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.

Routers are pretty good firewalls but for an added closed door, most people turn on the computer firewall too. fwiw.. I've configured many computers for family and friends without firewalls,,, so a couple of days were certainly no problems. One computer here Was online 24/7 for years that ran lan server duty. mail, DNS, Time, WWW server, etc... no firewall, no problems ever. It got junk mail on its mail account name that was never ever used online. Computer was only used by guests and me occassionly for browser duty when I screw up and need a driver or something.

Zep - I have 3 devices in my network list: 1) 1394 net adapter 2)intel 82566mm gigabit network connection (this one I was able to get an updated driver - but on my network connections, it still shows as local area connection - "network cable unplugged,fire..." and I'm not able to click that and get the rest of the sentence. if I click it it just gives me the name of the adapter. 3) intel wireless wifi link 4965AGN The first and third ones say they are connected and firewalled. I believe that this last wireless 4965AGN is the one that has problems and gets repaired. I could be wrong about that. The LAN one I think has always been unconnected/unplugged. I don't know what that's for or if I need it. Is that my wired internet connection? Thanks. Lynn. PS - if I go through network devices and select update drivers, it only offered updated drivers for the intel 82566mm gigabit network connection. Is there any point in googling for updated driver if this route indicate no new drives exist?

well, you need to access the linksys router and look in its wifi pages might try ; http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.1.254 or maybe change the .1. to .0.