Can it ping and tracert to the desktop ?

I'm not sure what that mean. Can you elaborate more?

Thanks!
Alice

If it matters....
The wireless connection is called OurWirelessNetwork and is encrypted. It was set up on the desktop (with advice given here). The laptop found the connection and once I entered the encryption key, all was good as far as connecting to the internet.
On the desktop there is a Home network with these names:
Computer description: HOME
Computer name: HOME1
Workgroup name: MSHOME

There are shared directorys on the desktop's C drive and the printer is shared and named printer.

On the new laptop I've tried to find the other computer and the printer, but can't.

to ping or tracert would tell you if the wifi laptop sees the desktop.... open a cmd window from the run command line off the start button,,, type either ping or tracert followed by ip or nework name to see if its reachable from the wifi laptop,,, might also try it from desktop to wifi laptop, example;
ping 192.168.1.221 ((or whatever is the desktop ip number))
also try
ping \\desktopname

...Can you access Screen below on Vista ?
... right click wifi tray icon,, it is 'Network and Sharing Center' Pay attention to the differences of Private versus Public network connection.

I just went thru this exact (almost) procedure, getting my new Vista desktop to network with our Win xp computer with printer. Not so easy, but here are the instructions which work:

1. To set up the house network, on the Vista computer: Start-Control Panel-System and Maintaint.- system-computer name,domain,workgroup settings area on the screen, hit the "change settings" button, then system properties-computer name tab-change computer name/domain changes-in Workgroup type your home network's name-OK.

Then to set up the printer, a huge pain, but doable:

On the Vista computer: Start-Control Panel-add printer-add Local Printer (I know it's on a network, but this is the way to do it)-create a new port-default is "local port",leave it-next you have to enter a port name, this is the tricky part, you have to type in the path to the printer manually, the path should look like: \\your exact host computer name\your exact printer's sharing name. That's it.

To check for the exact host computer name, go to the host computer, my computer, and a screen will come up with it's official name, use it, case sensitive.

For printer name, go to host computer, printers area thru the control panel, rt. click the printer and properties. A sharing tab will show, click it, the exact name for the shared printer will show, again use it case sensitive.

The above took me all day when I got my new Vista, hope it helps.

A little more info. I needed to download new Vista drivers for the printer for my computer before doing the above.

Also, I found the links for the above info in case you or anyone else requires more details:

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/6ed24a90-6b57-4f0f-a3b3-e521ae945f331033.mspx

and

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6035_102-0.html%3Bjsessionid=abchdv-9t0GBl6OI7QPxr?forumID=62&threadID=232132

It never worked for my boss and our LAN manager. They're both computer savvy. Vista and XP do not play happily together... yet. They uninstalled Vista and won't use it until it's fixed.

Rob, read the instructions in the links, it does work.