Connection issues to Shared Folders and Server Desktop

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  Cannot connect to Shared Folders and Server Desktop from a laptop through a wired and wireless connection.  The laptop is running Vista Business.  
  
  Here is my sad and frustrating story.
  
  I received my 120 day evaluation and installed it to an extra PC I had at home.  Initially I had a 2Wire modem/wireless router for my home network.  Installed the WHS connector software to the Vista Business laptop and XP Pro laptop and connected to the shared folders and WHS desktop from both laptops no problem through wired and wireless connections.  The issue that this time was the the 2wire modem/router was not UPNP and I could not access the server from the outside.  I read in the forums that I can open up ports to access the server and put the server into DMZ but I feel that I lack the technical expertise to do so.
  
  So after some research I purchased the Netgear DG834G modem/wireless router which was UPNP.  When I turned on remote access, I was able to reach the server from the outside, which is one of the major reasons I like WHS.  Here is where I had the start of my problem.  The XP laptop had no problem connecting the the shared folders.  The Vista laptop could not connect to the shared folders (wired or wireless).  Decided not to deal with this since I was buying full version of WHS and would deal when I reinstalled software.
  
  Reinstalled a fresh copy of WHS.  Uninstalled and reinstalled the connector software to the XP and Vista laptops.  Reinstaled to XP and it is fine.  The problem still shows itself with the Vista laptop.  FYI, I also have a iMac that sees and connects to the server by a wireless connection with no issues.
  
  Here are some things that I have done, tired, or noticed with the Vista laptop:
  
  1.  The WHS icon in the taskbar is green.  It allows me to do manual backups to the server over the wireless connection.  I see the backup on the server. 
  
  2.  When connecting to the Shared Folders it says "Windows cannot access \\servername". 
  
  3.  Connecting the WHS remote desktop it says cannot connect to server.
  
  4.  Ran the Discovery software and it joins me to the server and configures my backups.
  
  5.  Uninstalled/reinstalled connector software numerous times.
  
  So here are my questions:
  
  1.  Is it my router?
  
  2.  Is Vista retaining the first connection I made with WHS evaluation software and not allowing the new connections?  The original user account I setup initially is not the current user account that I use in WHS since it was wiped out with a clean install.
  
  Thanks for taking your time.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

  Friday, January 16, 2009 5:59 AM