1st timer with Apple, thought setting up was easy?!

How is your wi-fi network set up currently? Does it broadcast its SSID, does it have WEP or WPA security on? Can you see the signal in your PB's menu bar (it may not show automatically if you have the SSID hidden which would explain why it's not automatically joining it)? Have you limited MAC addresses on your XP network - if so you'll have to add your Mac's MAC address to the access list?

Go to the Airport logo on the menu bar and select Other. It'll come up with a box for you to enter the name of the network and put in the password (I did have a case using a friend's XP network where I had to put a $ in front of her password so that might be worth a shot)

It may be worthwhile removing any wifi security (WEP/WPA/MAC fitering) and see if you can connect and then add it back in again.

In general though it does just work. I walk into hotspots, lift the PB's lid and seconds later it's asking me if I want to join the network (bear in mind that they are open access points which is what the problem is likely to be)

 

Need more info to help you.

Find out the ip address of your router (possibly 192.168.1.1 if its a Linksys) and this ip address is therefore your gateway.
Find out the DNS server addresses from your isp.
Forget about proxy settings if you're just on a little home network.

On the PB with the wireless card, go to System Preferences, Network and check:
Airport - By default join a specific network, and choose linksys ( the default name - you may have changed it).
TCP/IP - near the top, check that Show has AirPort in the dropdown box. In Configure IPv4 choose 'using DHCP'. It should pick up your IP address(hopefully 192.168.1.x), subnet mask (255.255.255.0), and the router (192.168.1.1).

BTW, you need to be on the same node, ie the first 3 sets of digits in the IP octet need to match on all your network hardware, so thery will all be, for instancs, 192.168.1.xxx. Obviously the xxx bit will be different on each bit of hardware.

Also, give it more than an hour. If you've been used to XP you're probably trying too hard. I'm no expert but believe me OS X will try and do most of the settings for you.

EDIT! It sounds from your post that your 'router' is actually your XP box, which is connected directly to the internet instead of through, say, a broadband router. In which case you need to know the IP address of your XP box and this will (probably) be your gateway.

 

The thread you mention (by edesignuk **) is correct for most people (unless they have a strange setup, miss a step out or just don't quite understand it!).

Once you have sorted the settings out on the XP box, you should be able to go back to the PB, type Apple + K to bring up the Connect dialog box, and then enter
smb://192.168.1.xxx
You will then connect to the XP box, and you can select the shared resource you want, eg 'Shared Folder'. You can also do the same thing from a Finder window but I find it easier to do the Apple+ K thing.

** edesignuk = fount of all knowledge (except I seem to remember he smacked up his Mini, but then it wasn't a Mac mini.....)

 

It is accurate. Anyone that has had problems has had something else interfering (firewalls) or other software (like VPN) which messes with networking, either that, or they plain and simple just didn't read it and follow it properly.

Glad everything is working for you now, enjoy

 

key here is that setting things up on a mac is far easier than on windows, however sometimes the terminology and some of the actual questions asked might be difficult to understand. just comes with the territory. You gotta realize wireless routers and such are still relatively new, so there's alot of room to grow and make things easier. It's to the point almost anyone can use them but there's always a few hang ups along the way once in awhile. eventually it'll be literally plug and play.