Homegroup Networking Problem

I'm having problems hooking up to my media center computer in the main room. We share internet (wired) and I use my room computer sometimes to watch stuff from my media computer. Both are running Windows 7 and recently I have had serious problems with accessing the media computer from my room computer. I access it, then it starts dropping connections left and right, whether or not I'm copying from the computer or watching stuff straight from its hard drives. I would say it's the ethernet cord that extends across the house, but I get pitch-perfect Internet connection from the modem in the main room. It used to work just fine, and now it doesn't but I don't really know if I did something, as it would probably interfere with the Internet connection. Have tried from other computers temporarily wired in and have had the same problem. What are some solutions to explore with two wired computers that keeps dropping connections but can't be blamed on the cord?

Thanks

After a few more tests, most of the time it connects but doesn't hold on. The two are not part of the same homegroup (but they never were and still connected fine).

Why wouldn't those machines be part of the "same" Homegroup?

Most likely that is part of the problem.

Well when I open my Network tab in Explorer, I can see the media computer and can connect to it through the address bar with \\MediaComputer. However, when I go to the Homegroup tab, both of them are not joined to any Homegroup.

In that case you need to create a Homegroup.
Homegroup - Create

After you create the Homegroup you need to join from the other machine.
Homegroup - Add Computer or Join


Once you create your Homegroup you need to set the permissions on the files you want to share.
https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ns.html?filter

These are the permission settings more specific to Homegroups.
HomeGroup - Windows 7 features - Microsoft Windows

If you have any problems just let me know what the problem is, there are plenty of ways to fix any problems you have setting up your Homegroup. Good luck hope this helps.

But why do I have to create a Homegroup? I never created one and I was able to connect to the computer perfectly (through \\mediacomputer). I'm also not trying to hook up to the media computer's local disk, but the external hard drives. I can still connect to the computer, but it always drops the connection after going through a few subfolders or copying something from my externals out there.

Using the old \\computername doesn't work the same any more.

It's best to set up your network using the links I gave you. There are so many good reasons for doing it this way I can't even begin to explain them all but suffice to say there is much stronger security with Windows 7 and some of the security barriors can't be navigated though using the old outdated connection methods.

You need to get that antiquated Windows 98 method of file access out of your head, this ain't Windows 98 and never will be.

As for getting to your attached drives from other machines, besides the regular permissions you also need to go into the Security settings of the drive for that.

If you could just explain exactly what you are trying to do I can help you more. :)