Firewall Vs. Windows Media Center on Xbox 360

[Guest]

[nudais]

I have just setup Windows Media Center on my Xbox 360 and PC running Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. When trying to play music on the Xbox via Windows Media Center I see an "audio error". Long story short, if I shutdown Comodo on my PC, the Windows Media Center on the Xbox is happy and works. So, the firewall is obviously getting in the way. How do I tell the firewall to quit making my life difficult? I'm running Comodo Internet Security Premium 5.10.228257.2253. Please help as I don't want to go back to ZoneAlarm.
Thanks!

[EricJH]

You need to make your local network a trusted zone.

How to make your local network a trusted zone.?

First look up your IP address and subnet mask. In Windows go to Start  --> Run --> cmd --> enter --> ipconfig --> enter --> now lookup your IP address and subnet mask.

Second create a zone in My Network Zones (Firewall --> Network Security policy). Choose Add --> A New Network Zone --> fill in a name like My local network --> Apply.  Now select My Local Network Zone --> Add --> A new address --> choose An IP Address Mask --> fill in your local IP something like 192.168.1.x usually and  your subnet mask; usually 255.255.255.0 --> Apply. Now check and see the new network defined. Exit using Apply.

Now we are going to use the Stealth Ports Wizard to make your local network a trusted network:
Choose "Define a new trusted network and stealth my ports to EVERYONE else" --> Next --> choose "I would like to trust an existing My Network Zone"  --> choose your local network zone from the drop down box at the bottom --> Finish.

Now check your Global Rules and see your network added.

[aztony]

You need to make your local network a trusted zone.

How to make your local network a trusted zone.?

First look up your IP address and subnet mask. In Windows go to Start  --> Run --> cmd --> enter --> ipconfig --> enter --> now lookup your IP address and subnet mask.

Second create a zone in My Network Zones (Firewall --> Network Security policy). Choose Add --> A New Network Zone --> fill in a name like My local network --> Apply.  Now select My Local Network Zone --> Add --> A new address --> choose An IP Address Mask --> fill in your local IP something like 192.168.1.x usually and  your subnet mask; usually 255.255.255.0 --> Apply. Now check and see the new network defined. Exit using Apply.

Now we are going to use the Stealth Ports Wizard to make your local network a trusted network:
Choose "Define a new trusted network and stealth my ports to EVERYONE else" --> Next --> choose "I would like to trust an existing My Network Zone"  --> choose your local network zone from the drop down box at the bottom --> Finish.

Now check your Global Rules and see your network added.

I did all that and WMC still cannot detect the Xbox as the extender.  Here's the suggestion I'm getting from Xbox but I have no idea how to find or add the port number(1900).

Error: "Cannot detect Extender"

This usually means that a firewall on your computer is blocking the Extender. If you have more than one firewall installed, check the error message to see if it specifies which firewall is blocking your Extender, or see Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer later in this article.

Then try the following:

Open the firewall on your computer. In the firewall settings, open the following exception:

Program        Service     Local port    Remote port    Direction     Network                Needed for
svchost.exe  ssdpsrv      UDP 1900     Random         Inbound     Local subnet       Device discovery

[EricJH]

Thank for the trouble shooting article.  That is more than likely pointing us in the right direction. We need to make an application rule for svchost.exe that will allow incoming traffic from the LAN at UDP port 1900.

Svchost.exe is part of the Windows System Applications group and instead of making an adaptation of the Windows System Application group we will make a separate rule for svchost.exe which we will then place above the rule for the Windows Sytem Applications group in Application Rules (rules are read top-down).

Go to Firewall --> Application Rules and choose Add --> Select --> Running Processes --> select any one of the svchost.exe processes --> Select.

In the lower part choose "Use a custom policy" --> Copy from --> Predefined Security Policies --> Outgoing only. The policy is now filled in in the lower part of the screen.

Leave the screen open for the next step. We are going to add a rule for the incoming traffic at port 1900 UDP from the local network. Push Add and in the screen fill in the following:
Action: Allow
Protocal: UDP
Direction: IN
Description: Extender traffic

Source Address:  Type: Network Zone
                        Zone: fill in the network zone you used when making the Global Rule
Destination Address: Any
Source port: Any
Destination Port:  A single port: 1900
When done click Apply.

Now move the "Extender traffic" rule to the top (it needs to be above the basic block rule (with the red icon); that is key as rules get read top-down). The rule will look like in the first picture. When done push Apply.

Last step is to make sure the new rule for svchost.exe is somewhere above the rule for the "Windows System Application" group. Look up the new rule for svchost.exe in the Application Rules list and drag and drop it to a place somewhere above the rule for "Windows System Applications". See second image.

Now you should be good to go.

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