http://www.geekgirls.com/windowsxp_home_network.htm
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread1192.html
http://www.living-it.co.uk/pages.asp?id=12
I think it's something like this from vague memories: Click Start > Wireless Network Setup Wizard and go from there. Or do it by the old way: Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Create a new connection and go on from there.
Probably an easier way is go the old Ethernet wired route. You need a long blue cable with two clips on either end (you'll know what it looks like from your modem or router), connect that into each network card on both your laptop and desktop (two squarish plugs, not much bigger in height and width than a USB port) and then each computer should detect automatically if they're running a recent Windows version (Windows 98 > Vista).
Then use the Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Create a new connection > Set up an advanced connection > Connect directly to another computer. If the Desktop is where you want the main connection to come from choose it as host if you're setting it up on the Desktop. If not choose Guest, and vice versa from there on in.
Do the same on the other (this will be the Guest) and type the computer name (you can find this out from right-clicking My Computer > Computer Name > Change and seeing it there. Copy this out into a Notepad file or write it down somewhere, then use this for the Guest details.
It should then be set up. Use My Computer to access the Guest computer's files and go from there.
Originally posted by Ali709Can the laptop use the printer (which is connected to the desktop) wirelessly?
In Windows, find File and Printer Sharing and use that to get the laptop to use the printer wirelessly (if you set it up that way). Windows should automatically allow it (if not check your firewall settings and allow the connections to take place).
You can use it for streaming music and videos to another system (as I have done on a regular basis) or simply using it for hosting a website but it can cost quite a bit of money, and you need to do DNS redirects, domains, MySQL (if you host a database-driven site with an online application which U2start actually uses if you've seen the errors in the Search page) and pretty much sharing files and email - and have two internet connections at once.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help...but this is all I remember from my two network setups.
