Master Browser Elections in Mac/Windows workgroup environment

[Greg Grimes]

Help! The Macs in our workgroup environment keep winning browser
elections. The problem with this is that SMB does not do a
comprehensive job of listing all of the systems in our network.
Typically, with one of the Macs as a master browser, about half of the
systems in our environment appear in the browse list, the other half
don't. With any windows system as master browser, they all appear
without problem.

My question is whether setting the registry key "IsDomainMaster" to
"Yes" on one of our workgroup servers will make it the preferred
master for the workgroup since we don't have a domain? I know it says
"IsDomainMaster," but though it might work in either case.

Also, does anyone know if there is a key that can be created that will
absolutely force the server of my choice to win any election, kind of
like the "os level = 255" in Linux/OS X? Obviously this would be ideal
as I don't want to end up having to edit the smb.conf file on every
new Mac we put on our network. Apple! GRRRRRR!!

Thanks for any help.

Greg

 

[John Wunderlich]

My question is whether setting the registry key "IsDomainMaster" to
"Yes" on one of our workgroup servers will make it the preferred
master for the workgroup since we don't have a domain? I know it says
"IsDomainMaster," but though it might work in either case.

For some explainations, see:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/prcf_omn_mzox.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../server/reskit/en-us/tcpip/part4/tcpappi.mspx

HTH,
John