Win98 clients cannot login to server

[Randall Arnold]

Service Pack is 4-- could that be a problem?

WINS doesn't report the duplicate name: that shoes up in a message box on
Windows startup (prior to login splash).

Neither of the clients has more than one NIC.

I can't check ANYTHING int he WINS console. When I open it, all looks
well-- but if I click the server name, the green arrow turns into a red X
and I can do nothing from that point.

I tried a KB article recommended in the smallbiz2000 group (#292822) that
*looked* like it address my problem (all the symptoms were listed), but
after following it carefully step by step nothing was resolved. Besides,
the KB article indicated the problem is caused by RRAS, and I don't have
that setup.

Besides setting up DNS, I have done the following to this box:

1) Applied SP4
2) Installed Sharepoint Portal Server (then uninstalled to see if it was
responsible for problem)
3) tried to install SQL Server

SQL Server fails to install, but I don't know if the failure is related to
the WINS problem-- I get no errors. ZERO. It acts like it works, but SQL
Server never shows up upon completetion. I've tried 3 times.

I have until Tuesday afternoon to fix this. Man o man am I going nuts! I
want to torch this box...

Randall Arnold

 

[Randall Arnold]

Ever since I got DNS working on our server, our 2 Windows 98 clients are
unable to login. Each reports the "no domain server was available..."
error. Note that I changed nothing on the 2 PCs while DNS was being setup
and fixed (there were formerly 2 active network cards on the server,
conflicting with each other over IP addresses).

Pinging the name of the server (KMA01) from each Win98 client returns the
client's IP address rather than the server's. All XP machines are
functioning correctly, although one briefly lost its server login (which was
mysteriously restored after I deleted WINS and rebooted the server-- see
next paragraph).

Certainly not a coincidence, The WINS server isn't working, either. It
appears fine on bootup, but if I click on the server name in the WINS admin
console the green status symbol instantly changes to red. If I reboot the
server with WINS enabled, I receive the error "Duplicate name found on
network"; turning off WINS resolves that error. Note that regardless what I
do on client or server I continue to get the "no domain server was
available..." error. Interestingly enough, the Win98 users and my PC are
the only ones who show up in Active Directory with fully-resolved names
(username.office.local) -- all others show up as username only. Note that
all PCs except mine are logging in to old NT-style workgroups (which is why
*I* get the fully-resolved name, I gather).

I am enabling WINS resolution via DHCP on the clients. But if I understand
all this correctly, that's moot if the WINS service isn't running. What I
don't understand is why enabling DNS would have done this... and why it took
a week or so to show up!

This is driving me nuts, and if the owner's wife ever drops in while this is
going on I'll be fired (no kidding). Help!

Randall Arnold

 

[Randall Arnold]

I'll have to get the ipconfig & net start stuff Monday.

WINS reports the same IP as the server itself; no other IPs show up now that
the unused NIC card is disabled.

I've also tried deleting the WINS server and re-adding it (numerous times),
but if I click on it in any way I get the red X and the error message. I
can't do ANYTHING at all in the WINS console other than delete and add
servers. All other options are greyed out.

All necessary services are running. I' admittedly a novice with WINS (more
so than DNS) but I always check the basic stuff before bothering people
here...

Thanks as usual, Ace.

Randall

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

Ever since I got DNS working on our server, our 2 Windows 98 clients
are unable to login. Each reports the "no domain server was
available..." error. Note that I changed nothing on the 2 PCs while
DNS was being setup and fixed (there were formerly 2 active network
cards on the server, conflicting with each other over IP addresses).

Pinging the name of the server (KMA01) from each Win98 client returns
the client's IP address rather than the server's. All XP machines are
functioning correctly, although one briefly lost its server login
(which was mysteriously restored after I deleted WINS and rebooted
the server-- see next paragraph).

Certainly not a coincidence, The WINS server isn't working, either.
It appears fine on bootup, but if I click on the server name in the
WINS admin console the green status symbol instantly changes to red.
If I reboot the server with WINS enabled, I receive the error
"Duplicate name found on network"; turning off WINS resolves that
error. Note that regardless what I do on client or server I continue
to get the "no domain server was available..." error. Interestingly
enough, the Win98 users and my PC are the only ones who show up in
Active Directory with fully-resolved names (username.office.local) --
all others show up as username only. Note that all PCs except mine
are logging in to old NT-style workgroups (which is why *I* get the
fully-resolved name, I gather).

I am enabling WINS resolution via DHCP on the clients. But if I
understand all this correctly, that's moot if the WINS service isn't
running. What I don't understand is why enabling DNS would have done
this... and why it took a week or so to show up!

This is driving me nuts, and if the owner's wife ever drops in while
this is going on I'll be fired (no kidding). Help!

Randall Arnold

What SP on the DC?

