IP Addresses and iTunes Home Sharing - Halp!

[Zoom-boing]

Ok, iTunes home sharing was working a few weeks ago. It's a nice feature that allows you to 'share' the libraries on (up to 5) computers in the house. We got a new desktop and now it's not working. We're getting the following message when we try to load my daughter's itunes library from her laptop: "firewall software needs to be set to allow communication on port 3689". What does this mean and how do I change the firewall setting to allow communications on port 3689? We have Norton.

We're also getting a message - randomly - that says "another computer on this network has the same IP address". All three computers (desktop, our laptop, daughter's laptop) have the same IP address. We have to constantly reset the router/modem because either our laptop or the daughter's laptop isn't connected to the internet, only local access is allowed.

I think the IP address thing is part of the itunes home sharing problem but I have no idea. Can anyone offer any advice? Help? Info? Anyone? Bueller?

 

[Darkwind]

Configuring firewalls on a Mac for use with Apple TV

unblocking port 3689 for iTunes sharing? [Archive] - Mac Forums

 

[Zoom-boing]

The above links didn't work, so I started goggle searching 'port 3689' - which is itunes dedicated - and I found enough info to figure out how to fix the problemo.

Control panel, network and internet, view network computers and devices, right clicked on our router (Linksys), went into settings, added the Linksys IP address (not the computer's IP address, which changes; Linksys IP is static), and 3689 TCP for external and internal ports. Home sharing now works!

Now if I can just figure out why we have to randomly reset the modem cause of college kid's laptop . . . .

 

[Zoom-boing]

AAAggghhhhh!!!!!! It was working fine, I was browsing my daughter's itunes library, I was able to move some songs into mine then . . . . the home sharing libraries disappeared. Then they came back but I couldn't access anything as no songs appeared in the library. I don't know if it's our computers or an itunes bug. Just when I thought I had fixed it too. If I figure it out I'll post in here. <sigh>