Setting up home network

[Befuddled]

I'm trying to set up a network, mainly for sharing a printer. The main
machine is Vista home basic, connected to a Netcom router by network cable,
and then to a cable modem. No problems with internet connection. The other
three machines are XP, connected to the router wirelessly, no problems with
internet connections for any of the XP machines. Thought I'd done everything
- set up sharing on the Vista, allowed printer and file sharing without
password, run the wizard, transferred the setting via USB stick to the other
machines. All machines set to the same workgoup name. All machines are
running some version or other of Norton Internet security, and Norton's
firewall. No luck, none of the XP machines can see the Vista, the Vista
can't find the XP machines. Any help or advice out there? I'm in real
trouble if I can't get this working by the time school starts - we have an
HSC student this year!

 

[Mick Murphy]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.
How to give Permissions are there, too.
If you are running Norton, etc’s Firewall, check its settings.

1st thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is
the SAME.

In Vista Network and Sharing:

Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)

Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)

File Sharing: ON

Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s Shared
Docs)

Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and
passwords on ALL computers in your Network) If you have it ON, you will be
asked for a username and password when you try to access a Vista computer
from an XP computer.

Also, run the XP’s Home Network File and Printer sharing Wizard.