Topic: Basic wireless networking problem

[Clark Kent]

I have a nice little network goin on here at home, my Apple iBook and Powermac work well on it, and my Dell accesses the wireless router and the internet just fine.  Usually my Macs ca see the Dell on the network, but cannot connect to the computer itself, and the Dell refuses to see either of my macs.
both of my macs are running the latest version of the mac OS, which is UNIX based.  I know that macs are capable of working with PCs on their networks, and since my macs have typically seen the Dell, I assume this is a problem located on the Dell. 
Tonight I decided to get the Dell connected for printer and file sharing purposes, but after running through both the wireless and regualr network setup wizards, the macs no longer see mr. Dell.  COnnection to the internet is still working just fine.
The Dell is:
Dell Inpiron 9300
1.6 GHz Pentium M, 512 megs of RAM
Windows XP , version 2002, Service Pack 2

Can someone give me a bit of a hand with this?  Apparently my basic networking with windows needs some work.

[FMMonty]

Have you got the windows firewall turned on?

[Clark Kent]

Have you got the windows firewall turned on?

Apparently I had two firewalls on- the Mcafee one and the Windows one.  The windows one is off now, the mcafee is still on.  The Dell still isn't back on my viewable computers.

[FMMonty]

I thought you needed server rather than xp to connect non windows based computers, but I'm drunk and haven't checked.  Give me the weekend (unless someone else knows).

If the firewalls are off and the macs still can't see you then I'd wonder what was going on.