How to solve networking problem -- one wireless and one wired pc to talk to each other on a network?

A permissions problem? Something odd about the driver on the XP side? Try downloading a free program from Cisco called Network Magic. It helps people set up small home networks just like the one you are describing.

Edit: Are the drives explicitly shared?

Do you get an ‘access denied’ kind of error? I have encountered such errors when one of the machines does not have a password set and when the username+password of the two machines are different. Make sure you try to access the target computer with its username+password.

Describe the 2 machines see each other and cannot access each other
Are you trying to browse the drive of one from the other? Connect via Remote Desktop? Some other kind of sharing?

hello dpworkin—I am not using a Cisco router so I am not sure if their software would work. [I had accidentally bought one before I realized that the Verizon router did it all, so I think I have Network Magic. Is it router-specific?]

No it is not router-specific.

ragingloli,
from HP Pavilion my network places>mshome>anne’s art pod [today jeffy’s idea is not showing from here—yesterday it was]
from Dell all-in-one my network places>mshome>[ms home is not accessible, you might not have permission—but I can see .‘shared docs on anne’s art pod’ from the toolbar on ‘jeffy’s idea’
seems I’m going downhill!
The last step in the installation process crapped out yesterday.

jaytkay, yesterday I was trying to have the 2 computers browse the drives of each other. Today I was trying to set up a second crossloop account—not for these computers, but so I could help a friend from either computer—I finally realized I only needed to use the one on both machines after the 2 kept bollixing each other up. Perhaps that also screwed up my progress so far with the home network. Also I gave my network a name but mshome can’t see that…

jaytkay—i thought i heard you typing? are you still there?

Yeah, I actually kind of have this problem myself, was hoping to solve both our issues at one.

One wired Vista PC, one wireless XP machine.
They can share via Remote Desktop and iTunes sharing.
They cannot share via network connections, I see my workgroup but it’s empty.

So I went and ran the network wizard in XP, but it fails when I run it in XP.

Still thinking…

OK, this fixed my problem. It was a setting on the XP machine, hopefully this applies to yours.

—Right-click My Network Places
—Choose Properties
—Right-click the network adapter
(My wireless adapter is labeled Wireless Network connection’ my wired adapter is labeled Local Area Connection)
—Choose Properties
—Check the box Client for Microsoft Networks
—Check the box File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
—Click on OK

jaytkay that choice not offered
choices—
1394 connection-connected, firewalled
local area connection-network cable unplugged
wireless network connection 2-connected, firewalled

wireless network connection 2-connected, firewalled

Client for Microsoft Networks IS checked.
so is
TrendMicro passthru Ndis driver
file and printer sharing for microsoft networks
QoS Packet scheduler
MS tcp/ip version 6
and tcp/ip

it sees Lucy
and all the other wireless networks in the neighborhood

but does not see local area connection—cable unplugged

local area connection—cable unplugged is just the ethernet, ‘unplugged’ because you are using wireless instead of wired.

Speaking of which, have you checked the same settings on the wired machine?
—Right-click My Network Places
—Choose Properties
—Right-click the network adapter
(My wireless adapter is labeled Wireless Network connection’ my wired adapter is labeled Local Area Connection)
—Choose Properties
—Check the box Client for Microsoft Networks
—Check the box File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
—Click on OK

will be doing next