NetBIOS name resolution problems between XP PCs

  • Thread starter Thread starter kd833
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kd833

Setup:
PC #1 -> Windows XP Home SP2
PC #2 -> Windows XP Home SP2

PC #1 -> running Computer Browser service (workgroup server)
PC #2 -> workgroup client

Each PC -> is sharing a folder called C:\Temp


Scenario:
From PC #1, I can navigate into the "My Network Places", then into the
workgroup and I see
both PCs. Then can navigate into each PC and into the Temp share and
click either the "Back" button or the "Up" button to navigate back the
workgroup level. No errors.

From PC #2, I can navigate into the "My Network Places", then into the
workgroup and I see
both PCs. Then can navigate into each PC and into the Temp share and
click either the "Back" button or the "Up" button to navigate back the
workgroup level. The problem occurs when I click the "Back" button to
go back to the workgroup name level I receive the error:

"Workgroup" is not accessible. See administrator ..."
"No permission to use the network resource"
"Specified network name no longer available"

I switched the server/client activities of the PCs and the same thing
occurs. Meaning PC #1 would produce the errors mentioned above. So the
problem is not specific to PC #2.

I've been researching and searching for resolutions for two days, but
no luck so far to remedy this situation. I just can't find anyone
describing the same scenario. Is there a bug in XP's NetBIOS name
resolution, or in Explorer (My network Places), or is there some
network buffer issue?
 
I don't know whether there is a specific solution to the problem
you are describing. Let's see if anybody comes up with one.

But generally everything that relies on the computer browser is
unreliable, so even if you get this to work, a new problem can
crop up any time.

Can you directly navigate to \\PC1\Temp and \\PC2\Temp (after
adjusting computer and share names to the ones you actually
use)? If so, then that is a reasonable workaround that is much
more reliable.

Hans-Georg
Click to expand...

If I understand your question to mean, can I navigate into the shares
by other methods like, creating network drives or just typing in the
UNC paths in the address bar to move in and out of the shares, then
yes. Everything works. Even doing dir and cd at the DOS prompt to the
shares works, I only see this issue when using My Network Places
(which is explorer.exe). Maybe I caused the problem myself due to
navigating in and out of the shares (with the mouse clicks), which may
have caused packet collisions.
 
Yes, that's what I meant. Good that it works. It means that
everything works as designed (or misdesigned) and that you may
not be able to achieve more than that.


No, you're not the only one who sees this problem. Unfortunately
it is typical for Windows networks and fairly widespread. It
also tends to come and go.

Hans-Georg
Click to expand...


Well, I just couldn't let this go. I discovered something about
NetBios connection are Network Neighborhood that maybe has been
discussed in other forums. I just can't find references to these
facts. So hear it goes.

The browse master is running on an XP Home PC. For the other three PCs
on my LAN, the computer browser service has been disabled. From my
Windows 7 PC, when I make multiple connections from Explorer to the
shared resources of the other PCs on the LAN, I only see the
connection to port 139 once to the XP PC acting as the browse master.
The output from netstat -an-p tcp proves this. From any one of the XP
PCs, when I make multiple connections from either Explorer or Network
Neighborhood to the shared resources of other PCs on the LAN, I see
multiple connections to port 139 pointing to the XP PCs acting as the
browse master. It seems all I have to do to start a connection is
click on the Workgroup name from Explorer or Network Neighborhood.

So the question is, why is a new TCP connection started verses using
the "established" connection from the first? Windows 7 seems to know
how to handle this issue. With all those 139 port connections, XP's
Netbios must have some connection limit feature or some connection
attack feature built into the service. Therefore, I get the messages:

"Workgroup" is not accessible. See administrator ..."
"No permission to use the network resource"
"Specified network name no longer available"

The workaround? I figured Windows 7 has the answer. Though it hard to
tell, Windows 7 appreas to be showing shortcuts pointing to each PCs
UNC name. So I can do the same from each XP PC. I created a folder
called LANSYS Network on my XP PCs desktops. In the folder I created
shortcuts to each PC on the LAN.

PC1 > \\PC1 (XP)
PC2 > \\PC2 (XP)
PC3 > \\PC3 (XP)
PC4 > \\PC4 (Windows 7)

I removed the "UP" button from Explorer. Using the "UP" button cause
the folder navigation back into the Workgroup name area thereby making
an additional connection to port 139 of the browse master PC. The
"BACK" button navigates back to the folder on the desktop where no new
port 139 connection is established.

Now I click back and forth multiple times into one of the PCs. When I
check the tcp connection with netstat I get the following:
....
TCP 192.168.0.190:139 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1428 192.168.0.185:135 ESTABLISHED

Instead of original situation that occured navigating into the
Workgroup:
....
TCP 192.168.0.190:139 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1428 192.168.0.185:135 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.0.190:1427 192.168.0.185:139 ESTABLISHED
 
Well, I just couldn't let this go. I discovered something about
NetBios connection are Network Neighborhood that maybe has been
discussed in other forums. I just can't find references to these
facts. So hear it goes.

The browse master is running on an XP Home PC. For the other three PCs
on my LAN, the computer browser service has been disabled. From my
Windows 7 PC, when I make multiple connections from Explorer to the
shared resources of the other PCs on the LAN, I only see the
connection to port 139 once to the XP PC acting as the browse master.
The output from netstat -an-p tcp proves this. From any one of the XP
PCs, when I make multiple connections from either Explorer or Network
Neighborhood to the shared resources of other PCs on the LAN, I see
multiple connections to port 139 pointing to the XP PCs acting as the
browse master. It seems all I have to do to start a connection is
click on the Workgroup name from Explorer or Network Neighborhood.

So the question is, why is a new TCP connection started verses using
the "established" connection from the first? Windows 7 seems to know
how to handle this issue. With all those 139 port connections, XP's
Netbios must have some connection limit feature or some connection
attack feature built into the service. Therefore, I get the messages:

"Workgroup" is not accessible. See administrator ..."
"No permission to use the network resource"
"Specified network name no longer available"

The workaround? I figured Windows 7 has the answer. Though it hard to
tell, Windows 7 appreas to be showing shortcuts pointing to each PCs
UNC name. So I can do the same from each XP PC. I created a folder
called LANSYS Network on my XP PCs desktops. In the folder I created
shortcuts to each PC on the LAN.

PC1 > \\PC1 (XP)
PC2 > \\PC2 (XP)
PC3 > \\PC3 (XP)
PC4 > \\PC4 (Windows 7)

I removed the "UP" button from Explorer. Using the "UP" button cause
the folder navigation back into the Workgroup name area thereby making
an additional connection to port 139 of the browse master PC. The
"BACK" button navigates back to the folder on the desktop where no new
port 139 connection is established.

Now I click back and forth multiple times into one of the PCs. When I
check the tcp connection with netstat I get the following:
...
TCP    192.168.0.190:139      0.0.0.0:0             LISTENING
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1428     192.168.0.185:135      ESTABLISHED

Instead of original situation that occured navigating into the
Workgroup:
...
TCP    192.168.0.190:139      0.0.0.0:0             LISTENING
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1428     192.168.0.185:135      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED
TCP    192.168.0.190:1427     192.168.0.185:139      ESTABLISHED- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...


The following proved to be the ultimate solution to my issue. I guess
having the network perform name resolution between to ports (139/445)
which primarily do the same thinig is a bad thing.

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT
\Parameters
Value: SmbDeviceEnabled
Type: DWORD value (REG_DWORD)
Content: 0 (to disable)
 
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