netwokring conundrum

[Guest]

Hoping I might be able to get a little guidance here... I know enough about networking to be dangerous but not enough to know what I'm doing

I'm working for a 20-person firm with a static IP-based network (soon to change). We are running a Win2k (Server?)-based Dell PowerVault 725N NAS server as our primary fileserver and have a semi-functioning, Win2k Server-based print server. I'm in the process of building a new print server (also Win2k Server-based) in order to clean up our printing issues

The only other server box we have is an ancient machine running WinNT Server. I disconnected it the other day, thinking it served no use (as was the case with so many other boxes in this server room) only to see the ability to browse the network for printers from a WinXP (or Win2k) client disappear! Clearly, this NT Server is performing some critical network broadcasting-type function that is not currently duplicated on either the 725N or the print server

My first questions is what is this NT Server doing that makes it possible for clients to see the rest of the network and how do I duplicate that on (hopefully) the 725N

My second question is: with this NT Server machine running, why ,when I browse the network to add a printer, do all of the printers served by both print servers appear listed at the same level as the print servers themselves, yet I'm only able to expand the tree to one of the servers (and see it's print queues) but not the other? The entry for the second print server appears in the listing yet I can't open it to see any print queues

FYI, we are not domain-based; all clients are part of the same Workgroup and all clients have File & Print Sharing deactivated

Any information would be GREATLY appreciated

-Chris

 

[Phillip Windell]

My first questions is what is this NT Server doing that makes it possible for clients
to see the rest of the network and how do I duplicate that on (hopefully)

the 725N?

Nothing that I know of unless it was the currently "elected" Master Browser.
That will self adjust as soon as another machine is "elected" and list
rebuilds. You also need a WINS Server, NT may have been the WINS Server.
Setup WINS on one of the other machines and make sure the Clients network
settings point to it for WINS. Make sure you don't have "NetBios over
TCP/IP" disable anywhere.

FYI, we are not domain-based; all clients are part of the same Workgroup and all
clients have File & Print Sharing deactivated.

Then you probably don't have all machines on the same workgroup name.

I'd get rid of the workgroups and go with a Domain,...but you'd have to
understand at least something about building and using them,...I can't teach
that much in a news group message.

 

[Guest]

Does this have to do with having a machine set up as the domain controller (and how does Active Directory play into this)

And how can I check to see if a machine is elected as a Master Browser? I assume at last one machine on the network must be set up for this and that all clients refer to it when browsing the network?

 

[Phillip Windell]

Does this have to do with having a machine set up as the domain controller (and

Yes.

how does Active Directory play into this)?

AD is the Database used by the Domain controller and it is heavily tied to
DNS.

And how can I check to see if a machine is elected as a Master Browser? I assume
at last one machine on the network must be set up for this and that all clients refer to
it when browsing the network?

Just search for the phrase "Master Browser" on MS's site. Put quotes around
it to make it a phrase. You'll find tons of stuff about it.

 

[mgm]

Chris.. going from Workgroup to Domain is a major undertaking and once a
server is promoted to the domain controller, there is no going back; well
not easily anyway... tread very lightly and maybe use a "lab" setting to
experiment/learn before attempting this on production servers in the
workplace. ... Good luck