When you try to connect to your home network with any of the Microsoft products that is listed in the "Applies to" section, you may experience one or more of the following behaviors:

• Your Internet connection does not work (Web sites and e-mail are not available).
• You cannot access shared files or folders that are located on network computers.
• Network computers cannot access shared files or folders that are located on your computer.
• The Broadband Network Utility does not display your network computers under Other Network Devices.

This issue may occur when you have a non-Microsoft firewall program installed on your computer. This firewall may be identifying your Microsoft broadband networking hardware as an "attacking computer."

This issue has been reported to occur with the Norton Internet Security firewall program.

Caution If you incorrectly configure your firewall program, you may cause security to be reduced on your home network. Carefully review the product documentation for your firewall program before you use this procedure.

To resolve this issue, configure your firewall software to "permit access" for devices that are part of your home network. For information abouat how to configure your firewall program, contact the manufacturer of your firewall program.For information about how to contact the manufacturer of your firewall program, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to, or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you choose to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.
Important This article contains information that shows you how to help lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system.To work around this issue, turn off your firewall program. For information about how to turn off your firewall program, see your firewall product documentation or contact the manufacturer. See the "Resolution" section for contact information.

Note If you turn off your firewall, you may cause security to be reduced on your home network. This procedure is not recommended except as a temporary measure.

Note A firewall is designed to help protect your computer from attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses that use unsolicited incoming network traffic to attack your computer. Before you disable your firewall, you must disconnect your computer from all networks including the Internet.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.