Domain Master Browser and Browse lists

[sharyn]

Hi,

I would like to know if there is a command that will allow me to see where my client box is getting it's network neighborhood browse list from.

I was thinking one of the net stat type commands would work but I dont know which one.

What I am trying to do is see which box is acting as the master browser at a certain time that I pull up network neighborhood on my client boxes.

Thanks in advance
Sharyn

 

[JayKarabin]

install the windows 2000 support tools from the install cd.

you then can, from a command prompt type:

browstat status

you can see who is the master browser and backups

 

[sharyn]

Ok, but is there any way to see EXACTLY which server is supplyling the browse list at any given time?

For example, if I have a box that is the domain master, and it's unable to be contacted, and I have 3 backup browsers, is there a way to tell which backup is supplying the browse list.

If anyone remembers me, I am STILL having issues with Network Neighborhood, but had to put it aside for awhile due to other responsibilities. Now I'm researching it again.

Thanks,
Sharyn

 

[sharyn]

Next question:

When I run browstat status on my win2k DC which is set to be my master browser, I get responses for "status for domain FDC on transport"

and it lists 10 different transports. Browsing is active on some, such as \device\nbf_{bunch of letters, numbers and dashes}

Browsing is not active on \device\nbf_NdisWANnbOUT {bunch of numbers, letters and dashes}

Some of the ones that tell me browsing is not active also give me a message about master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus.

But then, I have entries for \device\NetBT_tcpip_ {bunch of numbers and dashes,etc}, one entry tells me the correct domain master browser, and the correct backups.

A different entry for the \device\NetBt_tcipip tells me that the master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus but browsing is active.

Can anyone interpret this? I feel as though the answers to my browsing problems are right here but I dont know what exactly im looking at. I would guess that the NetBt_tcpip entries are the impt ones, but I dont understand why one would be correct and the other not.

Is there another list devoted soley to this? Any other resources?

Thanks!
Sharyn

 

[GlenJohnson]

Do you have browsing turned on the clients? If so go to event viewer if w2k pro's and they will show you who they think the master browser is. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
gjohn76351@msn.com
"It is wise to disclose what cannot be concealed".
Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805); German dramatist.

 

[sharyn]

I cant find any entries in my event viewer about browsing, however, I did install the win2k server tools on my desktop which is a win2k pro box. When I run browstat status from my desktop, it tells me the correct box is the master browser.

For some reason, my domain master browser is not receiving complete browse lists would be my guess..but why????????

 

[brontosaurus]

Hi Sharyn. Those "\device\NetBT_tcpip_ {bunch of numbers and dashes,etc}" that you see are your NIC cards. The entries with WAN in them are most likely some kind of dial-up connection entry. To make a long story short, any network connection entry you have or create would be included as a possible transport for browsing services. Now, to answer your original question, I don't believe that Browsing works in the same way as say WINS or DNS, wherein if you were to query one and get no response, you move on to the next. Rather, I believe that if a client system does not get a response from a Local Master Browser it can initiate an election. The backup Browsers and Potential Browsers decide which machine will become the new Master Browser for that subnet. So, in my rather long-winded way, I am saying that you always receive browse lists from the current Master Browser.

 

[sharyn]

OK..after poking in my registry, here is what I have found:

First off, there is only ONE NIC in this box, and it's set with a 192.168.x.x internal address. I have set the win2k dc registry entry for domainmasterbrowser to be true always so it should always be the master browser for the domain.

But, after doing searches for those values in my registry, I have found something really odd.

Under HKEY_localmachine\system\controlset001\services\NetBt\parameters\interfaces\tcpip {and all the numbers}, I have found both \device\netBT entries, the one that lists correct backups and the one that lists the incorrect ones. Further, one of these entries seems to be missing some keys. When I compare the two, the key for nameserver is missing the IP address of my dc and is also missing the whole dword value for netbios options.

I wonder if this is causing the problems? The reason I was asking about determining the master browser at a certain time was that my browse lists are incomplete SOMETIMES and sometimes they are perfect. Now I'm begining to wonder whether these 2 entries, one of them seeming to be incomplete, is hosing things up. The browse lists seem to flip flop back and forth between being complete and incomplete, and now I have found two registry entries, for the device\netbt_tcpip, once complete, one incomplete.

I don't want to start adding /deleting registry keys till Im sure i know what effect its going to have. The entry that has the correct settings for the nameserver key and the netbios options, also has another transport device that browsing is active on. It's a device\nbf and the same numbers/letters/dashes/ as the device\netBt_tcpip that has the complete registry entry.

Have i hit on something perhaps??? I sure wish i knew where I could find a resource that explains what these keys mean! Poking around in the registry of my dc makes me realyyyyy uneasy!