browsing net neighborhood

[mick32]

We recently brought down our DNS server and are only using WINS. It seems since this inception our dial-up users are unable to browse network neighborhood. When they are connected and check their "winipcfg" all info is correct. Config'd to obtained IP and nameserver info from DHCP set up on the 1500 RAS modem pool. They can ping all servers name and ip except for the PDC. They can access computer shares even those of the PDC by entering \\computer_name or \\ip_addr in the network neighborhood address space. They can also access exchange and internet when connected, only problem is browsing. There are no conflicting entries in lmhost file.
The remote users are configured as follows:
Client for Microsoft networks (primary logon)
Netbeui and TCP/IP installed
Workgroup is the same as LAN domain
File and print sharing is enabled

Why after removing DNS server would this occur. Do I have to manually enter computer acct in server Db, this was not an issue previously. As I did mention they were able to connect until DNS was removed. Might there be a domain browser contention, if so how do I determine.

Any help is highly appreciated.

 

[Jpoandl]

Possible explaination for PING problems. Usually when administrators set up the DNS server, they allow DNS to query WINS. In other words, if the DNS server can't resolve something, the request goes to WINS. This is a forwarding from the DNS server to WINS.

Ping is a function of DNS. When you ping, you first look to your local cache and then to the DNS server...and then to NETBIOS resolution. So, when you try to ping NTSERVER5 (and NTSERVER5 is not in DNS), DNS will forward to WINS and resolution will occur.

Maybe your DNS server was set up in the same way. Now that its gone, your PING results are not the same.

Check this technet article out:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q267/9/63.ASP

When you took the DNS server down, did you change the clients so that thier TCP/IP properties no longer point to it? It will slow down your resolution if you still have an invalid DNS server listed in the TCP/IP properties.

Check this Technet article out on name resolution:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q172/2/18.ASP

OK...DNS aside. Maybe you are having a Master Browse problem. (Although, it seems that everthing was working before DNS was changed.) I would check Event Viewer on your server to see if frequent Master Browser elections are occuring. (I think its an 8003 error).

Also make sure your routers don't allow TCP ports 137 and 138 through. Many people need to allow certain types of broadcasts through the routers for DHCP (BootP). However, you should be sure that you don't allow Netbios broadcasts through the routers. If you do, you could run into unwanted Master Browser elections. The elections could cause browsing problems...incomplete browse lists...etc.

Hope some of this helps.

Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000