[Samba] Samba 3.5.8 - windows XP workstations disapear from browselist

[Chris Smith]

On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 1:59 PM, BartekR <bojleros at gmail.com> wrote:
> So it is Windows XP workstations to blame or maybe there is another thing
> that i should check ?

I run several Samba installations with no such issues with XP. So
unless your XP installs are tweaked in some weird fashion I wouldn't
suspect off-hand that they are the problem. I find it strange that
they are in the browse list for a while and then disappear.

In your scenario these are the changes I would make:
1) running Samba as a DC, even though you aren't using it for
centralized authentication (I suspect, but have no proof, that it's
more likely to remain the LMB/DMB). You'll need to also add domain
logons = yes to the settings in the previous post.

2) eliminating the added hosts and lmhosts entries since you state you
have adequate DNS support and are running a WINS server as well (this
will eliminate any possible conflicts in that area).

3) make sure that your DHCP server (you seem to have enough systems
that manual configuration would be undesirable) provides the proper
information for NetBIOS and WINS. And fix the name resolve order in
smb.conf (you have a typo - hosts instead of host). For example:
dhcpd.conf:
================================
option netbios-name-servers 192.168.7.1;
option netbios-node-type 2;
option netbios-scope "";
================================
In smb.conf:
================================
name resolve order = wins host bcast
================================
What netbios-node-type 2 does is set the systems to P-node,
eliminating a lot of broadcast noise, but WINS must be operational. If
P node doesn't work that tells you WINS isn't fully functional.
Netbios-scope is basically unused today but I always unset it just to be sure.
Eliminating the hosts and lmhosts entries mean that there is no need
for lmhosts in the name resolve order.
And with the order as I have it Samba will use WINS first (most
desirable), DNS second, and then broadcasts (least desirable, and not
very useful in P-node anyway).

4) double-check that all systems are registering themselves with the
WINS server (peek at wins.dat).

If the above doesn't ameliorate the problem it may at least assist in
troubleshooting further.

Chris