plusnet thomson TG585

[#1]

just installed a plusnet badged thomson TG585 router as part of a solution to a slow speed problem.  The speed problem has been solved by installing a new BT primary socket. Amongst other things.  But home networking has ceased (no file sharing and no printer sharing).  Selecting Computer - Networks shows no other PC on any PC.  Is there a setting on the Plusnet version of the router that stops one PC seeing another ? If so what's the fix ?

[#2]

Are you using wireless networking? I had a very similar problem with my new Thomson when I joined Plusnet a few weeks ago -- home networking would die after a few hours and could only be recovered by restarting the wireless. The fix was to upgrade to the latest version (8.7.8) of the firmware, as described here: http://community.plus.net/library/hardware/how-to-upgradedowngrade-the-firmware-on-the-thomson-585v7.... Since I did that (a reasonably painless process if you have a computer you can connect to the router by cable)  I've only had my network die once.
(Incidentally, you can restart the wireless by holding down the little button on the front of the router for about 20 seconds to stop it and about 10 seconds to start it, without disrupting the broadband connection.)

[#3]

That may be the problem, and I am working wirelessly,  although the comments with the fix suggest it applies only to Apple Macs.  The firmware on mine is 8.2.7.7.  I do have an old one which is unreliable.  I tried firing it up without connecting to the phone line. It has firmware 7.4.4.7. And I find that if I switch both PCs to the network of the old router, I can share files.  So At least I can be fairly sure the problem is with the new Plusnet router. The old one was not tailored by Plusnet - it was supplied by Madasafish.

[#4]

My network is mostly PCs with an occasional Linux netbook, and the upgrade did the trick for me, so it's worth a try.