So, is there anything you can suggest for either machine that may help?

I have checked through the firewall stuff and everything has been tried. I have also tried about a dozen different proxies to no avail.

If it wasn't for the previous install on XP still operating, I would have assumed that the IT dept here had done something to prevent P2P being used. But that cannot be the case as I have rebooted this morning using the XP OS on this same laptop and used LW successfully.

Thanks in advance.......