Intermittent Network Browsing Problem - XPHome/Pro workgroup with NAS

Hello,

(I already posted that question on
comp.os.ms-windows.networking.windows, but this newsgroup seems to be
more active.)

I need help on a very weird problem :

Situation:

- one LAN : basic, no routers, no subnets. Mix of fixed IPs and DHCP,
but no overlap detected. NetBios over TCP/IP on all stations, nothing
else (no IPX/SPX, no NetBeui, ...).

- 15-20 workstations (some laptops are not always there): mostly XP
Home, 2 XP Pro, 1 Apple Powerbook under
MacOSX (Samba activated)

- Just installed : 1 HP Proliant HP-ML110_G2 (NAS), with WS2003
Storage Server Edition.

No browsing problem before NAS is installed.

After NAS is installed:
- "net view" on most stations returns a blank list, but
intermittently. Sometimes it works. UNC syntax is always functional
(can access every share via \\station\sharename). Problem observed on
both XP Pro and XP Home workstations.

- Business situation: IT support and management is provided by external
firm.
They say: NAS incompatible with XP Home workgroup,,and there are too
many stations to go on using a workgroup network (ie must install a
PDC and upgrade
every workstation to XP Pro)
So I'm doing a little investigation on my own, just to be sure It's
the
real problem.

Related to that problem, I have these questions :

- what's the maximum numbers of peers for a Workgroup network ? I'm not
talking about the limit of 5/10 sessions for XP Home/Pro, but of the
practical limit of size for a workgroup before it becomes non-optional
to swith to a NT/ADS domain, ie, before some weird browsing problems
can happen.

- browsing problems occured after the NAS was installed. But the doc
from HP does not indicate any contradiction with a Workgroup
environment. Does anyone know of similar problems with WS2003 Server
Storage Edition and Workgroup ? I spent hours googling for a similar
problem, with no success.

- Should I check a Master Browser conflict, and if yes, how can I
detect it (nbtstat -a for all the stations) ?
I haven't yet checked with the PowerBook (with MacOS X Tiger), who
probably runs Samba. I will check his Samba config when I have the
opportunity.

- each station has Panda Antivirus Platinum, with the firewall module
activated. But since the problem is intermittent, can it be a firewall
problem ?


Thanks in advance for any help on this matter,

--

Details - screen copies :

- Domain XXX , Domain master browser is now HPNAS1 (the NAS in
question) (nbtstat -a says so).

- I used the browstat utility from Microsoft :
browstat output (from one workstation):

---------------------------
When browsing works:

Status for domain XXX on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: HPNAS1
Could not connect to registry, error = 5 Unable to determine
build of browser master: 5
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 5
1 backup servers retrieved from master HPNAS1
\\HPNAS1
There are 15 servers in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
There are 1 domains in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]

--------------------------
When things are wrong (net view displays an empty list) :

Status for domain XXX on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: HPNAS1
Could not connect to registry, error = 5 Unable to determine
build of browser master: 5
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 5
1 backup servers retrieved from master HPNAS1
\\HPNAS1
There are 0 servers in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
There are 0 domains in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]

--------------------------

sound like permission issue. Any errors in the event viewer?

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"che" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
Hello,

(I already posted that question on
comp.os.ms-windows.networking.windows, but this newsgroup seems to be
more active.)

I need help on a very weird problem :

Situation:

- one LAN : basic, no routers, no subnets. Mix of fixed IPs and DHCP,
but no overlap detected. NetBios over TCP/IP on all stations, nothing
else (no IPX/SPX, no NetBeui, ...).

- 15-20 workstations (some laptops are not always there): mostly XP
Home, 2 XP Pro, 1 Apple Powerbook under
MacOSX (Samba activated)

- Just installed : 1 HP Proliant HP-ML110_G2 (NAS), with WS2003
Storage Server Edition.

No browsing problem before NAS is installed.

After NAS is installed:
- "net view" on most stations returns a blank list, but
intermittently. Sometimes it works. UNC syntax is always functional
(can access every share via \\station\sharename). Problem observed on
both XP Pro and XP Home workstations.

