eLicenser Communication Error

I successfully installed Cubase Artist 7 yesterday, and made repeated unsuccessful attempts to register the product. Tried again today, and I’m getting the same error message.

I am running on a Dell XPS 7100 AMD II x6 1075T 3.0 GHz with Windows 7. The computer is connected to the internet. I use Windows Firewall, and AVG for anti-virus.

I followed the instructions for registering - (1) made sure the eLicenser is in an active USB port, (2) I disabled my firewall AND AVG to make sure they weren’t interfering with the communication, and (3) I went to the eLicenser website and downloaded/installed the most current version of the eLicenser Control Center

However, I keep getting the same message “A communication problem occurred while accessing the license server” when I try to Activate/Register. I get the same communication error when I choose Maintenance (on the eLCC) too.

Any suggestions?