Browser not working in winxp/win98-me/SCO environment
ratman and bobbin
with the browser service. I have read many articles on Google/Microsoft/this
NG about the problem and have learned a lot in the last day or so! But not
enough to fix the problem.
Basics: the network has two segments, 10.6.0.xxx and 10.6.1.xxx. The SCO
server is on the 0 segment and all workstations on 1. All worked very well
until a few weeks ago and the only thing I can think that has changed is
that the 10mb Hub was swapped for a 10/100 switch.
Any workstation attempting to browse the local network gets the 'list of
servers is not available' error.
Browstat status says browsing is NOT active on the domain. Using the various
switches with browstat to force an election etcetc makes no difference.
There are no firewalls involved (except Windows firewall on each
workstation.) - the main firewall is at the Broadband router.
Static IP is used for all connections.
The only thing I can think causing the problem is maybe the SCO server has
grabbed the Master role and wont let go. I do not maintain this server so
have no way of checking/correcting if this is the problem.
Any thoughts at all please as its tear your hair out time!
TIA
Geoff
daytripper
wrote:
A Win98 machine will provoke browser misbehavior - I proved that enough times
when Win98 had been eclipsed by Win2K to be chastised by our inhouse netcops.
I'd go around and disable the browser service on all Win98 systems.
Otherwise, I wonder if you restarted the Computer Browser service on one of
the XP workstations whether that would cause a master browser election?
If you check under the system services logs on some of the WinXP machines you
might see which system is promoting itself as browse master...
/daytripper
ratman and bobbin
"daytripper" <day_t...@REMOVEyahoo.com> wrote in message
news:r446n2lkm4btcv04r...@4ax.com...
has been a mix of OS for the last two years without a problem ...
appreciate your response!
Geoff
ratman and bobbin
"ratman and bobbin" <you.would.like.to@know> wrote in message
news:fyEch.1920$r95....@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...
Its now tear your hair out time. I found one machine with Zone alarm and
removed it. I have disabled the service on two remaining W98 machines.
Browser service still not showing any computers, still got list of servers
unavailable. No help from any of the Microsoft technet articles, followed
all the advice I could find and still not working. Browstat no help
whatsoever. Can it really be this difficult? Perhaps its just me being
stupid. Who knows ..........
/rant
Geoff
ratman and bobbin
"ratman and bobbin" <you.would.like.to@know> wrote in message
have actually made some progres.
There is a SCO Server in this mix of things, and forcing an announcement in
smb kicked things back into life again. However I cannot get the SCO server
to give up its master browser status, thats something for next week . . . .
Geoff
Kurt
In the "smb.conf" file do you have:
local master = no
# for remote browse sync and
# remote announce use broadcast
# address of subnet
remote browse sync = 192.168.10.255
remote announce = 192.168.10.255
...kurt
ratman and bobbin
"Kurt" <ku...@nospam.olypen.com> wrote in message
news:12o8ohv...@corp.supernews.com...
This is part of the smb.conf file.
[global]
workgroup = workgroup
server string = Samba Server
interfaces = net0, lo0
bind interfaces only = Yes
security = SHARE
password server =
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
dns proxy = No
The rest of the file is setting up the shares
Geoff
Kurt
>
>
> [global]
>
> workgroup = workgroup
>
> server string = Samba Server
>
> interfaces = net0, lo0
>
> bind interfaces only = Yes
>
> security = SHARE
>
> password server =
>
> log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
>
> max log size = 50
>
> dns proxy = No
>
> The rest of the file is setting up the shares
>
> Geoff
>
>
Then you might try adding those lines.
"local master = no" tells Samba NOT to assume the master browser role.
"remote browse sync = <subnet broadcast address>" explicitly states
which broadcast address to use to retrieve the browse list. You could
also specify the master browser as a unicast address, but of course it
will likely change at some future master browser election.
"remote announce = <subnet broadcast address>" once again explicitly
defines the broadcast address to use for announcements.
Both of the last two are particularly useful if you have a multi-homed
computer, or a subnet mask that differs from other Windows or Samba
computers. It also removes any doubt about how Samba will announce
itself or retrieve the browse list.
Incidently, you can also configure Samba as a WINS server (a single line
in your smb.conf file). WINS solves the problematic browser issues, and
requires very little overhead. Note that your Samba box can be either a
WINS server OR a WINS client - Not both.
If you use "security = user" and map your Windows users to one or more
Unix users in your smbusers file, then have the samba password for those
accounts matching the Windows passwords, you won't need to type a
username/password to access Samba shares (the equivalent of Windows
"pass-through" authentication"). Then you can control access to shares
by defining file-level permissions for the Unix user(s) instead of the
weaker Samba share permissions.
...kurt
ratman and bobbin
Kurt
Appreciate the detailed answer. To keep things simple I will just add the
local master=no to smb.conf and let the Windows machines manage things.
Again my thanks for taking the time to provide an extremely useful response
Geoff
ratman and bobbin
"ratman and bobbin" <you.would.like.to@know> wrote in message
*nix which is running on this SCO Server. Makes life easy!
Geoff