Home networking One computer running WINXP other two WIN98

[Halmos]

Please Help!!
I had a probem free network connection with two desktop computers running Win 98. Then I got this laptop with WinXP. I tried to connect it to the network using the network wizard. It connected fine and at the last step said that I will have to run the set up wizard for each computer. I chose the option that "I don't want to do anything to the other computers"...thinking that this would not change their settings. But now if I click on the Network Neighborhood of the other computers (desktop computers) I don't see any other computer. In fact I just see a torchlight trying to search something. Can someone please suggest a way how I can fix the connection on my old computers.
Thanks a ton.
p.s. - I have connected the computers through a Linksys Router. thanks again

 

[Halmos]

If I ping my one desktop from the other desktop i get all the 4 packets back. If I ping it to my laptop I don't get any packets back.

 

[JackMDS]

Network Wizard is No Merlin; it is more like the Lame Wizard of Oz.

For the initial setting disable all software Firewall (including WinXP native ICF); disable any active Virus scan or any other utility that might intercept Network Traffic.

Reconfigure WinXP and the other computers manually.

Then take care of the sharing.

You have to enable user, and sharing settings on all computers.

The following links contain information related to these issues:

For Win98 here:

AnandTech - FAQ: Networking and sharing between computers.

For WinXP here:

Practicallynetworked.com - Windows XP Simple File Sharing

Practicallynetworked.com - Windows XP Professional File Sharing

Practicallynetworked.com - XP File Sharing Trouble

 

[lobadobadingdong]

I just set up a link for simplification here.