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Configuring Norton Personal Firewall for Media Center Extender


Media Center Extenders use network ports to communicate over the network with PCs running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. These ports can be blocked by firewalls running on your Media Center PC.

The Norton Personal Firewall application (either standalone or as part of the Symantec Norton Internet Security Suite) may be preconfigured to allow Media Center Extender to connect to your Media Center-based PC.

To manually configure or verify the configuration of the Norton Internet Security Personal Firewall, follow these instructions:
  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Norton Internet Security, and then click Norton Internet Security Personal Firewall (or Norton Internet Security Suite) to open the Norton Internet Security console.
  2. Norton Internet Security console
  3. Click Personal Firewall, and then click Configure.
  4. Norton Internet Security console Personal Firewall page
  5. Click the Programs tab. Check to see that the applications in the table below are included in the Manual Program Control list by hovering your cursor over entries (you will see multiple entries for Microsoft Operating System) in the list to display their full file names. For example, the full file name for Ehshelle.exe is c:\WINDOWS\ehome\ehshell.exe.

  6. Application Name File Name
    Media Center Ehshell.exe
    MCRD Device Service Mcrdsvc.exe
    Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Svchost.exe
    Media Center Extender Tuning Wizard Mcxnettw.exe
    MCRMgr Mcrmgr.exe
    Media Center Extensibility Host Ehexthost.exe
    Norton Internet Security Programs tab
  7. If any of these applications are not included in the list, click Add, locate the c:\WINDOWS\ehome folder (or the c:\WINDOWS\system32 folder if the Svchost.exe file is not included), select the application’s file name, and then change the Internet Access permission to Permit All. Repeat this step for each application that does not appear in the list.
  8. Norton Personal Firewall Programs tab showing programs and Internet access permissions
Now your firewall is configured to allow your Media Center Extender to connect to your Media Center-based PC.
If you were unable to finish setting up your Media Center Extender, run setup again in the Media Center Extender Manager.
To run setup again in the Media Center Extender Manager:
  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, click Media Center and then click Media Center Extender Manager.
  2. On the File menu, click Add a New Extender or Add a New Xbox 360, and then follow the instructions on the screen.
Xbox 360 logo Media Center Logo