The two main networking issues I've run in to since XP, that I also run in to with Vista and Windows 7 are as follows.
The wireless zero configuration service that controls the computer's ability to control the wireless adapters will stop running, even if you reboot the computer the service will never start again unless manually tell it to do so. The 2nd issue is that if the windows computer has two or more adapters that one of them will randomly be setup with the IP address of 192.168.0.1 even if the internet connection sharing was never turned on, changed, or even setup on the computer. Both issues I've run in to countless times working tech support for the last 6 years.