Fix / Force Master Browser?

Having problems with a member server that is outside the subnet (but still
has an open connection through the firewall), to pick the right Master
Browser, resulting in, it sees itself only in My Network Connections. It
makes itself being the Master Browser. (at least that is what the Browstat
utility tells me)
Is there a way I could force this member server to use my DC in the Domain
to be the Master Browser?

Thanks!

/ Per Hagstrom

It isn't easy and it depends on a lot of things!

Because the remote user is across a firewall/router, LAN broadcasts are
blocked. So it doesn't take part in the building of the LAN browse list. And
if the firewall is blocking the Netbios ports, it won't be able to browse
the LAN at all.

If the firewall is not blocking the netbios ports, you have a segmented
network. To browse a segmented network usually involves running WINS. See
KB150800. For more details of the browser service see 188001 .

"Per Hagstrom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:uYS8#(E-Mail Removed)...
> Having problems with a member server that is outside the subnet (but still
> has an open connection through the firewall), to pick the right Master
> Browser, resulting in, it sees itself only in My Network Connections. It
> makes itself being the Master Browser. (at least that is what the Browstat
> utility tells me)
> Is there a way I could force this member server to use my DC in the Domain
> to be the Master Browser?
>
> Thanks!
>
> / Per Hagstrom
>
>
>

Since this is a routed network you should have at least one Wins server and
configure your servers and clients to use the Wins server. Browsing is
NetBIOS based and without Wins browsing will not work correctly.

--

Thanks,
Marc Reynolds
Microsoft Technical Support

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


"Per Hagstrom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:uYS8#(E-Mail Removed)...
> Having problems with a member server that is outside the subnet (but still
> has an open connection through the firewall), to pick the right Master
> Browser, resulting in, it sees itself only in My Network Connections. It
> makes itself being the Master Browser. (at least that is what the Browstat
> utility tells me)
> Is there a way I could force this member server to use my DC in the Domain
> to be the Master Browser?
>
> Thanks!
>
> / Per Hagstrom
>
>
>

Thanks Bill!
Very useful KB articles.
I think I have it working now. The Firewall has a complete wide open path
for this specific member server.
Still though.. feels so "grayish" with the Browser stuff, how you can't
specify a server specifically to use a Master Browser... and how it sometime
picks itself.. !
But for the moment it uses the DC as the Master Browser!

Thanks!!

/ Per



"Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> It isn't easy and it depends on a lot of things!
>
> Because the remote user is across a firewall/router, LAN broadcasts
are
> blocked. So it doesn't take part in the building of the LAN browse list.
And
> if the firewall is blocking the Netbios ports, it won't be able to browse
> the LAN at all.
>
> If the firewall is not blocking the netbios ports, you have a
segmented
> network. To browse a segmented network usually involves running WINS. See
> KB150800. For more details of the browser service see 188001 .
>
> "Per Hagstrom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:uYS8#(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Having problems with a member server that is outside the subnet (but
still
> > has an open connection through the firewall), to pick the right Master
> > Browser, resulting in, it sees itself only in My Network Connections. It
> > makes itself being the Master Browser. (at least that is what the
Browstat
> > utility tells me)
> > Is there a way I could force this member server to use my DC in the
Domain
> > to be the Master Browser?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > / Per Hagstrom
> >
> >
> >
>
>