Re: PC won't show in network browser list
From: Wildman (vision3000_at_att.net(cramyerspam))
Date: 08/15/04
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Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 14:42:00 -0600
Solution/follow-up: As I originally wrote, an XP Pro PC stubbornly refused
to show up on its own or other networked XP Pro PCs (pure XP Pro network) on
its LAN browser list, i.e., the recognized computers in the workgroup viewed
through My Network Places. The invisible PC was able to share its files and
the files of other PC's on the network. It was pingable by computer name and
IP locally and remotely (as you would expect given successful file sharing).
All the relevant services were running and enabled (see below). I finally
decided that there was some inexplicable problem with the file sharing
software caused most likely by inadvertently having Norton Internet Security
firewall briefly enabled during the initial network setup (believe I noticed
this when didn't see the computer remotely and then disabled it). I made a
guerrilla run on the office site during their lunch time and, on the problem
PC (1) disabled the network adapter (2) uninstalled Client for Microsoft
Network and File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks (note that there
was no problem with TCP/IP and it was not touched) (3) reinstalled both of
those clients/services (3) enabled the network adapter again and restarted
the PC. The PC promptly appeared on its own display of workgroup computers
and those of its neighbors. I re-established the shares on the PC (they are
eliminated when you uninstall the client/services I mentioned), hurried to
each of the other computers on the LAN and re-mapped the shares (either
necessary intrinsically or by inadvertent share name change during all of
this) to the now visible PC. All's well that ends well. I do wonder, though,
if an all XP Pro network even needs NetBT to maintain a browsing list, since
XP Pro file and print share components (the redirector and the server)
support direct hosting with DNS (with TCP/IP) without NetBIOS name
resolution (neither WINS or broadcast necessary) and no NetBIOS sessions
need be established. The MS technical article on NT Browser seems clear
enough that the browsing list implementation relies on NetBIOS sessions, but
it may be out-of-date in relation to current XP/2000 implementations. If you
look at XP services, the computer browser service is listed as dependent
only on the server and workstation services, which themselves seem
potentially independent of NetBIOS in a strictly XP Pro or 2000 network,
i.e., a network not including computers running earlier operating systems,
e.g., Windows ME. However, I am disinclined to experiment with a functional
business network <grin>.
"Wildman" <vision@att.net(cramyerspam)> wrote in message
news:0A7E838F-78C4-415E-9F06-AAC720697070@microsoft.com...
> I have a problem similar to the 06/29/04 Terry Straehy posting. I read
> Chuck's suggestions in response there and am still unable to remedy the
> situation. I networked a Dell 8400 and Dell 4600 peer to peer on a 10/100
> net, simple file sharing, static IPs, both Windows XP Pro. The 4600
displays
> itself and the 8400 as computers in the workgroup. The 8400 displays only
the
> 4600. Checking the share visibility from command line demonstrates both
PC's
> are visible (themselves and the other PC) by name and IP from either
station.
> Inspection of services on both PC's shows TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper is
running,
> ipconfig /all shows both PCs are hybrid nodes, both have the network
> connection "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" enabled, both have workstation and
> server services running, both have computer browser service running. I
mapped
> share folders on the 8400 manually, creating network shortcuts pointing to
> those shares from the 4600 and then mapping those shortcuts to network
drives
> on the 4600--just couldn't browse the 8400 from the 4600 to select those
> shares. Browstat status from the 8400 shows "browsing active on domain"
and
> identifies the master browser as itself. Browstat status from the 4600
shows
> the 8400 as the master browser and browsing active, but it indicates it
> couldn't determine the build of the browser master ("Could not open key n
> registry, error = 5, flagging the 8400 as an "NT POTENTIAL MASTER"). It
seems
> significant that when I run a net view from command line, the 8400 shows
only
> the 4600 as a known server, whereas the 4600 shows both the 8400 and
itself
> (4600) as known servers. When I added a wireless AP to the wired net and
> added (wireless 802.11g) an Acer Tablet C111Ti-G running XP Pro Tablet, it
> promptly showed up on the 4600 and the 8400 as a workgroup computer,
listed
> itself and the 4600 as workgroup computers, but did not see the 8400,
> although it too could access shares on the 8400. What should be my next
move?
> The fact that net view on the 8400 did not identify itself as a known
server
> certainly seems to indicate that it is not even in its own browsing list
(in
> addition to not appearing in that list on other computers in the net
> workgroup). Both the 4600 and the 8400 have Norton Internet Security
> installed, but disabled (the antivirus remains enabled on both, but the
> firewall is disabled on both)--it is possible the 8400 NIS firewall may
have
> been inadvertently temporarily enabled during some phase of the intial
> networking setup of that system, for what that is worth. I'm glancing over
> the MS Windows NT Browser white paper as I write and am considering a
another
> session using browstat and the suggested troubleshooting sequences and
> analyses later this week when I get back to the site, but in the meantime,
I
> would welcome any suggestions from those who might have some insight into
my
> invisible 8400.
> --
> The desert--God without Man.
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