Workgroup Question with Belkin Share N300 network

[central_texan]

Hello,
I was trying to set up file sharing between my home network (XP SP2 wired desktop, Belkin Share N300, and a new Win7 laptop both wired and wireless). I never did get it to work but as I progressed through a couple of dozen attempts found on the internet another question occurred to me.
One item that was stressed in almost every solution I tried was that the workgroup of both computers MUST be the same. Both computers DID have the same workgroup but not 'WORKGROUP'.
When I go to the XP machine and explore the network, there IS a network there named 'WORKGROUP' and when I click it the router is under that workgroup. I investigated the settings for the router and there is no way to change the workgroup in the router.
My fear here is that since Win7 is so picky about all computers being on the same workgroup, what happens when Win7 comes up against the router's workgroup being different from the two computers? I called Belkin's tech support and the foreigner I spoke to didn't understand the problem and was very quick to tell me that it was a computer problem and I should contact them.
Does anyone have any ideas about this situation? Any observations would be welcome.

 

[RealBeast]

Hey central Texan, welcome from an east Texan.

You can share between Windows 7 and XP on a LAN, you just need to change a few security and sharing items. THIS is a Microsoft guide to doing it. Also for Windows 7 settings, take a look at this POST as there are several settings to change.

 

[central_texan]

Thanks for the reply Realbeast. Where in East Texas? ? ? My family is from the Mt. Vernon area. I tried ALL of the settings recommended and still never got it to connect. That's why I suspect that the workgroup of the router is somehow involved.
Way back when Win7 was in Beta stage, I enrolled to test the Betas out. The first version I never got to share with my XP network but later I got a later Beta and I got it to work fine. I was using a Linksys router then. The Linksys routers began to fail at about 4 years old so I bought a new Belkin thinking it might be a bit higher quality. I have had no problems until this instance with a Win7 box. I am just a bit suspect when it comes to the router being a member of a workgroup.
They probably do that because there is a USB port on the router where you can plug in a flash drive or printer and share it on the network.

 

[RealBeast]

I would rename all the computer's workgroup name to match the name that the router uses if you can't change that, and I expect that it has a workgroup name to enable the usb and printer sharing functions. Poor design not to allow you to change it though.

Don't give up on the sharing -- it is usually one minor setting that needs a tweak, so I always go through each one step by step until I find it.

I'm an hour or so east of Mt. Vernon, but pretty much even Dallas is in East Texas -- just ask somebody from Amarillo.