Try

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SettingUpSamba

any suggestion as to why I can't get to the internet
when I can connect to the router and the printer?
Where do I look to see if there's something set wrong?
This probably sounds like basic stuff, but I get lost
with all the "odd" names and procedures in linux/ubuntu.

What is your modem and router?
Make and model?

My cable modem is a Linksys BEFCMU10 and that is connected to the
wireless router, a Netgear WPN824. My WinXP machine is plugged in to
the router (wired). The Epson printer is on the WinXp machine. My
WinXp laptop is wireless to the network. My Ubuntu machine is wired to
the router. I am using dhcp but the three machines have reserved
addresses so they don't change. I can see and log into the router. I
can print to the Epson, through the WinXP machine. But I cannot get
internet.

I can also get connected to the Linksys modem.....

Wait, you can connect to your modem but you cant get access to the net?
Question: you gave your ubuntu machine a static ip, right?

Yes, that is correct. I can get to the cable modem, so that means the
router is not preventing me......... It has to be something in Firefox
or Ubuntu..... I think.....

Why would you have dhcp turned on if you gave static ips on
your machines?

I have been trying anything I could think of....... I really don't
need dhcp but I wanted to allow it just in case..... GOOD NEWS. Iam
sending this from the UBUNTU machine. I put my router IP into the DNS
tab of networking dialog andn I'm connected. I didn't see that in any
of the documentation. Verne suggested it. Many thanks....
So when I configured my network eth0: I also neede to specifically
fill in that DNS box......... Did I miss that or is it not in the
instructions.?

Now that I amconnected I am running Update to make sure I have the
latest....... My install came from a site that also packaged EMC
(enhanced machine controller) in with Ubuntu. That may not have had
the latest network setting features......

U put your gateway address and DNS numbers in the router config?