'My Network Places' Browse Issues

[Buford T. Justice]

I am working on a business network of 10+ computers. Most are Windows XP
Pro, but there are Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 98, & Windows NT computers in
the mix along with a Windows 2000 Server that is simply used for file
storage. These computers are networked to a 24 port switch which has a DSL
modem/router hooked up to it that does DHCP through the switch. When going
to My Network Places on XP & 2000, computers that are sharing files &
folders are not listed. They can be accessed by typing in \\<COMPUTERNAME>.
Is this a Computer Browser / Master Browser issue in Services? Should it be
set to automatic on all machines or enabled only on one machine (Windows
2000 Server) while disabled on all the others?

Also in My Network Places, when I click on Entire Network and the WORKGROUP
is listed, I usually cannot browse the network at all when double-clicking
on the WORKGROUP. Is that also related to Computer Browser / Master
Browser?

Thanks,
BTJustice

 

[Chuck]

I am working on a business network of 10+ computers. Most are Windows XP
Pro, but there are Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 98, & Windows NT computers in
the mix along with a Windows 2000 Server that is simply used for file
storage. These computers are networked to a 24 port switch which has a DSL
modem/router hooked up to it that does DHCP through the switch. When going
to My Network Places on XP & 2000, computers that are sharing files &
folders are not listed. They can be accessed by typing in \\<COMPUTERNAME>.
Is this a Computer Browser / Master Browser issue in Services? Should it be
set to automatic on all machines or enabled only on one machine (Windows
2000 Server) while disabled on all the others?

Also in My Network Places, when I click on Entire Network and the WORKGROUP
is listed, I usually cannot browse the network at all when double-clicking
on the WORKGROUP. Is that also related to Computer Browser / Master
Browser?

Thanks,
BTJustice

BT,

This could well be a master browser problem.

If you have Windows 98 and Windows NT/2K/XP computers on the LAN, you could have
a problem. The browsers for WinXP (WinNT/2K/XP) and Win98 (Win95/98/ME) don't
work well together on the same LAN.

For a LAN with 10+ computers, you should probably have 2 or maybe 3 computers
running the browser service. And they have to all be running Windows 98, or
Windows NT/2K. Please don't mix operating system types.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time, from
any Windows NT/2K system.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>
<http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path on any Windows NT/2K computer,
and run it from a command window, by "browstat status". Make sure all computers
list the same master browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx>

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

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Assuming it is a master browser problem, how many and which OS computers
should be running it? Like one of the Win98 machines and one of the Win2K
machines and one of the WinXP machines? Or just the Windows 2000 Server?

Thanks,
BTJustice

 

[Kadaitcha Man]

Assuming it is a master browser problem, how many and which OS
computers should be running it?

Everything that might confuse you has been snipped, you stupid, ****headed,
top-posting cuntplug.

 

[Kadaitcha Man]

Assuming it is a master browser problem, how many and which OS
computers should be running it?

Everything that might confuse you has been snipped, you stupid, ****headed,
top-posting cuntplug.

Only one more mouthful, ****tard.

 

[Kadaitcha Man]

Assuming it is a master browser problem, how many and which OS
computers should be running it?

All there, in three easy bites, you snotfucked ****.

 

[Chuck]

Assuming it is a master browser problem, how many and which OS computers
should be running it? Like one of the Win98 machines and one of the Win2K
machines and one of the WinXP machines? Or just the Windows 2000 Server?

BT,

The Windows 2000 server should be the master browser, and you should designate 2
of the WinXP computers as backups.
1) Check the browser service on all Windows NT/2K/XP computers. Control Panel
- Administrative Tools - Services.
2) On the browser Windows NT/2K/XP computers, verify that the Computer Browser,
and the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started.
3) On the non-browser Windows NT/2K/XP computers, Stop AND Disable the browser
service.
4) On the Windows 98 computers, stop the browse master:
http://www.compudentsystems.com/documentation/win98.html
http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html

Restart all computers except the server, which should ensure that the server
becomes or remains the master browser.

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