Help newbie set up home network

Could some knowlegeable person please give a step by step guide to setting up a home wireless network on XP Home. Using Linksys WAG54GS wireless router acces point. I used the XP wizard and can see my laptop and PC but it denies access. I have enabled file/printer sharing and disabled zone alarm. My wireless internet uses WPA encription and I can access the internet wirelessly on both computers. What am I doing wrong?

Not quite sure from your post what isn't working. Is it just that the PC and the laptop cannot access each other? Both get to the internet ok?

Are both on wireless or just one?

I have WAG54GS, 2 laptops XP Home - one wireless one wired. Took a while to get it working, so we have a common starting point.

1 one wireless other on ethernet. Laptop and PC can't talk to each other but both can access inetrnet.

What IP addresses do the computers get from the router. On the router basic setup page in the bottom area - DHCP - DHCP Server is enabled - but the next line its address is blank. Next line Starting IP address I set to 192.168.1.100, then max no users 50 - though 2 is enough . Client lease time 0. (So the machines get 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.101).

Advanced routing tab - NAT enabled, RIP disabled. Nothing in any of the address boxes, hop count = 2.

Security page - SPI Firewall enabled.

I think that is all on the router. After that I had to fight the Norton firewall - entering settings direct into it did not work, I had to use its own wizard - though afterwards it looked the same as I set. Don't know anything about the same procedure for zone alarm.

On the computers set to obtain IP adress automatically. Windows firewall is off, but I don't think that makes any difference. And I used the network setup wizard, not the wireless network setup.

I assume you have set the Workgroup name in Windows the same for both. Once you get them to see each other, the easiest thing is only to communicate through "Shared Documents", though I have got direct access working as well - Bill Gates doesn't like that.

Hope that helps.

Yes thats exactly what I have on the DHCP settings. Same workgroup name. Funny thing is when I open my network places thingy the laptop and main computer are listed, but if I click to connect an error message appears telling me windows was unable to connect as it was not reachable. Should I try turning off wireless incription and risk being hacked?

I presume you mean wireless security - I have WPA-PSK on. That isn't the problem.

Whenever I change anything major and so lose my settings it always drives me potty, as I can never remember what I did to get it working .

Have you set up network shared folders? As in:- My Computer >> Shared Documents >> right click >> Sharing and Security >> Sharing?