Master browser elections on pure XP workgroup

  • Thread starter Thread starter unixzip
  • Start date Start date
U

unixzip

I had a Win2K domain controller on my home network and got rid of it
recently.

All house PCs are now XP Pro and part of one workgroup.

All is OK, but I noticed that there are many issues browsing network
resources. I know that they are supposed to elect one of the PCs as the
Master Browser, but I think this is not working.
There was a bunch of utilities in the Win2K Res Kit that let you
troubleshoot the Browser, but I don't know if XP has a Res Kit too.

The funny thing is that I have 6 XP nodes and one always "sees" all the
workgroup share, but the others have "issues" and they are all
confiigured exactly the same.

I know that MS is trying to get people away from Netbios registrations
and use DNS/AD as the central point for name resolution, so short of
running a dedicated DNS/AD server, are there easier methods? Also, is
there freeware DNS software for XP?

Thanks
RW
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote in
All is OK, but I noticed that there are many issues browsing
network resources. I know that they are supposed to elect one of
the PCs as the Master Browser, but I think this is not working.
There was a bunch of utilities in the Win2K Res Kit that let you
troubleshoot the Browser, but I don't know if XP has a Res Kit
too.
Click to expand...

There is a command line utility called "browstat.exe" that can help
troubleshoot these problems. I have used the NT version on W2K with
success -- it doesn't seem to be too platform-dependent.

If you don't have this utility, you can use "nbtstat" from a command
window to find your master browser. Enter the command:
nbtstat -a computername
or
nbtstat -A computerIPAddress
for each of your networked computers. The computer that is your master
browser will contain a line in the output that contains the text:
..__MSBROWSE__.

If one of your computers is screwing up in its master browser role,
then you can disable/stop the "computer browser" service on that
machine and it will no longer be able to be a master browser.

HTH,
John
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote in


There is a command line utility called "browstat.exe" that can help
troubleshoot these problems. I have used the NT version on W2K with
success -- it doesn't seem to be too platform-dependent.

If you don't have this utility, you can use "nbtstat" from a command
window to find your master browser. Enter the command:
nbtstat -a computername
or
nbtstat -A computerIPAddress
for each of your networked computers. The computer that is your master
browser will contain a line in the output that contains the text:
..__MSBROWSE__.

If one of your computers is screwing up in its master browser role,
then you can disable/stop the "computer browser" service on that
machine and it will no longer be able to be a master browser.

HTH,
John
Click to expand...

See tip 0148 » Is your network plagued with Browser elections?
in the 'Tips & Tricks' at http://www.jsifaq.com



Jerold Schulman
Windows Server MVP
JSI, Inc.
http://www.jsiinc.com
http://www.jsifaq.com
 
Back
Top