Windows 7: Help with homegroup

I have a laptop with Windows 7 ultimate and a deskktop running Windws 7 ultimate. I have a wireless network Netgear WTG624-v3. I upgraded from Vista Ultimate on both machines.

I cannot get either machine to see the other when I establish a homegroup. When I check o the Win 7 compatibility the WTG 624 is suppose to be compat.

Though I can set up the desktop to work with the router and connect to the router with my laptop, they don't see each other.

Can you all help?

james

Hi james,

First a few questions.

1. Do you have 3rd party Firewall/AV suites installed?

2. Have you enabled network discovery and sharing on both computers in advanced settings in networkcenter. (left pane)

3. Do you have passwords on both computers?

4. Do you have let Homegroup manage enabled in advanced settings of networkcenter?

greetings

I am not sure what 3rd party Firewall/av suites are. I do have Mcafee on security. I have checked the other items on both sysems.

3rd party means not part of the operating system.

So Mcafee is a 3rd party Fw/AV.

Please uninstall it on both system.

It is necessary to find out if it is the culprit for blocking your network.
unfortunately disabling it doesn't always work, so uninstall it please.

If after successful uninstall your network does what it is supposed to, we know for sure it's a setting in the firewall.
If the network still doesn't work as supposed, it means there is another reason.

In both cases you can reinstall the FW/AV again after we know for sure.

We will go from there.

Good luck.

ok will give it a shot. jab

Your help challenged me to review my McAfee. I discovered that one component (Personal Firewall) was the culprit. Once I turned it off--read that uninstalled it--the two systems saw each other and I was able to setup and join the Homegroup. I am going to write McAfee and tell them of this problem. Maybe there is something they can turn off that makes it work. Right now I am using the Windows firewall.


Thanks much for your help.

jab

Hi jab,

There is nothing wrong with the firewall, it's just set too rigorously.

Now you know the network is working ok, you can install one firewall and go trough the rules.
There will be a rule blocking network sharing, you need to set it to allow.

Then you can install the firewall on the other system and do the same.

Don't install both firewalls at the same time, because that makes it hard to check if you found the right rule.

If you are reluctant to change a rule, which is understandable, post a screenshot of the rules, and I will go through them to see if I can find out which is blocking your network.

Good luck.