Vista - Having trouble networking my 2 PCs

I have 1 desktop and a laptop.

they both have wireless connections but thats not how I wanted to wire them.
My laptop is the computer connected to the internet, and what I wish to do
is network the 2 computers together so I can trasnfer huge faster via
ethernet cable.

so this is what i've done:

connected the laptop to the internet via wireless,
connected the laptop to a ethernet router via an ethernet cable,
connected the desktop to the router via an ethernet cable.

now I've tried to network my PCs more than a dozen times in the past before
i owned this laptop and i was unsuccessfull every single time, I just can't
seem to figure it out. My desktop recongies that it's connected to the
router but can't get any internet access.

btw>
laptop = Windows Vista Home Premium
desktop = Windows XP Home

is there an easier way I can go about this? I would rather just connect the
2 computers with a single ethernet cable but i have also tried this and could
also not figure this one out either!

Can they ping each other? If no, please post back with the result of ipconfig /all. Or this how to may help,

Vista How toVista How to. Vista Network Sharing · Avoid the VPN connect prompt ... 2007 3:23 am Post subject: How to: disable Vista password protected sharing . ...
http://www.howtonetworking.com/vista/vista.htm


Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"lornesbored" <lornesbored@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:AB95AC73-86AA-4219-A1E6-B800281E823B@microsoft.com...
I have 1 desktop and a laptop.

they both have wireless connections but thats not how I wanted to wire them.
My laptop is the computer connected to the internet, and what I wish to do
is network the 2 computers together so I can trasnfer huge faster via
ethernet cable.

so this is what i've done:

connected the laptop to the internet via wireless,
connected the laptop to a ethernet router via an ethernet cable,
connected the desktop to the router via an ethernet cable.

now I've tried to network my PCs more than a dozen times in the past before
i owned this laptop and i was unsuccessfull every single time, I just can't
seem to figure it out. My desktop recongies that it's connected to the
router but can't get any internet access.

btw>
laptop = Windows Vista Home Premium
desktop = Windows XP Home

is there an easier way I can go about this? I would rather just connect the
2 computers with a single ethernet cable but i have also tried this and could
also not figure this one out either!