Lmhosts settings

[Joe M]

In a Lmhost file.. is it possible to put

193.168.100.0 #PRE #DOM: DIEHARD3 #Vpn connected
network.
194.168.100.23 oxy.tommi.local #PRE #DOM: Tommi #My network
.....

without the computer name entry in the VPN connected network. Would this
mapped the Domain DIEHARD3 to the 193.168.100.0 subnet.
I want to do this because this is a VPN domain . I am currently connected to
my network while also having a VPN connection into different network.
Everytime I log onto the VPN connections. My network browsing seems to slow
down significantly. I even uncheck "use default gateway on remote network",
made no difference. By using the Lmhosts file would it speed things up??

 

[Herb Martin]

I don't think so -- but you can try it.

If it fails just put a dummy name in there or the actual
name of that Domain Controller.

Why wouldn't you want to specify the DC name?

It must be a DC to make sense, and every DC has a
machine name (as a DC.)

 

[Bill Grant]

Setting a #DOM: entry won't do anything for browsing. It only specifies
the domain controller for domain login. (That is, it defines the special
Netbios name <domainname 1C> .) To find the domain master browser on
the remote network, you would need an Lmhosts entry for the special name
<domainname 1B> . You would have to enter it using blanks to pad the
domain name to 15 characters, then enter the special character as \0x1b.
eg

193.168.100.25 "domainname \0x1b" #PRE

 

[Herb Martin]

Setting a #DOM: entry won't do anything for browsing. It only
specifies

the domain controller for domain login. (That is, it defines the special

If you need the LMHOSTS file for browsing you most
likely need (some) #DOM for domain authentication and/or
replication however.

Do you know the answer to his question about leaving out the
DC name?

--

 

[Bill Grant]

Herb,
Have never tried it! I can't see how a mapping to a subnet address
would work, though.

 

[Marc Reynolds [MSFT]]

Using a subnet IP rather thatn a host IP and not putting the DC name likely
will not work (i've never heard of anyone trying this before and don't know
why you would want to do this) because the client is looking for a specific
machine or groupd of machines when it looks for the Domain 1Ch record.

As Bill notes the Domain 1Bh record is the key for browsing.

Thanks,
Marc Reynolds
Microsoft Technical Support

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Herb Martin]

Using a subnet IP rather thatn a host IP and not putting the DC name likely
will not work (i've never heard of anyone trying this before and don't know
why you would want to do this) because the client is looking for a specific
machine or groupd of machines when it looks for the Domain 1Ch record.

Pretty much my opinion but one thing I never addressed.

I am certain (as certain as I can be without testing it) that using
a "subnet range" will NOT WORK.

I didn't assume that from his post 192.168.100.0 was a subnet
(it doesn't have to be) -- I presumed he was using a shorter (than
3 octet) mask or just being sloppy on that part.

Leaving out the name might work -- not using AN ADDRESS is
almost certainly not going to work (but will function for loading
the LMHOSTS file without errors I bet, since the lmhosts has
not way to "know" the mask in use.)

 

[Bill Grant]

The point I can't see is why he would want to set up a #DOM entry for the
domain which is over the VPN. You cannot be in two domains at once.

If you are logged into a local domain, you have to use some other method
to access the resorces on the remote domain. If you want to be logged into
the remote domain, the best method is to use the "login using a dialup
connection" in the login dialog box.

Once you have done a login (either a local login to your workstation or
alogin to your home domain), you have to work with these credentials.

But setting up an entry for the remote browse master makes sense. When a
remote client tries to get a browse list, it tries to resolve the DMB name
to its IP. This will just sit there for a long time if the remote LAN isn't
running WINS. (The client just keeps sending requests to the name server,
getting no reply). Having this preloaded in the cache should speed it up.

 

[Joe M]

Thanks folks. Bill, it is my wish to be in two domain at once. That's is I
am always connected to my local Network. And sometimes also connected to
another Network through VPN. Everytime I connected to VPN I will loose the
browsing capability for my local network. It is my wish to browse computers
smoothly in my own network and also use the VPN connections superbly.
And it's impossible for me to setup TRUST because it's two different
company. What's my best option??

The point I can't see is why he would want to set up a #DOM entry for the
domain which is over the VPN. You cannot be in two domains at once.

If you are logged into a local domain, you have to use some other method
to access the resorces on the remote domain. If you want to be logged into
the remote domain, the best method is to use the "login using a dialup
connection" in the login dialog box.

Once you have done a login (either a local login to your workstation or
alogin to your home domain), you have to work with these credentials.

But setting up an entry for the remote browse master makes sense. When a
remote client tries to get a browse list, it tries to resolve the DMB name
to its IP. This will just sit there for a long time if the remote LAN isn't
running WINS. (The client just keeps sending requests to the name server,
getting no reply). Having this preloaded in the cache should speed it up.

 

[Herb Martin]

Thanks folks. Bill, it is my wish to be in two domain at once.

Not really possible -- you can ONLY be "in one domain" at a time.

You have an Account which makes you a member of that domain;
and you logon to it -- that's your one domain to be "in".

You can "see" or "browse" multiple domains at one time; and you
can "authenticate" in more than one domain (to use resources); you
can even be in A domain that is trusted by other domains to allow
resource access.

The only one which is really relavent to LMHOSTS is the "browse"
issue -- ok maybe the trusts.

If it is a multiple domain issue you should probably use WINS;
we were led to believe it was an RRAS performance issue.

 

[Herb Martin]

Browsing multiple domains requires that the "Domain Master
Browsers" (DMB) can 'find' each other -- there are three ways:

Broadcasts -- generally only the same subnet
LMHOSTS - on each server with the records you are exploring
set so each can find the other
Common WINS database -- same WINS server or servers which
replicate their database to each other

WINS is by far the best solution and it also solves the related sub-problem
of the "Master Browsers" for each subnet, for each domain, finding/being
found by their respective DMB.

Usually (almost always) the DMB is the PDC (NT4) or the "PDC Emulator"
(Win2000+)

The Master Browsers can be ANY Windows network machine (starting
with Windows for Workgroups 3.1) but usually it the "highest ranking"/"
most recent" OS version (DC, servers, workstations -- 2003 over 2000
over NT etc.)

WINS does not enable browsing but the Browse Masters use WINS
as the "locator" service if it is available.

It also helps with legacy machines on subnets where there is no DC.
(The use WINS to find a DC entry.)