Entire Network contents

[Guest Dave Mc]

I have a 2003 domain with about 20 computers (Xp and Server 2003). When I go

into Windows Explore and drill down to the domain, only 4 computers are

shown. Yet, when I search for any computer not shown by browsing, I find all

the "missing" computers. Why is this ? What does explore use to find

computers ? FYI--I can ping all computers by NB name.

Thanks

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: Entire Network contents

 

When you search for or connect with \\ComputerName you bypass the Master

Browser. Are you seeing any relevant errors in the Event Log?

 

John

 

Dave Mc wrote:

> I have a 2003 domain with about 20 computers (Xp and Server 2003). When I go

> into Windows Explore and drill down to the domain, only 4 computers are

> shown. Yet, when I search for any computer not shown by browsing, I find all

> the "missing" computers. Why is this ? What does explore use to find

> computers ? FYI--I can ping all computers by NB name.

> Thanks

[Guest John Wunderlich]

Re: Entire Network contents

 

=?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZSBNYw==?= <DaveMc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

news:D2180D58-ECF4-4BAE-BA67-3FF0B8C28427@microsoft.com:

> I have a 2003 domain with about 20 computers (Xp and Server 2003).

> When I go into Windows Explore and drill down to the domain, only

> 4 computers are shown. Yet, when I search for any computer not

> shown by browsing, I find all the "missing" computers. Why is

> this ? What does explore use to find computers ? FYI--I can ping

> all computers by NB name. Thanks

>

 

When you "drill down" presumably from "My Network Places", your

computer locates the one computer on your subnet which is "Browse

Master" and asks it for its list. This is probably the same thing as

the command "net view" from the command line. Sometimes Browse masters

don't do a good job of keeping up with comings and goings of computers.

 

When you do a Search, your machine does more to locate the computer

including sending broadcasts on the local subnet for that computer,

querying WINS, and maybe even DNS lookups.

 

-- John

[Guest Dave Mc]

Re: Entire Network contents

 

 

 

"John Wunderlich" wrote:

> =?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZSBNYw==?= <DaveMc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

> news:D2180D58-ECF4-4BAE-BA67-3FF0B8C28427@microsoft.com:

>

> > I have a 2003 domain with about 20 computers (Xp and Server 2003).

> > When I go into Windows Explore and drill down to the domain, only

> > 4 computers are shown. Yet, when I search for any computer not

> > shown by browsing, I find all the "missing" computers. Why is

> > this ? What does explore use to find computers ? FYI--I can ping

> > all computers by NB name. Thanks

> >

>

> When you "drill down" presumably from "My Network Places", your

> computer locates the one computer on your subnet which is "Browse

> Master" and asks it for its list. This is probably the same thing as

> the command "net view" from the command line. Sometimes Browse masters

> don't do a good job of keeping up with comings and goings of computers.

>

> When you do a Search, your machine does more to locate the computer

> including sending broadcasts on the local subnet for that computer,

> querying WINS, and maybe even DNS lookups.

>

> -- John

> Seems like I have a general problem with browsing. for instance, the workstation I was referring to is indeed getting browser error which says its browsing service is stopping because it cannot connect to the master browser. How can I tell which computer has been elected as the master browser so I can look at it to dig deeper into the problem ?/

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: Entire Network contents

 

Dave Mc wrote:

>

> "John Wunderlich" wrote:

>

>

>>=?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZSBNYw==?= <DaveMc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

>>news:D2180D58-ECF4-4BAE-BA67-3FF0B8C28427@microsoft.com:

>>

>>

>>>I have a 2003 domain with about 20 computers (Xp and Server 2003).

>>> When I go into Windows Explore and drill down to the domain, only

>>>4 computers are shown. Yet, when I search for any computer not

>>>shown by browsing, I find all the "missing" computers. Why is

>>>this ? What does explore use to find computers ? FYI--I can ping

>>>all computers by NB name. Thanks

>>>

>>

>>When you "drill down" presumably from "My Network Places", your

>>computer locates the one computer on your subnet which is "Browse

>>Master" and asks it for its list. This is probably the same thing as

>>the command "net view" from the command line. Sometimes Browse masters

>>don't do a good job of keeping up with comings and goings of computers.

