The Fabulous Disappearing Network

[iamtheman]

Originally posted by Deity:
I would agree with iamtheman on the WINS service. You should have it running with that many systems. I wasonly saying that while testing the stations that could not browse the network, disable the WINS service on just those machines. If name resolution is an issue, then setup an lmhosts file or something. But I would, for testing purposes, and only temporarily, disable the WINS service on only the workstations that are affected.

Just read ya wrong, thanks for clearing that up.

There is a utility called browmon that I believe is on the NT resource kit, you should try and get that and run it on a workstation. It may give you some insite on what's going on.

[tk421]

I'm waiting to hear how you work this out. I've run into the same problem before, on a smaller scale. On a 3 computer home network, all running 98, one of the computers cannot see the others in net neighborhood, but can with UNC names. (We also created shortcuts to the computers on the desktop.)

To this day, we have not figured it out. Luckily the user doesn't really care, as long as she can print and access files through the shortcuts we made for her.

tk

[weich]

Have you tried checking the port those two pc's are plugged into?

[dvingar]

Just wanted first of all to let you all know I appreciate the responses and to apologize for not responding lately. Our email server went down (thankfully it is not mine to worry about ) and it controlled the net access too so that explains my silence. I'll probably be a day or two trying your suggestions, unless people will leave me alone to work, so I'll get back and let you know the results.

One result I can report. I disabled WINS on a workstation that was having the problem and there was no change in the inability to browse the network. Other than that no further news to report.
Thanks again.

[dvingar]

Got some more information on this issue. I have checked out the items that have been mentioned so far and unless I missed something (it happens) everything looks good. Here is the funny part. While checking the workstations to verfy WINS was setup correctly, I found one workstation that is not running WINS and has never had a problem with browsing. I went back to a machine havin the browsing problem and disabled WINS resolution but the browsing problem was still there. I've also discovered if a machine is unable to browse, if you go to the network properties and just click on the client for microsoft dropdown menu so it prompts you to restart, the machine will see the network when it reboots. This fix doesn't last forever but its the only surefire way of getting the network back I've found yet.
One other question: Is client for WINS, that is found on the NT disk required for these workstations to use WINS or is enabling WINS resolution in the network properties enough? I had this question posed to me from a service tech that was in-plant so I figured I would ask you all.

Thanks,
Duane

[gren]

I'm just throwing this out there, and feel free to shoot it down, but seeing how the clients on this network are predominantly win95/98 have you checked to make sure that there's not a random machine that's the master browser and contending with the PDC? As far as I know.. the machines should be set to automatic browser. The PDC should obviously be the master browser/WINS.. but a win98 client can be set to it too... just a thought.

[Joker1]

I'm just trying to throw in my 0.02$ here but have you checked the bindings between client and protocols?

I have also seen this on a smaller 3 computer network. It seemed to fix it when i added NEtbeui but i guess its not an option.

[cordon]

Now I know this is a dumb suggestion:

Make an LMHOSTS file for the PCs that are having trouble browsing.

There, I said it. I feel better now.