WINS + browsing question

[Tim Carr]

>Tim,
>
>The browse list is *never* updated from the WINS database.  The two are
>quite distinct.
>
>The WINS server (really, an NBNS) is a NetBIOS name to IP address mapping
>service server.  It's job is to return the IP address of any and all
>nodes which have registered a NetBIOS name.  See
>
>   http://ubiqx.org/cifs/NetBIOS.html
>
>for a more complete explanation.
>

Ah, right, I basically figured that out about a day ago... That they were 
seperated, and why.

>The browse list is a list of the machines which are offering file
>services, (plus a list of available workgroups, if you have more than
>one).  The sub-system which creates and maintains this list is separate
>from the WINS service.  The browse service lives within the NetBIOS
>virtual LAN and shouldn't interact with the IP layer.  It does, in fact,
>interact with the IP layer, but that's due to bad design and poor
>implementation on Microsoft's part--and yes I can back that up.
>

Heheh, no need, i'm well aware of M$'s shortcomings.

>If there is no Domain Master Browser, then your Samba server will likely
>be elected Local Master Browser, in which case it will only hear local
>service anouncements.  That is, it will only list local file servers,
>and not every node will offer file services.
>
>If you want to see services on other IP subnets, then you need to set up a
>Domain Master Browser (DMB).  If you have a Windows NT Domain Controller,
>then that machine will appoint itself DMB.  If you do *not* have a DMB,
>you can tell the Samba server to become a DMB and it will syncronize
>browse lists with LMBs on other subnets.  If that happens, your
>browse.dat will get bigger.

I already have a DMB; actually, I have two.  I have two completely different 
subnets, remote from each other. Each is on one workgroup, so there are a 
total of two workgroups.  The LMB of each subnet is also the DMB, because I 
figured this was the way to go... What I want is to have each DMB's 
browse-list the same, by having each DMB get unknown machines from the other 
DMB's blist.  Perhaps this isn't happening because I have two DMBs? Perhaps 
one should only be an LMB ? (i'm just guessing that, from your message).

thanks for the reply!

Tim
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