Server doesn't show up in Network Neighborhood

[Mike Barry]

Ran into a strange problem when installing a network this weekend...I
was hoping someone here could help.

2003 server that was just installed, 10 workstations - 7 of them are
Windows 98 (no Second Edition either). Network was formerly an NT 4
domain. The NT 4 server is still up and running, with DHCP turned off.
The 2003 Server is an AD DC, with DNS and DHCP running.

The first problem cropped up when we couldn't browse Network
Neighborhood. I kept getting MrxSmb errors in the Event log, so I
turned off the master browser on the W98 machines to stop the
elections.

Then I found out that the DNS server wasn't getting dynamically
updated .... hence, no A or PTR records. I fixed that by manually
entering them in, and then credentialing the DHCP server to be able to
do that.

Installed a WINS server, on the Domain Controller.

Then we turned the browser back on on all the W98 machines. Finally
they were able to see the other computers in Network Neighborhood.

.....all except one. The Domain Controller. I can't figure out why
either. Everyone can ping everyone else, using DNS names and NETBIOS
names too. The server is not present in any of the 98 OR XP Pro
machines in Network Neighborhood/My Network Places.

Also, one 98 workstation, when pinging the server by it's NETBIOS
name, comes back with the wrong IP. It says "pinging 192.168.56.45"
instead of "pinging 192.168.56.1". ????

Halp!!!

Mike

 

[ptwilliams]

Check that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled under the WINS configuration tab
of the Advanced TCP/IP properties. If it isn't, enable it.

Also check that the Computer Browser and NetBIOS over TCP/IP Helper Service
are running.

With regards to the incorrect entries in DNS, delete the manually created
records, force the DC to reregister in DNS (ipconfig /registerdns and
restart netlogon for good measure) and enable WINS lookups from DNS.
Scavenge WINS and run a nbtstat -RR on the DC.

WINS ought to resolve the browser issues.

--

Paul Williams

http://www.msresource.net/
http://forums.msresource.net/

 

[Paul Bergson]

Does the dc have an entry on your IP config for the WINS server?

 

[Mike Barry]

Does the dc have an entry on your IP config for the WINS server?

No, it doesn't. Hmmm..that's odd.

I did all the things Paul Williams suggested, except for
deleting the A and PTR records that I created (the office is working
now, and I'd need to be onsite to do that). Still no server showing
up in the Network Neighborhood.

I sure do appreciate you guys helping.

Mike

 

[Ryan Hanisco]

Mike,

Just as an aside, Since you have a 2003 server and 9x clients, you will want
to turn off SMB signing otherwise you'll not get any share communication
(through SMB) with the server.

Have a look at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325379

 

[Mike Barry]

I'm pulling my hair out here.

Got it so that all workstations are now seeing the new server.
The old server (Windows NT 4) is still online, with it's DHCP server
disabled, and in a different domain. It's still physically attached
to the network switch, though. We'll be able to pull the plug on it
next week. I have not disabled SMB signing yet on the new (2003)
server....yet.

This particular network has about 7 Windows 98 (pre-Second
Edition) and 3 XP Professional machines. A user will click on the
server icon in Network Neighborhood and it'll be fine. 20 minutes
later he'll do the same thing and gets the "No Permission to Access
Resource" error message. Usually, clicking on it *again* will fix it,
allowing him back into the shares on that server.

This is happening on more than one machine...same *exact*
thing. Also, a woman went to print from a financial program to a
printer that is shared off of the server and it asked for a password.
It also happened to me when I was working on an XP machine when I went
to double click the server icon in Network Places. Once I clicked on
it again, it allowed me back in.

I made sure the NIC card on the 2003 server was not being shut
off to conserve power. I have a WINS server up and running well. No
errors are being reported in the Event log on the server. The browser
service is enabled (Browse Master) on the 98 computers.

I know that after you install Windows 98 Second Edition there
is a Windows Update (not in the critical updates) that fixes a problem
with computers losing their mapped drives.

My plan of attack is to install Windows 98 SE and then get
that update.

I am also considering disabling SMB signing on the Domain
Controllers GPO.

Does anyone else have any ideas as to what this could be?
I'd appreciate any help...

Mike

 

[Mike Barry]

In case some other person runs into this, I'll post the fix I
found that worked for us.

I installed DSCLIENT9X.MSI and DSCLIENT.EXE on all the 98
machines and they can now see the 2003 server just fine.

Mike