>>

>>When you do a Search, your machine does more to locate the computer

>>including sending broadcasts on the local subnet for that computer,

>>querying WINS, and maybe even DNS lookups.

>>

>>-- John

>> Seems like I have a general problem with browsing. for instance, the workstation I was

>> referring to is indeed getting browser error which says its browsing

service is stopping

>> because it cannot connect to the master browser. How can I tell which computer has been

>> elected as the master browser so I can look at it to dig deeper into the problem ?/

 

The Domain Controller is always the Master Browser, unless you made

changes in the registry the DC will be the Master Browser.

 

Troubleshooting the Microsoft Computer Browser Service

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188305

 

Common causes and solutions of browser Event ID 8021 and Event ID 8032

on domain master browsers

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/135404

 

Description of NetBIOS Browsing Console (Browcon.exe)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818092

 

John

[Guest John Wunderlich]

Re: Entire Network contents

 

=?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZSBNYw==?= <DaveMc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

news:00983BB6-8BCF-41A7-B8BA-580844BAFCA4@microsoft.com:

>>> I have a 2003 domain with about 20 computers (Xp and Server

>>> 2003). When I go into Windows Explore and drill down to the

>>> domain, only 4 computers are shown. Yet, when I search for any

>>> computer not shown by browsing, I find all the "missing"

>>> computers. Why is this ? What does explore use to find

>>> computers ? FYI--I can ping all computers by NB name. Thanks

>>>

>>

>> When you "drill down" presumably from "My Network Places", your

>> computer locates the one computer on your subnet which is "Browse

>> Master" and asks it for its list. This is probably the same

>> thing as the command "net view" from the command line. Sometimes

>> Browse masters don't do a good job of keeping up with comings and

>> goings of computers.

>>

>> When you do a Search, your machine does more to locate the

>> computer including sending broadcasts on the local subnet for

>> that computer, querying WINS, and maybe even DNS lookups.

>>

>> -- John

> Seems like I have a general problem with browsing. for instance,

> the workstation I was referring to is indeed getting browser

> error which says its browsing service is stopping because it

> cannot connect to the master browser. How can I tell which

> computer has been elected as the master browser so I can look at

> it to dig deeper into the problem ?/

 

The best way to determine the master browser is to use the

"browstat.exe" program. It's not provided with XP, but a search might

find it online.

 

An alternative way is to issue the following command for each computer

on your subnet (do this multiple times, substituting the target

computer name or ip address (note case-sensitive '-a' or '-A')):

nbtstat -a <computername> (do not include the '\\')

or

nbtstat -A <computer-ip-address>

A master browser node will respond with a line containing:

..__MSBROWSE__.

 

In almost every case I have seen, the problem ended up being just one

computer on the subnet with a misconfigured firewall. This computer

will be blind to broadcasts necessary for Master Browser Election and

will thus think it is the only computer on the subnet and make itself

Browse Master. The "real" elected browse master will give up being

browse master after a while when this computer sends out announcements

proclaiming itself the Browse Master. Once it becomes the sole browse

master, and because of the firewall, it refuses to communicate with

other computers on the subnet and thus leaves the subnet without a

functioning Browse Master.

 

You can force a Master Browser election on the subnet using the

browstat.exe elect <interface> <domain>

command, shortly after which you might be able to do a

browstat.exe view <interface> <domain>

command. If you see more than one computer with Master Browser (MBR)

status, then you know that one of these computers is your problem.

 

Also keep in mind that all firewalls don't always call themselves

"firewalls". For example, some VPN clients (Cisco, in particular)

include a firewall function as part of the VPN client that can be

active even when the VPN client isn't.

 

HTH,

John