w2k computer not accessible in local network

[Brent Riggs]

amd2800 and amd1300 are two of the computers running W2K on a home
network. Amd1300 is not accessible from the network. The amd2800
System Event Log contains these warning descriptions:

(1) "The browser has received a server announcement indicating that the
computer AMD2800 is a master browser, but this computer is not a master
browser."

and

(2) "The browser was unable to retrieve a list of servers from the
browser master \\AMD1300 on the network
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{63AB0BE5-9D06-4660-9B80-FCB6AD321B76}. The data is
the error code."

and an error description inbetween that reads:

"A duplicate name has been detected on the TCP network. The IP address
of the machine that sent the message is in the data. Use nbtstat -n in
a command window to see which name is in the Conflict state."

What does it all mean, or where might I look to find out? The command
window reports it does not recognize the "nbtstat" command.

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

The "duplicate name" usually means that two computers have the same NetBIOS
Computer Name. This can also happen if you logon with a username that is
the same as a Computer Name.

In Control Panel, System on the Computer Name tab, make sure you have a
different Computer Name for each computer on the network.

The nbtstat.exe should be in your %sytsemroot%\system32 folder (e.g.
c:\windows\system32). If it is not there, it is in the I386 folder on the
Windows 2000 installation CD as the compressed file NBTSTAT.EX_. You can
expand it using the expand command.

(1) and (2) mean that there is something peculiar with the network
configuration that affects the Browser Service on either one or both of the
computers.

Check the IP configuration of the computers and make sure that each one has
a different IP address, and that all the IP addresses are in the same IP
subnet.

For general information about the Browser Service see
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx.

 

[Brent Riggs]

Thanks for the helpful information, Bruce.
Installing appropriate protocols appears to have resolved my problem, so
that the network is now able to access the AMD1300 machine.

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

I don't know what you mean by "appropriate protocols", but the only one you
need is "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)". You might need to enable NetBIOS over
TCP/IP

Network Connection Properties, General tab
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Properties
Advanced
WINS tab

 

[Brent Riggs]

I don't know what you mean by "appropriate protocols", but the only one you
need is "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)". You might need to enable NetBIOS over
TCP/IP

Network Connection Properties, General tab
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Properties
Advanced
WINS tab

Most of this stuff is still a mystery to me, but TCP/IP was already
enabled. It was after I enabled the NetBIOS and NetBEUI components that
the network could access AMD1300. Whether there is a cause and effect
there or something else was going on, I don't have any idea.

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

I suspect you will find that if you have "NetBIOS over TCP/IP" enabled as I
described, you don't need the NetBEUI protocol at all.

Having multiple protocols can cause some wierd behaviours, more network
traffic etc. which is why I suggest not having both TCP/IP and NetBEUI.
We've been operating with only TCP/IP for years at work and I do that on my
home network also. Browsing (e.g. populating My Network Places) and name
resolution works fine with just TCP/IP as long as "NetBIOS over TCP/IP" is
enabled on the WINS tab or via DHCP.

--
Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.