Wirelss networking macbook to a wired PC?

Question

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times before (kindly point me to the correct place, please!). I did do a quick search but was fruitless (didnt really understand much)
I am a bit of newb at this and not even sure if it is possible with my setup. I want to create a home network. Currently I have a cable modem connected to a Netgear Range Max MIMO WPN824 router (802.11g), which is in turn wired into my desktop XP-based machine.
Now I was thinking that it must be possible to create a home network which allows my macbook core due to "speak" to my pc over via the wireless connection. I think I have all the necessary options on my macbook switched off preventing this from happening.
All I really want is an idiots guide telling me how to get this network up and running. Does anyone know of any useful sites/guides dealing with this kind of enquiry?
Did I mention that I was a newb? I'm not 100% sure how to set up a home network so any advice you can give/point me too will be gratefully received.

Answer 1

Well, since you only actually have one other system currently on the same connecttion which you want your "network" to be, and the one you wish to add is a Mac to a Windows Network, it gets a bit more complicated. I have found 2 different ways to connect my macs to my windows home network (which is already set up fully and working), though I have not actually taken the time to attempt using these procedures to do so (I have many other things I have been doing lately).
I have sucessfully connected my windows machines (tested with using just one PC desktop in one case and 1 laptop in the other case). I got my Dell Windows XP MCE 2005 to connect to my Mac iBook G3 this way, and then when trying to add my new MacBook to my home network, got it to connect to my Win XP Home Desktop. Each time this was done and I "explored the files" on the other system, it was with me using the Windows PC and exploring the Mac.
It just seems a bit more difficult to do from the Mac side of things, and like I said, I have found how to add them to my home network using a different method which should have them visable and active as soon as they (the Macs) are turned on, just like a PC becomes "visable" once turned on.
Others have tried to explain to many people over this forum of how to do this (which all seems strange and not as simple and easy as doing so through windows), but it also seems like there are fewer questions about this networking a Mac at all (even when not adding PCs into the mix) and it just always seems like it is people like me (windows pc users recently turned to mac and wanting to connect them to the same network) and I can't say I have seen one post describing how to connect or create a Mac network with 2+ Macs together, and only a handfull of useful replies on how to add Mac to Windows networks.
I can get back to you more with the different ways (in a few days, need to find where I put the instructions) if others don't respond to your post first with them.
As for the quick, simple connection (which you can "mount" onto your Windows PC just like any other Network location or Disk Drive), I will try and go through it again right now and then respond to my own post here with what steps I took.
The first thing you will want to do is setup on your windows pc, a "home network" giving it a certain name (it usually defaults as "MS HOME" and I would always change it to "HOME", but anything you want to name it is fine). Normally, if you had other Win PCs that you wanted to add, you would just do the same thing with the Create network Wizard (naming the network the same for all PCs you want to be connected), you could probably have multiple "networks" actually, the only pcs that can connect to a certain one are ones that have had this "named" network created on their system. Actually, I think Home (and maybe MCE 2005) users can only have one Network (if you go to add another I think it just changes the previous one to the new network, or maybe it just takes that new network as your "default connect to" network... gets kinda fuzzy unless you know more about multiple networks running at the same time). Windows XP Pro (Professional) is the one that most likely has the best chance at doing this multiple networks thing as it was made for businesses and different "work" networks with more networking options built-in to the OS.
After you have your Windows Home Network setup, then you will want to have both PC and Mac turned on and connected (to your router, they should both be able to access the internet). If you know the individual IP Addresses for each computer system, this could help, and should be found under the Details area of you LAN or WiFI connection (you most likely know how to see both of these in Windows and on your Mac, if not follow the way to your Internet ISP settings and you should stumble upon them).
Will update with more soon...