Browsing across subnets - network star configuration

John D. Blair jdblair at uab.edu
Tue Apr 21 12:41:32 GMT 1998


Graham Leggett wrote:

> I am trying to find a setup for browsing across subnets, however the
> BROWSER.txt document doesn't cover this situation:
> 
> I have a network in a star configuration with a Linux machine acting as
> a router in the middle.
> 
>                              ----------------
>                              | Linux Router |
>                              ----------------
>                                |     |     |
>              network B -----------   |    ------------ network C
>      network A -------------------------
> 
> I want machines on all three networks to be browsable to each other
> across the 3 subnets - BUT - I want (if possible) for both the WINS
> server, and the domain master browser, to live on the Linux router box.
> 
> Considering that the Linux router is already common to all three
> networks, is it really necessary to configure a domain master browser?
> 
> How would I configure this?

Ooo.. this is an *unusual* situation!  Here's what I would do:

1) Configure Samba to bind to one of your ports (say, network A), not
all three.
2) Set Samba to be the WINS server for all of your clients.
3) Set Samba to be a domain master browser.

This should do the trick.  To elaborate, suppose you bind Samba to the
port connected to network A.  The IP address of your WINS server will
then be the IP address of the port connected to network A.  From your
client's perspective, your Samba server will appear to be on network A,
and will act as the local master browser for network A.  Some host on
network B and network C will be elected local master browser.  Each of
these will contact the WINS server to find out the domain master
browser, which will be the Samba server on network A.

Alternately, I believe it is possible to bind Samba to all three ports
using the 'interfaces' option.  However, I've never tried anything like
that.  Some other people reading this may know the answer.  If you try
it I'd appreciate it if you would contact me to let me know how it
goes-- the trick may come in handy someday.

good luck,
 -john.

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John D. Blair          (sys|net)admin, the university computer center
mailto:jdblair at uab.edu                    u. of alabama at birmingham
phoneto:(205) 975-7123                        (my other car is a cdr)
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