How to enable SMB over TCP on Windows 2003 Server?

[Steve Hunter]

Hi,

I have a Windows 2003 Server on a domain that used to have several NT4 clients
but now is entirely 2000/XP, and so decided recently to dispense with the old
NetBIOS over TCP/IP and WINS protocols and move to just using CIFS and DNS.

I read these to find out what to do and check that everything was in place:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315267
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=204279

but it turns out that the server isn't running SMB over TCP on port 445. I
tested a client on it with NetBIOS/WINS disabled to confirm it and it couldn't
even join the domain.

The netstat command has this for port 445:

TCP 0.0.0.0:445 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING

No UDP though.. and when I try to connect manually to tcp 445 the connection
fails without being made.

When I run 'net config server' and 'net config workstation' it only lists
NetBT_Tcpip_{xxxxxxxx-something-xxxx} under 'Server is active on:' ..
according to the KB articles it should list 'NetbiosSMB' there too. Our Windows
2000 servers have this / port 445 enabled, it's just the Windows 2003 that is
the problem.

I've searched all over on how to enable NetbiosSMB but have drawn a blank.

Can anyone help please?

Thanks
Steve

 

[Michael Giorgio - MS MVP]

According to the article:

"NetbiosSmb is a global device, and is not bound on a per-adapter basis
direct-hosted SMB's cannot be disabled in Windows without disabling File
and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks completely "

 

[Bill Grant]

Also not that UDP is a connectionless protocol. It does not set up
sessions like TCP.

 

[Steve Hunter]

According to the article:

"NetbiosSmb is a global device, and is not bound on a per-adapter basis
direct-hosted SMB's cannot be disabled in Windows without disabling File
and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks completely "

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your response. However, my problem is that NetbiosSmb appears to be
totally disabled, despite 'Client for Microsoft Networks' and the 'File and
Print Sharing' being ticked in the Properties box of all network adapters on
the system.

I have tried deleting and reinstalling the network adapters, hoping that this
would set up NetbiosSmb protocol from scratch again too but it does not. I
really don't want to have to reinstall the entire server just to fix this one
component - there must be a simpler way of sorting it out but I have no idea
what it could be.

I would be most interested in knowing what the configuration -- in terms of
files and registry settings -- of a working NetbiosSmb on Windows 2003 Server
should be. Hopefully this would allow me too see what is wrong with my server
here.

Regards
Steve

 

[Michael Giorgio - MS MVP]

Have you tried to disable and renable file and print
sharing? If so then try rebuilding the protocol by
disabling then re-enabling tcp/ip.

 

[Steve Hunter]

Have you tried to disable and renable file and print
sharing? If so then try rebuilding the protocol by
disabling then re-enabling tcp/ip.

I tried both of these, unfortunately to no avail.

Steve