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Network Browsing

Bob Finch

Network Browsing
« on: July 26, 2000, 08:26:16 AM »
I have a test network set-up to help me evaluate 4.0.
I like this product VERY much.

I would like some help with a problem though:

I cannot browse the network after rebooting the server until I
re-boot the win98se client. It is set up for "automatic browse master".
It has a pre-set IP address.

I CAN browse the network with a win95a client machine that is
also set-up with 'automatic browse master' and a preset IP address.

Is this a SAMBA wierdness of some sort ?

Thanxs in advance for any replies.

Bob Finch

Henry

RE: Network Browsing
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2000, 07:09:29 PM »
What's an "automatic browse master"?

Bob Finch

RE: Network Browsing
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2000, 08:20:26 PM »
Browse master is an advanced setting under the file and printer sharing
network component.

The easiest way to see this setting is to right click the network neighborhood
desktop icon, select properties, and enable file and printer sharing thru the
bottom 1/3 of the configuration window. Then the top 1/3 of the configuration
window will allow you to select the file and printer sharing network component.
Look at the various properties of this component for the browse master setting.
I BELIEVE the setting is default to automatic.

I brought it up because I have seen some issues raised here about smb.conf
settings and domain controller elections.

Lemme know if this helps you or not.

Bob Finch

Henry wrote:

> What's an "automatic browse master"?
>
>

Charlie Brady

RE: Network Browsing
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2000, 03:48:21 AM »
Bob Finch wrote:

> I have a test network set-up to help me evaluate 4.0. I like
> this product VERY much.

I'm pleased to hear it.

> I cannot browse the network after rebooting the server until I
> re-boot the win98se client. It is set up for "automatic
> browse master". It has a pre-set IP address.

If I understand you correctly, then you cannot browse the network from that particular win98se client? My guess is that the win98se client machine has become browse master while the server was not looking,  but doesn't know anything useful about the network.

What happens if you configure the client to use DHCP? Or configure it to not become the browse master?

> Is this a SAMBA wierdness of some sort ?

More likely to be a win98se wierdness. But I'll await your investigations before passing judgement.

Regards

Charlie

Bob Finch

RE: Network Browsing
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2000, 05:54:45 PM »
Many thanks for the quick reply Charlie.

I'll try a few things over the next week. Probably first will be the new
e-smith base rpm (....28) with the smd.conf changes as I would like
to leave the Win98se settings as they are if possible.

Bob Finch

Bob

RE: Network Browsing
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2000, 03:10:32 AM »
I'm going from memory now, but I ran into the same issues setting up a small network comprised of Win 95/98 clients.  IIRC, rebooting the Samba server and any of the clients *with default settings* would result in a free-for-all while they all figured out who was the "boss".  I actually learned quite a bit trying to figure this out... the Samba help files were invaluable, Browsing.txt in particular.

A Win 95/98 workstation defaults to "automatic" setting for Browse Master.  What happens with this setting is any time a workstation is booted, there is a contention for Browse Master.
On a small network, this is not an issue, but every system you add to the network will exponentially increase the rate of contention for Browse Master.  With default settings, I used to see anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes before i could properly browse the network.

The solution is actually pretty simple: Samba has settings in the smb.conf file which control whether the Samba server should become a Browse Master and also sets the contention level (with default settings, a Win95/98 workstation will lose to a NT workstation which will lose to a NT Server).  I'm going from memory so my syntax is probably not correct, but there were just two or three settings I changed in smb.conf:

Browse Master = yes

SomeContentionSettingICantRemember=65 <- change from the default setting of 33, this will guarantee the Samba server will win any Browse Master election

Set all your 95/98 clients to Browse Master = Disable

do a smb restart from the console, and you should be set.

HTH!

Bob

Bob

RE: Network Browsing addendum
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2000, 03:19:56 AM »
OK, as soon as I hit the "post" button, I remembered the last couple pieces ;)

smb.conf also has settings to enable the Samba server to function as a WINS server.  You will need to enable the settings in smb.conf and also set up the Win client to look at the e-smith server as a WINS server as well (if you have a static IP assigned, you will set that from the WINS tab on the TCP/IP settings in Network Setup).  Not sure off the top of my head how to feed it that info if you're running DHCP...

Good Luck!

Bob

Charlie Brady

RE: Network Browsing addendum
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2000, 03:33:03 AM »
Bob wrote:

> OK, as soon as I hit the "post" button, I remembered
> the last couple pieces ;)
>
> smb.conf also has settings to enable the Samba server to
> function as a WINS server.  You will need to enable the
> settings in smb.conf and also set up the Win client to look at
> the e-smith server as a WINS server as well (if you have a
> static IP assigned, you will set that from the WINS tab on the
> TCP/IP settings in Network Setup).  Not sure off the top of my
> head how to feed it that info if you're running DHCP...

You don't need to remember that - the e-smith server is already set up to provide the WINS server information via DHCP, it's already set up to be master browser, and it's already set up to win browser elections (and you don't need to change the "os level" from "33" to "65", since "33" will
win against even NTAS). But it is a good idea to configure your clients
to not participate in master browser elections, and if they are configured
with static IP, then to use the e-smith server as the WINS server.

Regards

Charlie

Bob

RE: Look B4 you leap, err post
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2000, 08:19:45 PM »
Heh... OK, Charlie, point taken: make sure to look at the current version before engaging lecture mode ;)  

I had set up a couple boxes with version 3, what, must be a year ago already? and they did not have the WINS / Browse Master settings you described above... Just happened to think, I did *not* set the servers up as a DHCP server (I already had static IPs assigned on the clients). Does the install set up DHCP/WINS in tandem, or was that a change from v3 to v4?

In either case, I guess it's time to DL v4 for an eval.  I had actually come back here to show to a couple guys I work with... They outsourced our Help Desk last year, and the people working it are good folks, but mostly have the world view of "it don't exist if it don't come from MicroSoft".  They'd look at me kind of funny when I tell them they reboot their NT servers more in a week than I've rebooted my 486-based e-smith servers in the last year... but I've got several guys to take a look at your product on my recommendation.  

One guy tried to bribe me with a steak dinner to help him set up e-smith so he could learn "what it's about".  I tried to tell him it's literally as easy as sticking in the CD and giving it some setup information and he could do it without my help, but he wouldn't believe me: he's so used to setting up NT and now W2K, he honestly can't believe you can set up a server without cussing like a sailor after rebooting for the 27th time... oh, well, a free dinner for 10 minutes of "work" :)  

Again, thanks for all the work you're putting into this, and if I can get a few converts to look at a better solution, we can all benefit.

Bob