FJJP,
You are correct, you setup the Network first, then you setup the shares. In order to have a network setup go smoothly, you want to setup a workgroup, I personally name the the network workgroup. Then, in TCP/IP I setup the network with 192.168.1.XXX (Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0), then I go in and share the directories on each comp I want shared, and for added convenience you can use Windows Explorer to Map a Network Drive so you always have your network shares from the other computers on the network handy.
Take Care,
Richard