Master Browser Problem?

[OldBob]

I'm not sure what my problem is. But, here's my best shot at the description. I've been "losing" computers from the network neighborhood on a Win2K,XP network. Most of the computers are members of a domain, and a few belong to a workgroup that is also on the physical network. All of the computers receive dhcp address assignments from the domain controller. As of today, the domain controller shows only two computers when viewing "entire network". Does anyone have a clue as to what's happening. It doesn't appear that the domain controller is the master browser any longer. I don't know how to force the master browser assignment.

Help

[newguy]

Do you have an internal DNS server setup correctly?

[confus-ed]

..It doesn't appear that the domain controller is the master browser any longer...

Oh yes it is, its always the 'master browser' - well there ain't stictly speaking one of these at all in a domain i.e. a networked collection of centrally managed computers, we have things like DNS servers & DHCP servers & authenication servers for all of that - you have 'a master browser' only really in a workgroup which is a networked collection of computers without central control (as you can't do much networking 'good' without a central control point as every time you connect or want to do anything you have to ask each pc first - which is exactly what happens in workgroups)..

So before we try & fix this up (which'll probably be to do with getting all the LMhosts lookups right & maybe introducing a wins server to cover it completely)- why have we got some in a domain & some not ?

[OldBob]

Oh yes it is, its always the 'master browser' - well there ain't stictly speaking one of these at all in a domain i.e. a networked collection of centrally managed computers, we have things like DNS servers & DHCP servers & authenication servers for all of that - you have 'a master browser' only really in a workgroup which is a networked collection of computers without central control (as you can't do much networking 'good' without a central control point as every time you connect or want to do anything you have to ask each pc first - which is exactly what happens in workgroups)..

So before we try & fix this up (which'll probably be to do with getting all the LMhosts lookups right & maybe introducing a wins server to cover it completely)- why have we got some in a domain & some not ?

I brought up the case of "master browser" because I get event log messages that "computer x has promoted itself to master browser and has forced an election". The network has been functioning as a domain for approx 2 years. The problem arose suddenly this week, when domain members couldn't find each other. BTW, DNS works correctly and all of the member computers show up in the active directory. But, member computers can only see themselves, and the domain controller can only see 2 computers, itself and the gateway computer. The group that is not on the domain is only about 5 computers in the engineering dept. I have intended to have them join the domain, and will do it once this problem is solved.

The reason that I suspect a browser problem is that I get the following message in various member servers event log

The browser was unable to retrieve a list of domains from the browser master \\SHIPPING-Z on the network \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{2E2FB24F-ECCA-44B9-98C4-36033AFF9EC4}. The data is the error code.

Shipping-z is a domain member. It is always on and is logged into the domain. It is an XP workstation and at the moment is not accessible via the network. It is one of the few computers that cannot be reached. This is also new.

[newguy]

First off, turn of “Computer Browser” Service on all of the workstations. If any of these are 9x flavor, you disable browsing in the properties for file and print sharing. That should eliminate any forced elections you are seeing.


Here's a good way to force the master browser too, it appears to be accurate with what I recall the settings used. Normally you’d see the need to do this in NT4, not so much in 2000 domain, but it’s what you are asking for: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...30224081842949

[confus-ed]

I brought up the case of "master browser" because I get event log messages that "computer x has promoted itself to master browser and has forced an election". The network has been functioning as a domain for approx 2 years. The problem arose suddenly this week, when domain members couldn't find each other.... It is an XP workstation and at the moment is not accessible via the network. It is one of the few computers that cannot be reached. This is also new.

So 'newguy' seems to be onto it especially when we allow for the bit at the end of your last reply.. its all this order of precedence in elections stuff & the fact that earlier incantations of this method don't know about later different orderings.

The rule of thumb is that server should 'beat' workstation, but for instance 9x clients don't know anything about xp & think its a server & so on - so you need to fish through all the non connecting machines & do what it says in the link - however you already have a domain so just join them all up & you don't have to worry about master browser whatsoever as thats a workgroup concept & if they are all in the domain, then 'no problem'