I have a wireless home network setup: a desktop connecting to the internet via cable modem and a laptop connecting via wireless router. The router is hard wired to the desktop.

From the desktop I can see and access the shared files on the laptop, but when I try to view or access the workgroup computers from the laptop, I get the error message: 'MSHOME' is not accesible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not found.

I can access the internet from the laptop, but when I try to ping the desktop from the laptop, the message I get is: Request timed out.

What to do?!
Any help is much appreciated!

Perhaps the firewall is blocking the incoming (networked) system. Temporarily disable the firewall and try again. And be sure and have a token folder or printer to share.

P2E

Are you running the same versions of Windows on the laptop and desktop?
MSHome sounds like a network name for home edition of XP? Are you sharing the C:\ drive on the desktop?
If any changes have been made let the networking software establish and connect the shares between computers.