problem seeing all computers in a workgroup

[irrelevantelephant]

On my network I have 1 workgroup containing mostly w2k pro machines with a
couple of NT servers, a couple of w2k servers and a couple of w2k3 servers.
The network contains a DNS server and WINS server. All machines have static
IP addresses.

If on any machine, I go to 'My Network Places' and access the Workgroup I
can only see those machines which have the same default gateway as the
machine I am on.
E.g. if I'm on a machine with IP address 10.1.10.20, subnet mask
255.255.255.255, default gateway 10.1.10.1 then I can only see machines
with IP addresses that start 10.1.10.
I see the same machines in 'Computers Near Me'.

All machines have the following network protocols installed: Client for
Microsoft Network, File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks, TCP/IP.
The Computer Browser service is running on all machines. All machines have
the correct IP addresses for the DNS and WINS. I can ping and map drives to
all machines, regardless of whether I can see them in the Workgroup or not.

So the question comes in 2 parts...
1. Is it normal behaviour to only be able to see machines with the same
default gateway as you in the Workgroup? If not, what could cause this.

2. Sometimes when a machine is booted up and connects to the network, you
cannot access the workgroup. The message is 'Workgroup is not accessible.
Network path not found' but I can still ping and map drives to all
machines. What could the cause of this be?
When this happens I have left the machine for up to 3 hours before trying
again, with the same results. If I reboot and try again then normally I can
access the Workgroup straight away. This happens occasionally on most
machines and not just on the same troublesome machine.

This isn't really causing any problems because everyone can access
everything they need to on the network, its just frustrating not knowing
what it could be and if it is a symptom of something else.

 

[John Wunderlich]

If on any machine, I go to 'My Network Places' and access the
Workgroup I can only see those machines which have the same
default gateway as the machine I am on.
E.g. if I'm on a machine with IP address 10.1.10.20, subnet mask
255.255.255.255, default gateway 10.1.10.1 then I can only see
machines with IP addresses that start 10.1.10.
I see the same machines in 'Computers Near Me'.

I think you really mean subnet mask 255.255.255.0. I believe what
you are trying to say here is that you can only see other machines
on the same subnet that you are in.

[...] All machines have the correct IP
addresses for the DNS and WINS. I can ping and map drives to all
machines, regardless of whether I can see them in the Workgroup or
not.

So the question comes in 2 parts...

1. Is it normal behaviour to only be able to see machines with the
same default gateway as you in the Workgroup? If not, what could
cause this.

Specifying a WINS server in the IP configuration makes the node a
H-node (Hybrid Node) by default (see ipconfig /all). A Hybrid node
is a P-node (peer-to-peer) but defaults to a B-node (broadcast) if
it can't resolve names via the name server (WINS). So what you are
seeing here is a failure of your WINS server to resolve names so
your computer resorts to broadcasting (on the local node) to pick up
available computers. Broadcasts do not pass through gateways, so
all you get are computers on your own subnet.

2. Sometimes when a machine is booted up and connects to the
network, you cannot access the workgroup. The message is
'Workgroup is not accessible. Network path not found' but I can
still ping and map drives to all machines. What could the cause of
this be? When this happens I have left the machine for up to 3
hours before trying again, with the same results. If I reboot and
try again then normally I can access the Workgroup straight away.
This happens occasionally on most machines and not just on the
same troublesome machine.

On each subnet, one computer is elected as the Master Browser. Its
job is to collect names/addresses of all nodes on the subnet and
report it to the WINS. If that computer were to screw up, you may
have this condition. Rebooting the master browser will cause a new
election and transfer the master browser job to another computer
which may work better in that capacity. The master browser may be
identified by a "__msbrowse__" entry in response to a "netstat -a"
or "netstat -A" command to a given machine or using the "browstat
GM" command from the resource kit. If one of your machines causes
constant trouble on the subnet, preventing the "Computer Browser"
service from running on that machine will preclude that machine from
becoming a Master Browser. There are registry entries that can
serve the same purpose but stopping the browser is safer.

This isn't really causing any problems because everyone can access
everything they need to on the network, its just frustrating not
knowing what it could be and if it is a symptom of something else.

This article may be of help:
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/support/sur_wins.mspx>

HTH,
John

 

[johnsuth]

On my network I have 1 workgroup containing mostly w2k pro machines with a
couple of NT servers, a couple of w2k servers and a couple of w2k3 servers.
The network contains a DNS server and WINS server. All machines have static
IP addresses.

If on any machine, I go to 'My Network Places' and access the Workgroup I
can only see those machines which have the same default gateway as the
machine I am on.
E.g. if I'm on a machine with IP address 10.1.10.20, subnet mask
255.255.255.255, default gateway 10.1.10.1 then I can only see machines
with IP addresses that start 10.1.10.

You can see only machines on the same IP network segment. I believe
that is how IP was designed. You may need a router to reach another
segment, or just change static addresses so that everything is on the
one segment.

I see the same machines in 'Computers Near Me'.

All machines have the following network protocols installed: Client for
Microsoft Network, File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks, TCP/IP.
The Computer Browser service is running on all machines. All machines have
the correct IP addresses for the DNS and WINS. I can ping and map drives to
all machines, regardless of whether I can see them in the Workgroup or not.

Workgroup is a Netbios concept and independent of TCP/IP.
So one can work when the other does not.

So the question comes in 2 parts...
1. Is it normal behaviour to only be able to see machines with the same
default gateway as you in the Workgroup? If not, what could cause this.

2. Sometimes when a machine is booted up and connects to the network, you
cannot access the workgroup. The message is 'Workgroup is not accessible.
Network path not found' but I can still ping and map drives to all
machines. What could the cause of this be?

I don't know but create a scheduled task to run a .cmd file at boot to
issue some net use commands.

When this happens I have left the machine for up to 3 hours before trying
again, with the same results. If I reboot and try again then normally I can
access the Workgroup straight away. This happens occasionally on most
machines and not just on the same troublesome machine.

This isn't really causing any problems because everyone can access
everything they need to on the network, its just frustrating not knowing
what it could be and if it is a symptom of something else.

Yes, isn't it.