Can ping PDC by name, but BDC won't connect etc (??!!)

[Scarpa]

Have set up a BDC from scratch on a remote subnet (over serial leased line). The rest of the remote subnet is a peer-to-peer workgroup of one Win2k Server (no AD) and Win98 and Win2kPro clients. The main site is an established and reliable NT domain.

Initially all looked great: SAM was synchronised, could see and use all resources at the main site and fire up Server Manager, User Manager for Domains etc. with v quick response times. Even sent a triumphant message to print on a printer at the main site.

After doing some other stuff at the remote site, repeatedly tried to log in again and found a series of errors including netlogon hanging, RPC server unavailable, redirector timeouts, no DC...

Initially I could ping the main site's router and another BDC there, but not the PDC. I got someone at the main site to remove a reference to a second router, and then could immediately ping the PDC by IP or name. Have rebooted both PDC and remote BDC and many more suggestions from MS KB (eg reinstall NetBIOS services), all to no avail. Everything I can check on PDC and BDC looks normal, but NT communication is not working. In Network Neighbourhood I cannot browse anything across the subnet from either side.

Maybe unconnected, but browsing the WORKGROUP at the remote site is also very slow, though ping times both local and remote are good (3-5ms and 30-35ms respectively).

Any pointers gratefully received. I am considering reinstalling the BDC from scratch again, with a new name.

David Hills
R H Partnership Architects
Cambridge UK

 

[peterve]

set up a WINS server,
let all your domain controllers & clients point to that WINS server..
(best solution)
or
implement static LMHOSTS files (although this is harder to manage & keep up to date)
(alternative solution, will work, but not preferred)
I have not failed, I just found 10000 ways that don't work

Peter Van Eeckhoutte
peter.ve@pandora.be

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[Maruis]

Disable your W2K as master browser it will take over the function be default.
You must do it in the reg.

Hope this helps

 

[Scarpa]

Hi guys and thanks for your replies,

peterve: I already have WINS service on PDC, and both PDC and BDC point to this as primary WINS server (no secondary). On top of that, I tried LMHOSTS on the BDC with one line pointing to the PDC, with the line:

192.168.101.1 PRE: DOM:domainname

Marius: Problem exists with the Win2k server off the network too.

Any other thoughts? I'm speculating out of ignorance, but should I somehow try to wipe the PDC's record of the BDC (while it is off-line) and then restart the BDC to see if it refreshes? --------------------------
David Hills
R H Partnership Architects
Cambridge UK
--------------------------

 

[Highland]

Could it be a routing problem....????? What was the line that was removed referencing another router...???? R U using static routes....???

 

[jahlmer]

I suggest applying service pack first and foremost, and also verify that all of your workstations have their browse masters disabled (file and printer sharing properties)... otherwise you could be having forced elections and the whole ms browser service mess.

 

[Scarpa]

Thanks for the latest advice.

All is now well. I don't know the cause, but I did get someone to use Server Manager on the PDC to manually disconnect the BDC, which was shown with a (persumably redndant) connection. After waiting overnight, the BDC connected normally and all has been well since.

Jahlmer: Someone else yesterday mentioned to disable browsemaster on the Win9x clients - whether or not it was part of the problem here, but I'll definitely do this anyway. --------------------------
David Hills
R H Partnership Architects
Cambridge UK
--------------------------