Home networking question - slow PC to PC browsing

[Hokie]

I posted this in the Computer group but I thought I would try for a wider audience here:

I run a small home network. I have these computers:

Desktop 1 running Win XP Home wired connection
Desktop 2 running Win XP Home and a wired connection
Laptop 1 running Win XP Home and a wireless connection
Laptop 2 (company supplied) running Win XP Pro both wired and wireless at times
Gateway: D-link Wireless Router connected to a DSL modem on the WAN side

I can share the Internet connection with no problem. I can share printers fine except from my company machine that does not allow sharing files or printers except when I am connected to the domain at work. All of the PC's except my company laptop are assigned to the same Work-group. I ran "Set up a small home or office network on all the PC's except my locked down company machine.

Now my questions:

Why does it take so long to open another computer in Network Neighborhood to see the shared resources on another PC? It takes 45 seconds to a minute in most cases. I can see the other PC's but they take that long to browse. Once I map a network drive to the other computer's Shared Documents folder it opens in a snap. Likewise, once I add a remote printer it works fine.

The only folder I can open on th e remote PC's are the Shared Documents folder. I have allowed sharing on the other folders like "My Documents" but I am denied access on the XP Home machines. I cannot get a box to come up asking for a password. I can get to these folders from the XP Pro machine. It asks for the computer name and password.

Are there some additional Windows Networking components that I need to install on the XP Home machines? I did the basic installation that includes TCP/IP for the adapter I am using, Client for Microsoft Networks, and File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

I have run "Browstat". It shows one master on the domain but it does show two domains. I think this is because my company laptop is always on the company domain and all the other PC's are on my home Work-group. When I run Browstat on the company machine it shows that it is the master on its own domain.

[qnr]

1. I don't use Windows, so I'm not going to comment, even if I have some

ideas. However, here is a kick, in case someone that knows has wandered in.