- Business situation: IT support and management is provided by external
firm.
They say: NAS incompatible with XP Home workgroup,,and there are too
many stations to go on using a workgroup network (ie must install a
PDC and upgrade
every workstation to XP Pro)
So I'm doing a little investigation on my own, just to be sure It's
the
real problem.

Related to that problem, I have these questions :

- what's the maximum numbers of peers for a Workgroup network ? I'm not
talking about the limit of 5/10 sessions for XP Home/Pro, but of the
practical limit of size for a workgroup before it becomes non-optional
to swith to a NT/ADS domain, ie, before some weird browsing problems
can happen.

- browsing problems occured after the NAS was installed. But the doc
from HP does not indicate any contradiction with a Workgroup
environment. Does anyone know of similar problems with WS2003 Server
Storage Edition and Workgroup ? I spent hours googling for a similar
problem, with no success.

- Should I check a Master Browser conflict, and if yes, how can I
detect it (nbtstat -a for all the stations) ?
I haven't yet checked with the PowerBook (with MacOS X Tiger), who
probably runs Samba. I will check his Samba config when I have the
opportunity.

- each station has Panda Antivirus Platinum, with the firewall module
activated. But since the problem is intermittent, can it be a firewall
problem ?


Thanks in advance for any help on this matter,

--

Details - screen copies :

- Domain XXX , Domain master browser is now HPNAS1 (the NAS in
question) (nbtstat -a says so).

- I used the browstat utility from Microsoft :
browstat output (from one workstation):

---------------------------
When browsing works:

Status for domain XXX on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: HPNAS1
Could not connect to registry, error = 5 Unable to determine
build of browser master: 5
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 5
1 backup servers retrieved from master HPNAS1
\\HPNAS1
There are 15 servers in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
There are 1 domains in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]

--------------------------
When things are wrong (net view displays an empty list) :

Status for domain XXX on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: HPNAS1
Could not connect to registry, error = 5 Unable to determine
build of browser master: 5
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 5
1 backup servers retrieved from master HPNAS1
\\HPNAS1
There are 0 servers in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]
There are 0 domains in domain XXX on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_[...]

--------------------------

Hi Robert,

What kind of permission could be involved ? Where should I check the
event viewer, on a workstation or on the NAS ? I don't have access to
the latter, since I'm not in charge of the administration ?

normally you should check the server. to check the event viewer, right-click on the my computer>Manage>Event viewer.

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"che" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
Hi Robert,

What kind of permission could be involved ? Where should I check the
event viewer, on a workstation or on the NAS ? I don't have access to
the latter, since I'm not in charge of the administration ?

Thanks Robert, I'll see what info I can obtain.
The problem is, I'm not in charge of IT, and don't have access to the
NAS, who is administered remotely via the Web Interface (or maybe the
remote desktop). So no chance to access the event viewer. I'll try to
check for permissions by sniffing with ethereal, to see what happens in
the dialog between a station and a master browser, That's the only way
I have. Maybe some kind of clue will show up.
My goal in this problem is to tell the company in charge of IT
administration something like : " this is not an architecture issue,
try to check that particular point instead", ie, doing the job they
don't want to do.
Last question : Can it be a permission issue and occur intermittently
?
Thanks for your replies

Turn off and disable the Computer Browser service on the NAS server.

--
Todd J Heron, MVP Windows Server - Networking
MCSE - Windows Server 2003/2000/NT; CCA


"che" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Thanks Robert, I'll see what info I can obtain.
> The problem is, I'm not in charge of IT, and don't have access to the
> NAS, who is administered remotely via the Web Interface (or maybe the
> remote desktop). So no chance to access the event viewer. I'll try to
> check for permissions by sniffing with ethereal, to see what happens in
> the dialog between a station and a master browser, That's the only way
> I have. Maybe some kind of clue will show up.
> My goal in this problem is to tell the company in charge of IT
> administration something like : " this is not an architecture issue,
> try to check that particular point instead", ie, doing the job they
> don't want to do.
> Last question : Can it be a permission issue and occur intermittently
> ?
> Thanks for your replies
>

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to convince the persons in charge to
try and do this. Frustrating

--
che