Home networking advice?

assuming you have windows file sharing turned on, and your firewall(s) set to not block file sharing, or net bios name resolution, then the easiest way is...

on the xp computer open my computer, then the C drive and make a folder, and name it "share" or something.

right click on it and go to properties

click on sharing (this is where it gets complicated) if you see something like a warning for file sharing click "just enable file sharing" then click it again in the new window.

then check both boxes (share this folder and allow people to change my files, or something like that) and hit ok.

then you need to know the name of your computer so that when you go to the vista PC you can find it. so right click on my computer and select properties. then click on the computer name tab and write down the "full computer name" without any dots.

then go to your vista PC and right click on the desktop and go to new... shortcut

when it asks you the location of the item, type \\"computer name"\"folder name"

where computer name is the name of the xp computer, and "folder name" is the name of the folder you created earlier

hit enter and you now have a folder that is shared by both computers, so if you put a file in one it will show up in the other

good luck

Make sure that both these computers are joined to the same workgroup. On the XP you can check this by right clicking on the my computer icon and selecting properties, then select Computer Name, then the Change button.

With the two computers in the same workgroup, you can check the workgroup for swapping files between the two.

Google: creating a workgroup

good luck.

the wonderful answer for this would be to apply your on the spot community. The cables are all snarled, you stated that your wifi is sluggish, yet using wifi at your house is your superb answer, you ought to placed username and password on your router and on your on the spot connection, examine wikipedia or any browser for help. Make a secure connection and your wireless would be waiting to circulate. If each and every physique is using the internet on an identical time, then it rather is going to be definately sluggish in case you're using low band connection.