I haven't mastered in electronics, but I went through hell trying to get my router set up So I did a lot of reading and stuff, trying to figure out what it was... it turned out to be some retarded problem with the router not being able to get the IP from the cable modem, so I had to unplug the modem, plug it back in, wait for it to reset and send the settings to the router... it still gives me some trouble, I shouldn't have bought a $35 router

But I did cut and run my own cables and crimped the connectors on them... it honestly isn't that hard if you can use Google occasionally to find information.

edit: Perspective, I'm not sure if this qualifies for what you're trying to do, but I have a WinXP and two Win98 computers connected to my router, but they aren't filesharing or print sharing, just sharing a modem.