Computers on home network can't connect to eachother..sort of.

[Nitefall]

I recently setup a wired home network consisting of two computers. I have no problems sharing the Internet connection, I can browse the internet just fine on both. Before I go any farther here's all the specs:
Comp 1:
Gateway 550GR computer, WinXP home, running newest version of Zonealarm for firewall

ISP: Verizon DSL

DSL Modem: Westell Model 2200

Router: Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL router with 4-port switch (BEFSR41 ver. 3)

Comp 2: Rather old computer, not sure of the brand. OS: Win98 SE Zonealarm used for firewall as well. (Both computers have fairly new NIC cards.)

Anyway, my problem is that the computers can't seem to find/connect to eachother. If I go into Network Neighborhood on the 98 computer, it just displays an icon of a red flashlight shining over a folder as if it were searching for the other computer on the network, then when it finishes that and I click the "entire network" icon, it returns an error message saying I cannot browse the network because it is inaccessible.
On the XP computer in "My Network Places/Workgroup Computers", both computers are listed but it returns a slightly different error message when I click on the icon representing the 98 comp saying: "\\Computer 2 is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not found". I've run the network setup wizard on both computers.

[z1p]

Have you checked the ZA settings and made sure you are allowing local network access on both machines.

[Nitefall]

I added the individual IPs for both comps to the trusted zone. Trusted zone security is set to medium, internet zone to high on both.

[z1p]

Can you try running with ZA disable (or better yet uninstalled)? A few versions ago, I had problems with ZA blocking file sharing even when it had been disabled.

[degsy]

What do you have under Firewall>Zones in ZA?
Are both PCs in the same Workgroup?
Do both PC's have File & Printer sharing enabled?

You can run the Network Wizard from XP to setup a network on both PCs

[Nitefall]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you guys. I have discovered that zone alarm was indeed the problem. I even tried re-installing it on both computers (file and print sharing enabled, in same workgroup), specifying that both were on a home network, and adding the IP range for the network to the trusted zone on both. Right now I'm using the WinXP (w/sp2,fully patched) firewall. File sharing between computers and whatnot works fine now.

[z1p]

Another alternative is sygate which is also free. I have had better luck with it than with ZA. But, I know many people around here prefer ZA. It comes down to what works for you.