can't network with router

Relationships often end seemingly without reason. Perhaps they are better off this way.

Make sure ALL firewalls are turned off ... both pc's and in the router.

Is MAC filtering used? Disable it too.

Make sure the host file on each machine includes the hostname and IP of the other one. Does pinging by IP work?

Contact a relationship specialist or clergyman for advice.

Try Linux.

The Network Wizard which means that both machines are XP is a piece of crap that causes nothing but problems. The other thing you may want to do is switch to MS NWlink as the network protocol if nothing else works for you. MS NWlink will allow the machines to share resources. Howerver, that will force you not to use the Network Wizard and you must do it manually.

Duane :)

Make and model? Why so vague?

Make and model of latop? Operating system? Version? Make and model of desktop? Operating system? Version?

When I've such mysterious changes, it's usually the result of spyware, worms, LSP changes, or Windoze Updates. Try the usual anti-spyware and anti-virus scanners on the desktop.

Directly wired to the router kinda eliminates wireless from the equation. Replacing the old laptop with a new laptop and having he same symptoms, sorta implies that the desktop has a problem.

Since you didn't bother to mention if either machine can connect to the internet through the router, I'll assume that you can do that.

Assuming Windoze XP Home SP2, try the following random checklist:

1. Disable Windoze, Norton, McAffee, etc firewalls.
2. Make sure file sharing is enabled.
3. Try pinging each machine from the other. Don't bother with other fixes until ping works as none of the NETBIOS networking stuff that sits on top of TCP/IP will work if you can't "see" the other machine with ping.
4. If ping works, try: Start -> Run -> cmd NET VIEW You should see a list of machines that have sharing enabled including the machine you're currently running it on. If you can see the other machine, run: \\192.168.1.102 (or whatever the IP address is) and you should get a list of available shares and printers. If that works, try it by name: \\Name_of_other_machine
5. formatting link

Setting in the router? That has no effect on a wired connection between two machines. There's no wireless involved in the connection. Your unspecified model wireless router is acting like an ethernet switch with absolutely no setting in the router involved.

Ugh. The XP network setup wizard causes more trouble than it solves.

If you have DHCP delivered IP addresses, then each computer is properly connected to the router. Can they both browse the internet through the router? I'm assuming they can because you didn't mention it as a problem.

If you can't ping, then something is getting in the way. It's almost always a "personal firewall". Turn it OFF on both machines for now.

ZoneAlarm Free or Pro? ZoneAlarm comes with many add in modules. Turning them all off is somewhat of a challenge. Are you sure they're off? Disabling the various ZoneAlarm startup programs with MSCONFIG doesn't work.

To disable Zone Alarm Pro open the Zone Alarm Pro Control Center click on Overview and then REMOVE the check in the "Load ZoneAlarm Pro at Startup" box. Reboot your Computer

1. To disable ZoneAlarm Double-click on the tray Icon. When the ZoneAlarm Box opens click on Configuration Tab. Under Configuration remove the check from the "Load ZoneAlarm at startup" Box. Reboot your Computer.

I had a similar problem and it turned out that the PC in question did not have the necessary XP updates to enable WPA-PSK to be recognised.

I was running XP Pro and it must have been a bit old :-)

Cheers

Rob

Another thing to look at is the antivirus. For example the internet worm protection in Norton Antivirus will block network access.

Ian