Cannot Browse Workgroup

[Steve Moss]

Yes, I understand this is a frequently asked question and yes, I have
read the related threads here (and on various other places on the
'net), unfortunately without a resolution.

Here's my situation:

- A small (three machines) workgroup on a single class C subnet, all
PCs running Windows XP Pro with SP2, with one acting as an internet
gateway.
- Gateway machine has two NICs: one to a cable modem, the other to the
LAN. Firewall protects boundary, but does not filter or block traffic
on the internal LAN NIC.
- Each machine has a fixed IP and can ping all others, both by IP
address and computer name.
- Explicit UNC paths to known shared resources works OK on all machines
- On each machine, "net view \\computername" command works OK for all
computernames, but "net view" command (i.e., to browse workgroup) fails
with error 6118.
- Attempts to browse workgroup in Network Neighbourhood fail on all
machines.

Now, this is a browsing issue, as the "browstat status" command
indicates that browsing is NOT active on the domain (sic).

On each machine, the MaintainServerList registry value is set to "Auto"
and the IsDomainMaster value to "FALSE".

The Computer Browser service is set to 'automatic' on all machines, but
whenever one of them is started manually, it eventually times out and
closes. The Event Viewer shows an error with event id 7023, stating:

"The Computer Browser service terminated with the following error:
This operation returned because the timeout period expired."

This is causing problems for some applications, which need to browse
the workgroup. Does anyone have any idea of how to solve this?

Some more info ... I have VMWare on one of the nachines, and if I start
a Win2K guest OS in VMWare then the guest OS - AND ALL WinXP MACHINES
ON THE NETWORK - can successfully browse the workgroup(!), and the
Computer Browser service on the Win2K virtual machine successfully
elects as the master browser (as illustrated by a "browstat status"
command on any of the machines). So for some reason, the Computer
Browser service on all of the WinXP machines fails to elect itself as
master.

I have also tried setting the MaintainServerList registry value to
"Yes" and the IsDomainMaster value to "TRUE" on each of the WinXP
machines in turn, again without success.

 

[Chuck]

Yes, I understand this is a frequently asked question and yes, I have
read the related threads here (and on various other places on the
'net), unfortunately without a resolution.

Here's my situation:

- A small (three machines) workgroup on a single class C subnet, all
PCs running Windows XP Pro with SP2, with one acting as an internet
gateway.
- Gateway machine has two NICs: one to a cable modem, the other to the
LAN. Firewall protects boundary, but does not filter or block traffic
on the internal LAN NIC.
- Each machine has a fixed IP and can ping all others, both by IP
address and computer name.
- Explicit UNC paths to known shared resources works OK on all machines
- On each machine, "net view \\computername" command works OK for all
computernames, but "net view" command (i.e., to browse workgroup) fails
with error 6118.
- Attempts to browse workgroup in Network Neighbourhood fail on all
machines.

Now, this is a browsing issue, as the "browstat status" command
indicates that browsing is NOT active on the domain (sic).

On each machine, the MaintainServerList registry value is set to "Auto"
and the IsDomainMaster value to "FALSE".

The Computer Browser service is set to 'automatic' on all machines, but
whenever one of them is started manually, it eventually times out and
closes. The Event Viewer shows an error with event id 7023, stating:

"The Computer Browser service terminated with the following error:
This operation returned because the timeout period expired."

This is causing problems for some applications, which need to browse
the workgroup. Does anyone have any idea of how to solve this?

Some more info ... I have VMWare on one of the nachines, and if I start
a Win2K guest OS in VMWare then the guest OS - AND ALL WinXP MACHINES
ON THE NETWORK - can successfully browse the workgroup(!), and the
Computer Browser service on the Win2K virtual machine successfully
elects as the master browser (as illustrated by a "browstat status"
command on any of the machines). So for some reason, the Computer
Browser service on all of the WinXP machines fails to elect itself as
master.

I have also tried setting the MaintainServerList registry value to
"Yes" and the IsDomainMaster value to "TRUE" on each of the WinXP
machines in turn, again without success.

