Workgroup Help

[nordicskibum]

I'm having trouble connecting to the 'mshome' network.  I posted on cnet.com and they said it might be a firewall problem.  I have Avast 4 home Edition.  Below is the error I get. 

Mshome is not accessable.  You may not have permission to use the network resourse. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.

[Lisandro]

Do you use avast?
Are you logged as an Administrator of this computer?

Do you use a firewall? Are the following programs should be allowed to connect, specially the first one?

C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe (avast! Web Scanner)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe (avast! e-Mail Scanner Service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\avast.setup (avast! Update executable). This is a temporary file that just appears when an update (check) is about to launch, and disappears again afterwards.

[nordicskibum]

I do have Avast... yeah.

I don't know how to use it... I have tried with the program completly off and I still can't get through...

I can't open those files.

[Lisandro]

Welll... how could we begin? 
avast is not related directly with local network (LAN).
Mshome seems to be your network group name.
So... if you ask a specific question we can help you better... try to explain your trouble...

[nordicskibum]

Ok.
I have been trying to get hooked up to a printer at my house for the past two weeks.  All I have to do is connect to my local workgroup computers.  It isn't networkplaces but instead when you get to network places you click 'View Workgroup computers'.  But when I click that I get this error message:

Mshome is not accessible.  You may not have permission to use the network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.

So I posted my problem on cnet.com.  They told me that it was a firewall error and that I should check with the firewall service I have.  I use Avast 4 Home.  I have tried turning the whole program of but I still get the same error message...

Any help?

[alanrf]

avast is not a firewall, it does not block printer and file sharing on your domestic LAN. 

You need to make sure that you have set up printer and file sharing in the systems you want to participate.

As well, you need to allow printer and file sharing in any real firewall software you are using (like the Windows XP firewall or any other firewall you have installed).

[Lisandro]

They told me that it was a firewall error and that I should check with the firewall service I have.

Disable Windows Firewall of the computers and see if you can 'see' the other computers...
If so, enable file&printer sharing into Windows Firewall exceptions, enable the firewall, test again