I have two computers. One Installed with XP and the other with Vista. I have a Wireless Router for DSL (AZTECH DSL605EW). Can I connect these two computers. If yes, how?

CB

Easiest answer: just plug them in to the router.

The XP is connected with a cat 5 and the vista is connected wireless. Now what?

GB

In my experience, I've had trouble connecting to computers on a wired connection while wirelessly connected, but you never know.

Try typing \\computer name\ and see if you can see the other computer. If you don't have any folders being shared on that computer, you're simply going to see that the computer exists. Alternatively, if you want to see all files on the other computer, type in \\computer name\c$ to access the root of the other computer's file structure. Note that when you do that, you should get a prompt for a user name and password. In a workgroup situation (which is what you have), you need to use the username and password of an account on the other computer that has administrator rights.

Connecting and sharing are two different things. The network will connect the computers together in a common communications pathway. To share files, printers or other services, you will have to enable File and Printer Sharing on each of the computers within the workgroup. Each computer must belong to the same workgroup name. Then each computer must have a unique name and address. After that, each computer is responsible for its own security. File and printer sharing security will have to be setup on each computer. User names are created. An to these user names, rights are granted. By adding users into groups, you can assign security to groups and simply change group membership as needed. Keep in mind that a user group on one computer will not be the same as a user group on another computer even though they are named the same. To allow a user in a group access to files on another computer, the group must be given permissions to a share. Then the same group will have to be given permissions to the files and folders in the share. The difference between two is called share level permissions and file level permissions. Both must be granted.

By right-clicking on a folder, you can create a share and assign share level permissions. Then by right-clicking on the same folder, you can select Security and assign file level permissions. The users or groups are assigned permissions in the format DOMAIN/USER. Each computer is its own domain so the computer name and user or group name will have to be used in this format.