Networking with XP and Cable Router

Hey guys...I'm having trouble networking my 2 home computers. I have a cable modem>wired router>desktop and laptop via ethernet cable. i've ran the network wizard in xp on both machines the same way, and nothing happens. they both show i'm sharing files, and the laptop recognizes the desktop in the workgroup, but i can't access it (access denied error message pop up). the wizard gives me options as to the description of the computer, and i chose that it is connected via a network hub. is that the right option? i guess i'm just missing some steps and would appreciate some help setting this up...thanks a million...

Sounds like you should have it all setup properly, one thing to check is your firewall settings. I know mine defaults to not allow anyone to connect to my computer, unless they are in my "Trusted Domain" So I just added all my computers on my local network and I haven't had a problem since.

what protocols do you have installed?

i kinda had the same problem where i couldnt access a shared folder from a networked computer, but it was the firewall, so when i disabled it, i was able to share everything...