vista:
you have too open it in ehm.. file sharing permission/network permission/ firewall
dont remember exact at the moment
also, you need to share a folder, but surly you did understand that lol
xp:
it is open by default, but also here right click on the folder, properties, sharing, enable file sharing, allow user to change my files or something like that
running zone alarm on any?
you have to turn it off as it spoofs you computer/ or it spoofs your ports and block them
then
connecting to a folder
//io on the machine you want to connect to/folder you have shared
ex:
//192.168.1.5/downloads
to connect to a hard drive you have to in most ways add the $ like this
//192.168.1.5/d$
then the easiest way to connect to it(if you only need files) is with ftp=)
http://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=server
filezilla server free of charge
its really basic thou, just click next on everything
just remember the port that it is standing there, you can change that to what ever
here is an other one that looks better imo
http://www.freesshd.com/?ctt=overview
download the sshd version
just click next and ok on everything that pops up
start it, you should see
click where it says ssh
at the top there select you ip
then go where it stands sftp
and select the folder/disk you want to share
then click on the user:
add users
then to connect to the server from a ftp client
add you username, password, select the port:22 (that is sftp)
sftp: is encrypted so=)
will advice you to download the filezilla ftp client as i can give you support on that
using linux to that stuff(ftp), and no not gone explain that
can send you an other one on mail=)
regarding the users on xp/vista
sometimes (mostly xp) it want to connect as a guest
disable the guest feature in users/control panel
surly i have forgot a bunch here but it is a start
oh.. hub... or a router with build in firewall? <--- if so, you need to open some ports to get connected
and you pc´s, it can be running other firewalls, as a lot of the antiviruses have a firewall to