Steve,

Without the browser service running, you're right, the computer certainly won't
become a domain browser. Do you see any errors in (Control Panel -
Administrative Tools) - Event Viewer when you're trying to start the browser?

What's the setting for TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper? That has to be running too.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

 

[Steve Moss]

Without the browser service running, you're right, the computer
certainly won't become a domain browser. Do you see any errors in
(Control Panel - Administrative Tools) - Event Viewer when you're
trying to start the browser?

As I said in my initial post, when I start the browser service it
starts OK, but after a while (a couple of minutes or more) it stops,
and the Event Viewer shows an error with event id 7023, stating:

"The Computer Browser service terminated with the following error:
This operation returned because the timeout period expired."

What's the setting for TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper? That has to be running
too.

Yes, that service is running - it starts automatically, and no errors
occur.

 

[Steve Moss]

Chuck:

Some more info, with a surprising twist...

I have the Windows Firewall service disabled on all WinXP machines. The
gateway machine is protected by another software firewall, and one of
the other machines (a notebook) runs a personal firewall.

Exasperated with the browsing problem I tried enabling and starting the
Windows Firewall service on one machine (though the Control Panel
sertting for the firewall was left as 'Off'). To my surprise, I find
the Computer Browser service on that machine will then become the
master browser, enabling proper browsing of the workgroup!

Even if I also auto-start and run the personal firewall in parallel to
the Windows Firewall service (not a good idea, I would have thought),
browsing still works OK.

If i turn both firewalls off, browsing is not possible again.

This is weird. Does the Computer Browser service really need the
Windows Firewall service in order to become elected as the master
browser? Surely not.

Also, a question that arises from all of this ... what does it mean to
have the Windows Firewall service running, but switched 'off' via
Control Panel? Is the Windows Firewall then providing protection (and
compromising any other personal firewall if present), or not?

Consider me confused.

 

[Chuck]

Chuck:

Some more info, with a surprising twist...

I have the Windows Firewall service disabled on all WinXP machines. The
gateway machine is protected by another software firewall, and one of
the other machines (a notebook) runs a personal firewall.

Exasperated with the browsing problem I tried enabling and starting the
Windows Firewall service on one machine (though the Control Panel
sertting for the firewall was left as 'Off'). To my surprise, I find
the Computer Browser service on that machine will then become the
master browser, enabling proper browsing of the workgroup!

Even if I also auto-start and run the personal firewall in parallel to
the Windows Firewall service (not a good idea, I would have thought),
browsing still works OK.

If i turn both firewalls off, browsing is not possible again.

This is weird. Does the Computer Browser service really need the
Windows Firewall service in order to become elected as the master
browser? Surely not.

Also, a question that arises from all of this ... what does it mean to
have the Windows Firewall service running, but switched 'off' via
Control Panel? Is the Windows Firewall then providing protection (and
compromising any other personal firewall if present), or not?

Consider me confused.

Steve,

The Windows Firewall service is designed to be on at all times.

The service is designed like a fusible link, that is, if it gets turned off,
rather than open everything up, everything stops - including browsing, as you
found out. This prevents your computer from becoming wide open, should a bit of
malware find its way onto your computer and stop the WF service.

If you do not wish to use the Windows Firewall, you should turn it off from the
WF Control Panel. If you want to use a third party firewall, you can either use
it with WF active (turned on from Control Panel), or with WF inactive (turned
off from Control Panel). But leave the service on, as you have discovered works
best.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

 

[Steve Moss]

Chuck:

I'm sorry, but I don't see the behaviour you describe. With the
firewall service stopped, all communication internal to and external to
the LAN appears to work correctly (except that the browsing services
fail, as I reported). Indeed, our third-party network firewall
automatically stops the Windows firewall service on startup and the
only detrimental effect I can see is to the browser service.

Surely, it must necessarily be that the Windows firewall service can be
stopped without preventing network communication, as otherwise many
third party firewalls would not be able to do their job.