[lobtuf]

May desktop OS is XP Home and my new notebook has Vista; is it possible to home network these two? I'd like to be able print out documents I type on my laptop, access files, etc.

Thanks

[rgreen4]

I have been doing so for two years. The default workgroup name on one will have to be changed. The default name up until XP came out was Workgroup. Then in XP it was named MSHome. Since I started my network with XP, mine is MSHome. Then Vista changed it back to Workgroup, and Win7 (at least the RC) is also Workgroup.

How do you plan to connect the printers?

In other words are your printers to be attached to one or the other machine (most likely the desktop) and then shared, or are they to be connected to the router?

You will have to have a router, and with a notebook most like a wireless router. (Actually wireless routers are actually mixed since almost all have 4 wired ethernet ports as well as the wireless connection).

Here is a document on setting up a [Home Network|d-1430] in more detail.

After you read through that, post back and we can discuss some of the idiosyncrasies of networking Vista and XP.

[lobtuf]

Thanks for the reply. I have a wireless router that I use to access the internet from my notebook. I printed out the document you provided and will give it a shot. The printer is connected to the desktop.

[lobtuf]

I have completed nerwork wizard on the desktop; I'm assuming I have to do the same on the laptop?

[smax013]

You do not have to (i.e. you can do it all manually...I personally have never used the Network Wizard, yet I am fully setup), but it is likely the easiest way to set things up for some.