that it added duplicates every so often.

I'll report back in a few days.

- - - Updated - - -

After clearing the list on the 18th there were zero “43PUS8555” Multimedia Devices but now, the 19th, there are 4 devices listed. When looking at the “Properties” UPnP tab for each device I see they all have the same ‘MAC address’ and ‘IP address’ but different ‘Unique identifier’ reference (as it should be because each is unique).

Q1 - Is this problem of adding the same device but allocating a unique identifier a Wi-Fi thing?
Q2 - If I connected by ethernet cable instead would this solve the problem?
Q3 - If I ignored it and the list grew to have 1000, 2000 or 3000 '43PUS8555/12' devices would it matter? Is there a limit that would cause problems in the future? I am sure most people would not look at the list but, now that I have seen this problem, it would be nice to know if I could ignore it or not.

Thanks.

Thanks f14tomcat - Today, 20th November, I did the Network Reset as you suggested and, after the PC had restarted I removed all multimedia devices from the list so there are zero devices listed. I'll report back in a day or so.

I hope it works or I will have to try the cable connection which is not an easy job since it involves routing 15 metres of cable. That's why I have not tried that option yet.

I've had those types of entries show up multiple times (although not that many) in Devices and Printers.

I've deleted them and they've never returned.