WINS Server not working across router?

[pray11342]

Sounds like the problems Coolmarine24 was having, but can't find a resolution there?

We have a Novell 5.1 network, and recently installed a Windows 2000 server on the network to handle an imaging application.

Our network has 2 physical segments; they are routed by the Novell server. There are client PCs that will use the imaging app on both networks. The Win 2000 server is a workgroup server, NOT a Domain Server. In order for the imaging app to work correctly, the client PCs need to map a drive to the imaging server.

I have set up a WINS Server on the Win 2000 server. All the PCs in the Workgroup on both segments of the LAN are registering on the WINS database.

I have not set up DNS or DHCP. If I read the MS manuals correctly, I shouldn’t need DNS, and DHCP is working fine on the Novell Server.

Here is the problem. Workstations on LAN segment A cannot see the Workstations (or more importantly, the Server) on the LAN segment B in Network Neighborhood.

Computers on each segment show all PCs in the workgroup in Network Neighborhood THAT ARE LOCATED ON THE SAME LAN SEGMENT.

Nothing that I have tried so far will make Network Neighborhood show all the PCs in the workgroup.

One PC on LAN A sees one of the PCs on LAN B. The PC that it can see on LAN B is running Win XP Professional. I suspect that it is visible because of the operating system, and not through the WINS server.

I have set up DHCP services in Novell to route the NetBIOS over TCP/IP between the 2 segments. The Novell Router has been working forever, I can ping any PC from any other PC.

Workstations are running Win 98 SE, two stations are running Win XP Pro. All client PCs have the Novell Client and the Client for Microsoft Networks installed. The server runs Win 2000 Server, latest service Pack.

I have tried entering the address of the WINS server in the Network Properties --> TCP/IP --> EthernetAdapter<-->Properties --> WINS Configuration Tab.

I have tried Using DHCP for WINS Resolution on the same tab.

Either way, when I run ipconfig /all on the clients PCs, it lists the WINS server ip address correctly.

Thanks for any help,




Paul Ray

Programming Languages -- .BAT Files

Preffered editor -- EDLIN

 

[Jpoandl]

This problem may not have anything to do with WINS. WINS gives you COMPUTERNAME to IP resolution (SERVER1 = 10.10.10.1)

WINS does not give you a browse list. A browse list comes from MasterBrowse elections.

The Novell server splitting the two networks is not allowing the Browse traffic to pass through it. Therefore, you can only see one side of the network.

Make sure all computers are in the same workgroup too..

I'm not sure what the answer is here...maybe someone else can help. But I think this should at least get you in the right direction.

You may just want to tell your users the IP address or name of the server..make a batch file to get the mapping?

Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please check out

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(Sales@njcomputernetworks.com)

 

[Seaspray0]

I suspect the DNS on the Novel server is not capable of handling the service records for the windows server and it doesn't even have a host record for the windows server to begin with since you can't see it on the network.

 

[pray11342]

Thanks, Jpoandl,

Your discussion of browser elections brought back a dim memory for me or another problem, and it brought back a lot more than that in GOOGLE.

I read up on browser elections, and went ahead and rigged the election on our LAN so the WIN Server is the Master Browser. Alas, there was no difference in the Network Neighborhood.

Here is more information on Browser elections than you can digest in a few minutes --

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...indows2000serv/reskit/tcpip/part4/tcpappi.asp

It seems that each subnet on a Network Domain will have a Master Browser, and there is a Domain Master Browser also

-- Quote

&quot;When a domain spans multiple subnets, the master browser of each subnet announces itself as the master browser to the domain master browser, using a directed datagram called a MasterBrowserAnnouncement. The domain master browser then sends a remote NetServerEnum API call to each master browser, to collect the list of servers from each subnet. The domain master browser merges the server list from each subnet master browser with its own server list, forming the browse list for the domain. This process is repeated every 12 minutes to ensure that the domain master browser has a complete browse list of all the servers in the domain.

Note The Domain Master Browser must be able to resolve the server name of each master browser on a TCP/IP network (using WINS, for example). Each Master Browser must be able to resolve the DOMAIN[1B] name as well as the Primary Domain Controllers machine name.&quot;

-- End Quote

All this is very interesting, but with a single server and less than a dozen clients, we are set up as a WorkGroup, not a Domain.

Just a little further in the discussion I find this little Gem, straight from the horse's mouth at Microsoft --

-- Quote

&quot;Note: Windows workgroups cannot span multiple networks. Any Windows workgroup that spans subnets actually functions as two separate workgroups with identical names.&quot;

-- End Quote

In all the searching I have done for 3 weeks about this problem, this is the very first time that I have run across that statement!

It explains my problem, and other folks with the same problem in this forum, and many others that I have found in google searches.

However, the network has been doing its very best to make me understand the truth of the above statement. It certainly confirms what I observed.

So, in order to wrestle our network into submission, it seems that I must re-configure it as a Domain, which will be another adventure entirely.

Thanks for the help. See you all on Tek-Tips.


Paul Ray

Programming Languages -- .BAT Files

Preffered editor -- EDLIN