www.wown.com

World of Windows Networking has an excellent how-to on doing what you want to.

I'll make helping you a major priority if you make it worth my while. $$$

Seriously, just be patient here and ask specific questions. Many questions have a response within a day's time. Also,...

I'm thinking my description of Network Stumbler is inaccurate... It is designed to pick up access points, and display them. It will sometimes pick up the disturbances such as portable phones and...

If he's using wireless networking, I'm guessing he has a laptop. (It's kinda pointless to have wireless in a desktop, but some people do...) Move the laptop around to see if the signal improves.
...

Cordless phones operate at: 900 mHz, 2.4 gHz
Microwaves send a signal out at: 2.4 gHz
Wifi attempts to communicate at: 2.4 gHz

Anyone else notice the problem here?

(This may or may not be...

Please describe your setup in more detail...

Are you using Wireless?

Just plug it in. Most OSes have no problem with two NICs.

Network speeds are usually measured in BITS per second. If your 6 or 7 kbs is KiloBYTES per second, then it's right on. 6 * 8 = 48, 7 * 8 = 56.

That is slow for cable, considering I'd pull that...

When does it lose it's mapped drive? When you tell it to "unmap this drive"? It's supposed to do that. ;-)

Describe the process you're going through when it loses the mapped drive...

Do you use any other protocols?

Also, have you tried powering off everything and turning it back on?

Are you using only TCP/IP? If so, is file and printer sharing enabled for all devices you want to see? Are they in the same workgroup?

You'll fall in love with DHCP, I'm sure. I don't know what I'd do if I was still using only static IPs. My laptop goes here and there without a problem connecting to the WiFi, my LAN, the College's...

DHCP.

If you know what you're doing, it's perfectly acceptable to have two DHCP servers on a network. I do. (I have my Freesco linux router 192.168.10.x and my WiFi router/switch combo....

Are you running any kind of WEP? Perhaps the router is set up to deny access to secure sites without WEP enabled. WiFi is one of the most insecure ways to transmit data, especially if you're...

With Telnet, you have a telnet server that provides your access to the internet. I can telnet in to my freesco router, then start links (a text browser) and get on the Internet that way.

Telnet...

$22 doesn't surprise me... That's what I often see network cables overpriced for. What most people don't realize is bulk cable, connectors and crimper runs about $60 total.

For cost, a 486/early pentium can be turned in to a router. I have an Early Pentium (Needed the PCI slots for the NICs) that I use daily for my Internet router. I'm running an easy-to-setup linux...

Ok, the cable looks like it's correct on the swapped end. The green and orange are swapped, right?

Have you tried connecting just the two computers, and not the cable modem?

Look really close at the ends of the crossover cable. Look at the colors. What are they?

Make sure your network properties have "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" installed.

Then, you simply need to share folders, XP had a default shared-documents folder.

Take a look at Ars Technica's "Ask Ars!" section (www.arstechnica.com) for a place to start. You'll have to scroll down to see the article you want.

Do you have TCP/IP installed? How is it set up?

I have a DHCP server running here and my laptop gets its IP address from it. Perhaps you're running in to something simular.