WINS reports dupe name? Do one of the machines have two NICs? Check WINS for
two names with different IPs.

--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

Service Pack is 4-- could that be a problem?

WINS doesn't report the duplicate name: that shoes up in a message
box on Windows startup (prior to login splash).

Neither of the clients has more than one NIC.

I can't check ANYTHING int he WINS console. When I open it, all looks
well-- but if I click the server name, the green arrow turns into a
red X and I can do nothing from that point.

I tried a KB article recommended in the smallbiz2000 group (#292822)
that *looked* like it address my problem (all the symptoms were
listed), but after following it carefully step by step nothing was
resolved. Besides, the KB article indicated the problem is caused by
RRAS, and I don't have that setup.

Besides setting up DNS, I have done the following to this box:

1) Applied SP4
2) Installed Sharepoint Portal Server (then uninstalled to see if it
was responsible for problem)
3) tried to install SQL Server

SQL Server fails to install, but I don't know if the failure is
related to the WINS problem-- I get no errors. ZERO. It acts like
it works, but SQL Server never shows up upon completetion. I've
tried 3 times.

I have until Tuesday afternoon to fix this. Man o man am I going
nuts! I want to torch this box...

Randall Arnold

"Ace Fekay [MVP]"

Randall,

Let me see an ipconfig /all again. I forget what your config is since last
talking to you. It sounds like there are two machines with the same name or
WINS reports this.

Also do a
net start
in a command prompt and paste the results here.

What's the IP address of the WINS server in the WINS console show as? If the
name or IP is incorrect, delete the WINS server in WINS, then re-add it with
the correct IP or name. Then once in there, rt-click WINS, show names, from
owner, this owner, or type in the right IP, if the only server, then you'll
only get the one option. Make sure the name or IP is right. Then look thru
the records in the right pane for any dupes.

Also, make sure the service is running, unless you don't have it running?
(Check in services).


--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

I'll have to get the ipconfig & net start stuff Monday.

WINS reports the same IP as the server itself; no other IPs show up
now that the unused NIC card is disabled.

I've also tried deleting the WINS server and re-adding it (numerous
times), but if I click on it in any way I get the red X and the error
message. I can't do ANYTHING at all in the WINS console other than
delete and add servers. All other options are greyed out.

All necessary services are running. I' admittedly a novice with WINS
(more so than DNS) but I always check the basic stuff before
bothering people here...

Thanks as usual, Ace.

Randall

No bother Randall.

I'll need to see the ipconfig /all please.

Is that APIPA number showing up anywhere with a duplicate name like it did
last time? Is there an interface that's still installed but disabled? Is
there a workgroup name that is the same as a domain name or a computer name?
That will show up as a dupe name too.

Run nbtstat -n to see if all the records show up and post it too please.

Also run:
dcdiag /v > c:\dcdiag.txt
netdiag /v > c:\netdiag1.txt

then run
netdiag /fix c:\netdiagfix.txt

then run this again:
netdiag /v > c:\netdiag2.txt

And attach those with your post if you can.

Those tools are found in the Win2k Support Tools on the CDROM under the
support folder. Just install it and those tools will be available.

--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory

 

[Randall Arnold]

Ah-- there IS a workgroup with the same name as the domain! It didn't occur
to me that it would be a problem!

I'll move everyone to the other workgroup next week and see if that helps...
along with everythign else you suggested (I've already loaded the server
tools and have used them a few times).

Thanks again Ace-- have a great weekend!

-Randy

 

[Randall Arnold]

I'd rename the machine, but it already has the unique name Accounting and I
don't see how that will help. Besides, the other Win98 box has the same
problem and it also has a unique name. Plus, they were fine prior to DNS
and nothing's been done to them.

I'm really suspecting the Office workgroup now-- that makes sense, seeing as
how the problems began after turning on DNS. And of course, there were no
problems for a week because no one had turned the Win98 boxes on in that
time. The first time someone tried to login to the Officer workgroup, BAM!
WINS conflict.

I think. I hope...

Randall

 

[Randall Arnold]

I FIXED IT!!!

Turns out the problem was a distribution group with the same name as the
NetBIOS domain name (OFFICE). I changed it to InHouse and in seconds
everything cleared up. WINS console looks good, and Win98 users can log in
again. Whew!

So add that to the list of NO-Nos if it isn't already...

Randall

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

I FIXED IT!!!

Turns out the problem was a distribution group with the same name as
the NetBIOS domain name (OFFICE). I changed it to InHouse and in
seconds everything cleared up. WINS console looks good, and Win98
users can log in again. Whew!

So add that to the list of NO-Nos if it isn't already...

Randall

Well, there you go!
Yes, forgot about that. Users, groups, NetBIOS domain names, workgroups,
etc, need all be unique!

Cheers!



--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory