I did find a thread on this but can't get back to it now I've registered - no matter because the thread had departed from the issue into a ding dong between posters.

I don't need several opinions as to how crap AOL is or how bad Norton is what I want is specific advice on how to actually make it work.

AOL 9 - Norton 2006 - XP Home - Pentium4

And yes I have already done all the basics...

SO what issues are you having, as you haven't mentioned anything here that will help us solve your problem.
The more information we have the higher the chance of your problem being resolved ;)
Thanks

On upgrading to Norton 2006 AOL is unable to connect. It reports a firewall issue. We have gone through all the suggestions from AOL regarding specifically 'Permit All' settings for its various components in the Norton set up.

If we disable Norton and then we reboot AOL connects no problem - the link is all good - our other PC works fine through same LAN, router, and DSL connection.

Having connected without Norton active if we interact with norton - i.e. not even re-enable firewall - then AOL drops out and will not reconnect reporting same firewall issue.

Once or twice we have seen a Symantec error message - something about 'Symantec Proxy Server error'...

You are using Norton Internet Security 2006, this is one of the main reasons people have been going away from Norton as the issues it causes with XP and internet connection.
Trying to do everything with ONE product makes it a nightmare for troubleshooting issues like this, but as you have noticed the inbuilt Norton firewall is blocking your AOL connection.
My advice would be to completely disable the Norton firewall and ONLY use the Anti virus part of the product.
XP comes with an inbuilt firewall that will stop most issues.

The problem you are having is with the proxy server that is within Norton, normally for connection to the live update server. This is blocking your connetion to the AOL servers as it confusing your machine. Hence when you turn Norton off you can connect with AOL.
HERE is a patch for the live update service that MAY resolve your connection issue.

You may have to manually setup the AOL proxy server information within your browser. Here is a list of proxy's used by AOL.
As you haven't mentioned which browser you are using I can only give advice for IE as I'm not familiar with AOL's browser.
Go to Tools > Internet OPtions > Connections Tab > LAN settings Button > Proxy information goes in the bottom box. Click OK and restart IE.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your comments. It does rather seem a waste of money and therefore fundamentally a rip-off by Symantec - not least when PC's ship with trial versions of the Norton thing preloaded as was the case here.

Anyway, of the list of patches under the link you provided which is the specific one we should try?

BTW our other PC is set up differently and uses McAfee with which we have had no problems once originally set up (touch wood). So we do have opportunities for trouble shooting what's going on locally.

Also, since we switched off the Norton Firewall on the first PC another issue has been magically resolved - file and resource sharing on our LAN had ceased functioning when we swapped to a Linksys router from a belkin one. And now with the Norton Firewall disabled all works fine again!

I am sooooooo glad I didn't succumb to Microsoft's help desk - due it being a 'network issue' they wanted to charge me by the hour at some ridiculous rate - so needless to say I declined. And Linksys were no help at all.

Also BTW - we use AOL browser - could use IE but that would be a nuisance

Do not use Norton. There are many free easy well protected virus protectors and firewalls out there that does a better job. Norton is a program I would avoid like the plaque and you yourself said that there is no problem loading up AOL without norton.

There is your answer. Get rid of Norton.

Joe

Well as you are using a Linksys router you really don't need a software firewall as well. The hardware firewall in the Linksys is excellent.

You mentioned that your other machine runs McAfee, is it possible to install it on the machine with Norton and completely remove Norton.
This should resolve your issues.

In my professional experience NIS causes nothing but trouble. You are a lot better off just installing separate apps to deal with Viruses and firewalling.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Based on your advice I guess we'll stay as we are and only use Norton for virus checking on that PC. Although it leaves me with a serious question about the legitimacy of Symantec's position from a trading standards POV.

Essentially they have a product which is not fit for purpose...

That is illegal - well it is here in the UK

You asked for no bad comments just help, well from reading your initial comments, you answered it yourself, you have already heard Norton and Aol could be crap, you said it yourself, and you are having problems, there is your own answer to your own question.

You have proven the theory they are not good to use.

Do you really pay over $20 plus for Aol, try Ewido, Nod32, Kaspersky or Pc Tools anti Virus, I believe they are the top 4, based upon many experiences, I have enountered as a computer tech and repair person, working on many computers, for whatever reason, Norton has been at the heart of many problems on a lot of systems I have worked on.

And in free anti virus proggies, you get what you pay for, they may be good for some but not everyone, buy at least 1 of the 4 I mentioned above and then use a free one as a 2nd line of defense.:)