Windows 2000 Network Browser

[tristend]

Hi, Ive recently upgraded our corp network to Windows 2000 server however ive noticed that if you try and browse the entire network (My network places -> Entire Network -> Entire Contents -> Microsoft Windows Network -> DomainName) only clients in a difference range to the windows 2000 server are displayed! ie our main range is 6.0.1.0 then we have one office @ 6.0.2.0 via a leased line and another @ 6.0.3.0. The network browser can see the machines on the 6.0.2.0 and 6.0.3.0 but not the 6.0.1.0. This doesn’t occur all the time and seems intermittent.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[GiaBetiu]

What OSes have your clients?
Have you servers in those subnets?
What protocols are running? Gia Betiu
giabetiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5, soon MCSE2k

 

[tristend]

What OSes have your clients?
Windows 2000 Pro
Windows NT4
Windows 98

Have you servers in those subnets?
Only in the 6.0.1.0 range the other 2 networks are remote and routed to 6.0.1.0
What protocols are running? TCP/IP only

Im running ADS with DNS and also WINS for my nt4/98 clients.

Ive also found if i query the workstation indivuually from the network browser ie \\workstation it displays the resource no problem.

Im starting to think its a netbios broadcast problem but im unsure whats causing it.

 

[GiaBetiu]

Indeed the problem is based on NetBIOS name resolution.
Browser service needs it.
My first advice is to install WINS. This will solve your problems.
Because yo have w9x, NT4, w2k, and all these in different subnets, I see WINS beeing a must.
Are your routers allowing broadcasts to pass them?
Imagine what is happen in a subnet.
A computer is becoming master browser. What if the master browser is shutted down? There will be ellections. But first, some of the systems will have errors, not finding entire network. Having a server is just arranging things, because it will be the one that will win the ellections for a master browser. But even then, your subnet is isolated.
Of course, we can imagine all situations, and even analyzing how packets are reaching those browse masters. But, it will not help too much.
Install WINS.
Gia Betiu
giabetiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5, soon MCSE2k

 

[tristend]

As i stated in my last post i have already installed WINS as I knew this was a requirement for older clients. The problem is only intermitent and after10-15 mins you can view all the contents of the network.

 

[GiaBetiu]

Sorry, you are right. I didn't see..... busy in the office.
How many WINS servers do you have? Have you a push/pull plan?
Are all your computers using WINS? Gia Betiu
giabetiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5, soon MCSE2k

 

[tristend]

We only have one wins server installed on the 2000 ADS server thus no push pull.

All clients have the WINS server address and also the DNS server address (obviously 2000 clients need the DNS address regardless).

If it was a permanent problem it would be easier to solve however its intermittent.

 

[GiaBetiu]

Hm, what about NetBIOS over TCP/IP? Is it on on all computers? Gia Betiu
giabetiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5, soon MCSE2k

 

[tristend]

Yes indeedy. The network was originally NT4 server and was upgraded to 2000 server thus all workstations regardless of OS have netbios over tcp/ip and wins settings.

 

[GiaBetiu]

Now is geting strange.
What's hapen there... Normally any workstation that are WINS clients will contact WINS and will ask it to record its IP address and name in that database.
If this process is working, the WINS database should be ok. Did you check the WINS database? Same problem of computers disparition there?
Have you DHCP? Gia Betiu
giabetiu@chello.nl
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5, soon MCSE2k

 

[doomhamur]

Hello,

1. the subnets you are using are public, not private addresses. you should consider changing to 10.0.0.0 /255.0.0.0 format to be legal. check

http://www.subnetonline.com

for more info.

2. If you are running a domain win one AD DC over a WAN you need to have a WINS server in each office that has legacy clients (win98/95). WINS is not a routable protocol and your routers will only pass DNS, RIP, Etc.

3. you may have to put a static entry in the hosts file of you PC's to the domain controller.

4. you can turn off browser elections in the GPO. AD is very different than NT, the GPO can really mess you up if you are not carefull. Doomhamur
Network Engineer
"Certifications? we dont need no stinking certifiaction."

 

[tristend]

[1. the subnets you are using are public, not private addresses. you should consider changing to 10.0.0.0 /255.0.0.0 format to be legal. check

http://www.subnetonline.com

for more info.]
The subnets used were for examples only (i cant post my actual ip configs!)

[2. If you are running a domain win one AD DC over a WAN you need to have a WINS server in each office that has legacy clients (win98/95). WINS is not a routable protocol and your routers will only pass DNS, RIP, Etc.]
The problem isnt with the remote networks its with the LAN, when you browse the network sometimes all the local PCs dont appear and only remote pcs are shown.

[3. you may have to put a static entry in the hosts file of you PC's to the domain controller.]
Why when ive got DNS?

[4. you can turn off browser elections in the GPO. AD is very different than NT, the GPO can really mess you up if you are not carefull.]
I will look into the Global Policy settings.. any tips?

 

[tristend]

After doing some troubleshooting using the browstat command ive determined why I can still see my remote networks pc in the network browser ... Its because they have elected master browsers on there local network which isnt really a problem, tho im still at a lost to why the browse list for the main network for which the ADS windows 2000 is the master browser keeps disapearing randomly and then returning.

 

[agam]

tristend, do you solve the problem? if you do, i need your help because i have the same problem

 

[Drewey]

Do you have the W2K Server with WINS on it pointing to itself as the WINS server?

 

[agam]

yes I have 1 w2k server act as wins server, and all workstation server on both subnet point to it

 

[Drewey]

Can you see the computers under Active Registrations in the WINS MMC? If not, there's a NetBIOS name registration problem.

Otherwise take a look at

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q135464.

It's possible there may only be one master browser on your network (which happens if you are forwarding broadcasts to UDP ports 137 and 138).

 

[agam]

yes, and sometimes all computers on both subnet are visible. When the other subnet invisible i can browse using unc address

 

[tristend]

Basicly the problem was caused with the RAS adaptor being bound to WINS. This was causing a master browser conflict.

I recommend anybody with a network browser problem obtains the browsmon.exe tool from microsoft. this really helped me to identify the problem.

Unfortunatly I couldnt find a way to unbind wins and the netbios from the RAS adaptor so I had to do it via the registry.

All is now well and I hope this post is of some use to people.