Author Topic: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup  (Read 12289 times)

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robinb

  • Guest
Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« on: March 25, 2011, 03:56:20 PM »
i just installed Avast Free 6.0.100 on a new 64bit windows 7 pro desktop computer
I am having a problem when network shield is checked the other xp pro machines on my network do not see this network computer
In fact it says it cannot find the name of my workgroup.   All computers are set to the same workgroup.  If i uncheck the shield in avast it finds it just fine.  why is this happening? and how to fix

robin

doktornotor

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2011, 04:14:39 PM »
Nope, it doesn't. Free avast does not include any firewall. Which previous AV you had installed? Also, if the network profile is set to Public, file/printer sharing will be disabled by Windows Firewall.

robinb

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2011, 05:46:33 PM »
not set to public- set to home networking
this is a brand new computer and avast was the second thing I installed
First were the security updates

I did a test
stopped the network shield
rebooted
everyone sees each other

Put back the check mark in the network shield
rebooted
same problem xp machines cannot see windows 7

robin

Hermite15

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2011, 05:50:09 PM »
it's still possible that the network shield messes with local connections, as it scans them. What happens if you turn it off, filesharing works again, I mean other computers become visible again on your LAN? edit: I see you already tested that.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2011, 05:51:52 PM by Logos »

doktornotor

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2011, 05:51:39 PM »
Errr... what you have really tested is that W7 wins the master browser election. Once you reboot, the master browser is gone and until a new one is elected, you will not get anything listed. The XP machines will compete among themselves to become master browser for quite some time (same OS level).

IOW, for a more useful diagnostics - browse to \\computername\sharename - does it work?

Hermite15

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2011, 05:55:52 PM »
there's a way to get Win7 just behave like XP, ie use credentials and workgroups instead of homegroups, allowing normal file sharing with XP systems. There's no reason why this shouldn't work. I suspect the network shield from detecting a Win7 system and acting in order to only allow LAN connections to other Seven systems... just a guess, I can't test that as I only got W7 systems here.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2011, 05:57:40 PM by Logos »

doktornotor

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2011, 05:57:54 PM »
there's a way to get Win7 just behave like XP, ie use credentials and workgroups instead of homegroups, allowing normal file sharing with XP systems. There's no reason why this shouldn't work.

The HomeGroup feature failure is optional. Workgroups still work just fine.

Hermite15

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2011, 06:02:48 PM »
there's a way to get Win7 just behave like XP, ie use credentials and workgroups instead of homegroups, allowing normal file sharing with XP systems. There's no reason why this shouldn't work.

The HomeGroup feature failure is optional. Workgroups still work just fine.

...yeah excuse me but I disagree on that, homegroup is anything you want but certainly not a failure, been using it for almost two years now and it's just brilliant. Not going into details, would be off topic here.

doktornotor

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2011, 06:09:58 PM »
...yeah excuse me but I disagree on that, homegroup is anything you want but certainly not a failure, been using it for almost two years now and it's just brilliant. Not going into details, would be off topic here.

A thing that is not backwards compatible just... uhm, sucks. It is not even full-featured in all versions of W7 (you can create HG just on HP/Pro/Ent/Ult, others can only join) - the fail gets epic here. And completely useless in mixed environment (XP, Vista).

Anyway, to get back to the track here: For a more useful diagnostics of what is actually blocked or not - browse to \\computername\sharename (of course replace according to your setup) - does it work?

Hermite15

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2011, 06:14:57 PM »
Quote
A thing that is not backwards compatible just... uhm, sucks

I coudn't care less, I ditched XP then Vista, so ::)

Quote
you can create HG just on HP/Pro/Ent/Ult

you care for Basic and Starter  ??? ;D

robinb

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2011, 09:23:42 PM »
wierd though  only happening in the 64bit machine, not the other one i have avast free on which is home premium 32bit
i uninstalled Avast free and put MSE on and now everyone sees each other

btw homegroups works great from one windows 7 computer to another but not from windows 7 to xp and yes i have it set up via the workgroup name- they are all named "blahblahblah"  (this is not the real name just using that as an example) and all my xp machines plus the windows 7 home premium see each other with no problems

very strange
robin

doktornotor

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2011, 09:36:50 PM »
btw homegroups works great from one windows 7 computer to another but not from windows 7 to xp

As already noted, HomeGroup features are not supported anywhere else than on W7. With XP machines on your network, they are useless.

robinb

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2011, 11:51:47 PM »
as i stated i did not set windows 7 up with homegroups because i want it to network to the 3 xp pro machines i have, i set it up with workgroup name change only
robin

doktornotor

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2011, 11:57:32 PM »
So, lets try again:

IOW, for a more useful diagnostics - browse to \\computername\sharename - does it work?

Never got an answer.  >:(

robinb

  • Guest
Re: Network Shield is blocking my workgroup
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2011, 11:35:50 PM »
now it does since i removed avast and put mse on
I am telling you Avast is the cause
robin