I guess you would have to clarify. Underneath wifi or ethernet (wired) connections are protocols. Linux excels at TCP/IP—the stuff of the internet, but can be finicky about Windows networking (called Samba in *nix), but I have found Vista to be finicky about Windows networking as well.
I had a laptop running XP SP2 and Ubuntu 10.0. A second PC was running Windows 2000. The laptop is “wired” to a Linksys wireless router (I only use wireless when away from the desk). The W2000 PC has a wireless router that can contact the Linksys). The Linksys router is wired to the cable modem.
Running XP on the laptop, both PC’s can communicate together as well as access the Internet. Running Ubuntu on the laptop, I could in no way get the two PC’s to communicate, although both, again, could access the Internet.
I finally had a problem with XP and had to reinstall. In doing so I gave up on Ubuntu and am now using XP SP3 exclusively on the laptop. Still no problems communicating with the other PC.
A friend has some old PC’s he’s getting rid of. I’ve thought about getting one and putting Linux on it. But if I can’t add it to my small network, I’m not interested.
As I mentioned in another post, the whole Sudo thing is a real imposition to the uninitiated. It’s like having to do DOS commands under Windows to perform certain tasks. Who needs it? That’s a second reason I’d hesitate putting Linux on another PC.