Network Browser

  • Thread starter Thread starter GR
  • Start date Start date
G

GR

Can someone tell me why some machines are available in the network browser
and others are not - lets keep it simple to only NT, 2000, XP -

What setting must be enabled on the clients that will enable them to be
visible in the Network Browser.
 
GR said:
Can someone tell me why some machines are available in the network browser
and others are not - lets keep it simple to only NT, 2000, XP -

What setting must be enabled on the clients that will enable them to be
visible in the Network Browser.
Click to expand...

In an IP network running Microsoft systems with more
than one SUBNET, WINS servers are a virtual necessity.

You either don't have the WINS servers, or don't have them
replicating fully, or (very common) don't have all the machines
set to be "WINS clients", including -- especially -- the "server"
machines.

If the server machines are not "WINS clients" they never REGISTER
themselves and so others cannot find them.
[/QUOTE]
 
In an IP network running Microsoft systems with more
than one SUBNET, WINS servers are a virtual necessity.

You either don't have the WINS servers, or don't have them
replicating fully, or (very common) don't have all the machines
set to be "WINS clients", including -- especially -- the "server"
machines.

If the server machines are not "WINS clients" they never REGISTER
themselves and so others cannot find them.
Click to expand...


Is this true of an AD network too? I was under the impression that WINS was
not necessary as DNS would accomplish what WINS used to do?

Mark
 
Mark N. said:
Is this true of an AD network too? I was under the impression that WINS was
not necessary as DNS would accomplish what WINS used to do?
Click to expand...

Absolutely.

NetBIOS is required for legacy machine (NT/9x) AND for
LEGACY APPLICATION support.

What most people miss is that Browsing (Network Neighborhood etc.)
is a "legacy application".

NetBIOS resolution can work via broadcasts on the same subnet/segment.

In theory you can use an LMHOSTS file but these are complicated and
error prone -- and of course don't adapt dynamically. And anyone who
can set up the LMHosts file and distribute it to EVERY machine can
certainly handle setting up the WINS server much easier and more
reliably.

And since WINS server is in general a "dynamic database" you must
have both "clients" and (what we normally think of as) "servers" setup
to be WINS Clients.

In fact that last is true for DNS to: DCs, DNS servers, and WINS
servers MUST be "name resolution clients" in an dynamic resolution
environment.

Servers are (DNS and WINS) clients too.
 
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