NetBIOS Name Resolution Problem in Windows 2000 and XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nick
  • Start date Start date
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Nick

Hi,

I have a small home LAN consisting of a Windows 2000 box and an XP box
connected through an Ethernet switch (a 4-port cable/DSL router from
Linksys, actually). "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and
Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" are enabled on both machines,
and NetBIOS is enabled over TCP/IP.

The Windows 2000 machine can see the XP machine in "My Network
Places", and I can use the shares on the XP machine with no problems.
However, the XP machine can't see the Windows 2000 machine in My
Network Places, and if I type the 2000 machine's NetBIOS name manually
in Explorer on the XP machine (\\W2K_Machine_Name), the network path
can't be found. However, if I type the 2000 machine's IP address
(\\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx), it works and I can then use the shares on the
2000 machine from the XP machine. This suggests that the NetBIOS name
resolution isn't working properly for some reason, but it's a very
simple LAN with only 2 machines, so I don't know what the problem is.
I'm not using a WINS server or LMHOSTS file, BTW (I'm relying on
broadcasts for the name resolution); it should work, right?

My questions are:
1) Why isn't the Windows 2000 machine visible in My Network Places
from the XP machine, although the XP machine is visible from the 2000
machine?

2) Why isn't the NetBIOS name resolution working?

Thanks,
-Nick
 
Nick said:
Hi,

I have a small home LAN consisting of a Windows 2000 box and an XP box
connected through an Ethernet switch (a 4-port cable/DSL router from
Linksys, actually). "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and
Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" are enabled on both machines,
and NetBIOS is enabled over TCP/IP.

The Windows 2000 machine can see the XP machine in "My Network
Places", and I can use the shares on the XP machine with no problems.
However, the XP machine can't see the Windows 2000 machine in My
Network Places, and if I type the 2000 machine's NetBIOS name manually
in Explorer on the XP machine (\\W2K_Machine_Name), the network path
can't be found. However, if I type the 2000 machine's IP address
(\\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx), it works and I can then use the shares on the
2000 machine from the XP machine. This suggests that the NetBIOS name
resolution isn't working properly for some reason, but it's a very
simple LAN with only 2 machines, so I don't know what the problem is.
I'm not using a WINS server or LMHOSTS file, BTW (I'm relying on
broadcasts for the name resolution); it should work, right?

My questions are:
1) Why isn't the Windows 2000 machine visible in My Network Places
from the XP machine, although the XP machine is visible from the 2000
machine?

2) Why isn't the NetBIOS name resolution working?

Thanks,
-Nick
Click to expand...

Could be .....

Re. Q1. Could be that the updating hasn't taken place / browser election
ensuing. Updates may take 15mins - so does the problem persist that long? If
you ping the ip of the "invisible" system and it responds, do you then get
the system appearing in the network places (after closing/re-opening that
window - forcing it to check again). Is either box running a firewall - if
so is the local IP allowed? Has any of the boxes gone to automated local IP
because they expect a DHCP server and cannot find it - Thus putting it out
of the local subnet until it gets a DHCP response - "ipconfig" command will
give you this info.

Q2. Depending on the outcome of 1, it may be working ok.

HTH.
 
Hi,

I have a small home LAN consisting of a Windows 2000 box and an XP box
connected through an Ethernet switch (a 4-port cable/DSL router from
Linksys, actually). "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and
Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" are enabled on both machines,
and NetBIOS is enabled over TCP/IP.

The Windows 2000 machine can see the XP machine in "My Network
Places", and I can use the shares on the XP machine with no problems.
However, the XP machine can't see the Windows 2000 machine in My
Network Places, and if I type the 2000 machine's NetBIOS name manually
in Explorer on the XP machine (\\W2K_Machine_Name), the network path
can't be found. However, if I type the 2000 machine's IP address
(\\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx), it works and I can then use the shares on the
2000 machine from the XP machine. This suggests that the NetBIOS name
resolution isn't working properly for some reason, but it's a very
simple LAN with only 2 machines, so I don't know what the problem is.
I'm not using a WINS server or LMHOSTS file, BTW (I'm relying on
broadcasts for the name resolution); it should work, right?

My questions are:
1) Why isn't the Windows 2000 machine visible in My Network Places
from the XP machine, although the XP machine is visible from the 2000
machine?

2) Why isn't the NetBIOS name resolution working?

Thanks,
-Nick
Click to expand...

1. Permanently disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on
local area network connections -- it's for use only on a direct modem
connection to the Internet. Disable and un-install all other
firewalls while troubleshooting. Details here:

Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/ic_firewall.htm

2. Use only one protocol for File and Printer Sharing. If the network
needs more than one protocol, unbind File and Printer Sharing from all
but one of them. Details here:

Windows XP Network Protocols
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/network_protocols.htm

3. Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers.
Details here:

Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (NetBT)
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/netbt.htm

4. Run "ipconfig /all" on XP and look at the "Node Type" at the
beginning of the output. If it says "Peer-to-Peer" (which should
actually be "Point-to-Point") that's the problem. It means that the
computer only uses a WINS server, which isn't available on a
peer-to-peer network for NetBIOS name resolution.

If that's the case, run the registry editor, open this key:

HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters

and delete these values if they're present:

NodeType
DhcpNodeType

Reboot, then try network access again.

If that doesn't fix it, open that registry key again, create a DWORD
value called "NodeType", and set it to 1 for "Broadcast" or 4 for
"Mixed".

For details, see these Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Default Node Type for Microsoft Clients
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;160177

TCP/IP and NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314053
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Thanks Steve, the problem is #4 in your list (the node type of the XP
machine is "Peer to Peer" so it's not using broadcasts). I'll change
it as you suggest and I'll let you know what happens. By the way, a
node type of 8 would also work, right? It would query the WINS server
first (which doesn't exist at home), and when that fails it will use
broadcasts; this is good, because at work there *is* a WINS server.

Thanks,
-Nick
 
Thanks Steve, the problem is #4 in your list (the node type of the XP
machine is "Peer to Peer" so it's not using broadcasts). I'll change
it as you suggest and I'll let you know what happens. By the way, a
node type of 8 would also work, right? It would query the WINS server
first (which doesn't exist at home), and when that fails it will use
broadcasts; this is good, because at work there *is* a WINS server.

Thanks,
-Nick
Click to expand...

You're welcome, Nick. Yes, a node type of 8 (Hybrid) should work
fine. It will query the WINS server first, then use broadcasts.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
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