How do I get Linux (Mandrake 10.1) and Windows (XP Pro) to talk to one another over a network? I will say up front that I am not very proficient with Linux. I'm pretty new to it, and am a long-time Windows user. Just tell me what to do in Windows, and I can handle it. Linux may require a 'dumbed down' explanation.

I already have a Windows network set up and working. The Linux box is attached to the same network, and will surf the web over the same shared broadband connection (LAN based) that the other computers use. I also want to reconfigure the way the Windows computers network with one another. The details of how I want them to work will be in another thread, "Network 'sign-in' settings", in this same forum.