Master Browser vs. DNS

I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
question about how names are populated. On my current network when I use a
laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the Computer
box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks are
separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name. If I
put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is no
master browser or a DNS problem?

One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I don't
know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.

Dan

The problem is DNS -not the master browser.

The reason this works on the local subnet and not across the wire is because
the locator broadcasts name resolution requests if it can't find DNS or
WINS.

Browsing can still work without WINS and/ or DNS. But only per-subnet as
this is broadcast based too.

--

Paul Williams

http://www.msresource.net/
http://forums.msresource.net/

"Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
question about how names are populated. On my current network when I use a
laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the Computer
box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks are
separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name. If I
put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is no
master browser or a DNS problem?

One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I don't
know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.

Dan

I'm not sure I made myself clear. I have two completely separate networks.
My TCP setting on my laptop are to obtain IP and DNS automatically. When I
plug into network 1 (with one server running SBS2K) and gointo Remote
Desktop connection the names are resolved. When I unplug laptop from
network 1 and plug into network 2 (4 servers running Win2K3) I have to put
an ip address into the Remote Desktop connection. I looked at the DNS
properties and ran the simple query and the recursive query and they both
passed. When I look at my network connection on the laptop it show IP
assigned by DHCP and DNS is pointing to the IP address of the DNS server.

Is there something I am missing in the DNS setup? Are there tests that I
can run from my laptop to check DNS? Also, the network seems very slow for
only having 4 servers and one laptop 100MB network.

Dan
"ptwilliams" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:uKN%(E-Mail Removed)...
> The problem is DNS -not the master browser.
>
> The reason this works on the local subnet and not across the wire is
because
> the locator broadcasts name resolution requests if it can't find DNS or
> WINS.
>
> Browsing can still work without WINS and/ or DNS. But only per-subnet as
> this is broadcast based too.
>
> --
>
> Paul Williams
>
> http://www.msresource.net/
> http://forums.msresource.net/
>
> "Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
> question about how names are populated. On my current network when I use
a
> laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
> Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the
Computer
> box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks
are
> separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name. If
I
> put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is
no
> master browser or a DNS problem?
>
> One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
> another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I
don't
> know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
> There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.
>
> Dan
>
>
>

Is the machine (laptop?) on-line in the new network getting IP information
via DHCP? If yes, does that include the DNS IP address of the (DNS) Servers?

HTH.

"Dan" wrote:

> I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
> question about how names are populated. On my current network when I use a
> laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
> Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the Computer
> box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks are
> separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name. If I
> put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is no
> master browser or a DNS problem?
>
> One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
> another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I don't
> know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
> There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.
>
> Dan
>
>
>

Yes it is on-line in the new network and getting IP from server and DNS is
pointing to the server.


"Desmond Lee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7DE78C1F-8C51-4B57-836D-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is the machine (laptop?) on-line in the new network getting IP information
> via DHCP? If yes, does that include the DNS IP address of the (DNS)
Servers?
>
> HTH.
>
> "Dan" wrote:
>
> > I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
> > question about how names are populated. On my current network when I
use a
> > laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
> > Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the
Computer
> > box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks
are
> > separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name.
If I
> > put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is
no
> > master browser or a DNS problem?
> >
> > One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
> > another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I
don't
> > know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
> > There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> >

The master browser manages what computers will see in My Network Places and
is not a name resolution process. You have a name resolution problem. Check
that your laptop is configured with the correct win server or dns server
when connected to the network. You can use ipconfig /all to see the
configuration at any point in time. If your laptop is a dhcp client it
should be configured automatically and if not getting the correct dns or
wins check the dhcp scope on the dhcp server. Of course the dns server
and/or wins server would need to have an name to IP address mapping of the
target server which results from the server being a client to them. Another
solution would be to place an entry for the server in the lmhosts file on
your laptop though that would only work well if the server has a static IP
address. If the server is multihomed that can cause complications in
configuration also. --- Steve


"Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
> question about how names are populated. On my current network when I use
> a
> laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
> Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the
> Computer
> box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks
> are
> separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name. If
> I
> put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is
> no
> master browser or a DNS problem?
>
> One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
> another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I
> don't
> know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
> There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.
>
> Dan
>
>

Dan

additional to the above, as you laptop is standalone, it may not have the
DNS search suffixes configured in it's own TCP properties. You only mentioned
entering the name rather than the FQDN, so it might help to add the relevant
search suffixes.

Gordon

"Dan" wrote:

> I'm not sure I made myself clear. I have two completely separate networks.
> My TCP setting on my laptop are to obtain IP and DNS automatically. When I
> plug into network 1 (with one server running SBS2K) and gointo Remote
> Desktop connection the names are resolved. When I unplug laptop from
> network 1 and plug into network 2 (4 servers running Win2K3) I have to put
> an ip address into the Remote Desktop connection. I looked at the DNS
> properties and ran the simple query and the recursive query and they both
> passed. When I look at my network connection on the laptop it show IP
> assigned by DHCP and DNS is pointing to the IP address of the DNS server.
>
> Is there something I am missing in the DNS setup? Are there tests that I
> can run from my laptop to check DNS? Also, the network seems very slow for
> only having 4 servers and one laptop 100MB network.
>
> Dan
> "ptwilliams" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:uKN%(E-Mail Removed)...
> > The problem is DNS -not the master browser.
> >
> > The reason this works on the local subnet and not across the wire is
> because
> > the locator broadcasts name resolution requests if it can't find DNS or
> > WINS.
> >
> > Browsing can still work without WINS and/ or DNS. But only per-subnet as
> > this is broadcast based too.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Paul Williams
> >
> > http://www.msresource.net/
> > http://forums.msresource.net/
> >
> > "Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I am installing a new Win2k3 network. I have several servers and have a
> > question about how names are populated. On my current network when I use
> a
> > laptop (not part of the domain) and connect to the network and go into
> > Remote Desktop to access a server I type in the Server name in the
> Computer
> > box. However, when on the new network, using the same laptop (networks
> are
> > separate) I have to type in the IP address instead of the server name. If
> I
> > put in the server name and it is not found, does that mean that there is
> no
> > master browser or a DNS problem?
> >
> > One server is the Master Domain controller and is running DHCP and DNS,
> > another Server is the file server and is also running DHCP and DNS. I
> don't
> > know if there is a conflict here or not. The other server is Exchange.
> > There are no other computers on this network except my laptop.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>