Try these resources and this should really be in the Dimension forum:

www.homenethelp.com

http://www.tipsdr.com/windows-xp-networking.html

 

Thanks for that but i still keep getting the error message cannot find network path !!!!

Any ideas anyone??

Exactly what did you do to setup your network?  Just posting you have a problem and an error messge doe snot help.

I have linked the 2 PC`s with a network cable and tried to set up a small office network !!

but neither computer can see the other....

as you may have guessed i am a complete novice

Are the directly connected to one another?  What kind of cable, crossover or regular?  Why not use the router portion of your modem, or is there only one port from the router side?

To add, if it is direct between two computers, you need a Cat5 crossover cable.

Right !!!

The old Pc that i have loaded XP onto has been instaled with a Edimax Ethernet adapter and has a network cable that i have linked the two PC`s together with .......But i dont think its compatiable with XP

I want to use the New Pc as the server for an Accounts system only ......... I dont need Internet on the old pc ...

Its just to use in the downstairs office to look at the Accounts system ...

So all i want is for the PC`s to share files ....

Ideally, you would have a router with at least 2 ports on it so you could safely share files.  If you connect the two machines via a crossover cable then that means the newer machines will need two network cards, one for the connection to the router and one to connect to the other PC.  Can be done, but the setup is a bit more complicated and will need a crossover cable to make that connection.

I would suggest spending a few extra dollars and getting a stand alone router and disabling the router feature on your modem.