Keep losing home network

[JPStewart]

Help! I have a very small home network: laptop and home
computer both running XP; cable modem and printer hanging
off of the home computer, Linksys router connecting them.
They've been networked for about a year (plus). Lately, I
keep losing the network. I call it 'Network1' and for
some incomprehensible reason, it periodically reverts
itself back to MSHOME. (I usually discover this when I go
to print from the laptop).

This happened again for no apparent reason the other day.
The last time it happened, I re-ran the network setup,
renamed it 'Network1' and I was back in business. This
time - nada. They just won't see each other.

The only recent change is this - I removed MacAfee virus
and replaced it with Norton. When I go into Control
panel, it tells me that certain files can't be found but
they appear to be Viruscan ones. Could they also possibly
affect the network? Or are these unrelated and it's some
other mysterious thing? File missing - and near as I can
tell *should* be missing is: AVSMCPA.DLL.

If that's not it, what am I misunderstanding about
setting up this network? (PS I've rebooted machines,
cable modem and router about 2 million times)

 

[jpstewart]

Followup - I reinstalled the network and let it rename
itself MSHOME. I also renamed the desktop machine. I know
they're cabled right because when I rebooted the desktop,
the laptop recognized the new computer name in "Workgroup
computers." Yet when I click on the desktop icon from the
laptop, it tells me I can't get to it. The desktop can't
even see the workgroup.