Please Help Me Network My Computers

[Jonathan Bones]

Looks like the problem is solved! Though I wish I knew why.

After trying all this and a couple of things recommended elsewhere, I managed to connect to both computers from either computer once I disabled slave's software firewall! I think scvhost.exe might have been blocked (though I couldn't find it in Zone Alarm). Tiny on master wasn't causing any problems.

What I want to know is why simply doing this didn't work before-- because I've definitely tried it.


So thanks so much, Law! I hope this works, from now on. I think I'll reinstall Zone Alarm and see if I can get the network to work with it running. I understand that with my router, I shouldn't need a software firewall to keep people out. But I still want it to keep programs in.

One thing I am curious as to, however... what can I do to make sure my shares/connection are secure? I'm clean when it comes to open ports, according to dslreports.com. But is there anything else to check for? I've completely removed my PPPoE connections, so I'll only even be connecting to the internet through my router.

Is it really necessary to password my Windows user profiles? I'm the only one who uses my computers, and not having to type in a password every time I boot them would be a lot more convenient.

 

[Law]

Sorry, I was gone for awhile. Anyways I was just testing rather NetBIOS was resolving computer name to IP address correctly that's why I had you do the IP ping test.

If you disable zone alarm, you have to disable the true vector service also, else disabling zone alarm application wouldn't really get rid of it compeletely. That's probably why you still had the problem when you disable ZA. Svchost.exe is microsoft process, not sure if it could be the problem but I generally let all microsoft process permission to access the net when I used to use ZA.