Win98 and Samba

[Harry Nicholls]

Re: Steve Arnold's reply to my previous post.

Running only one protocol, TCP/IP.  With Samba as local master browser on
one of the UNIX PC's,  and all networked Win95 or Win98 PC's set as
"disabled" for master browser,  the network could only be browsed by using
net view \\server or net view /WORKGROUP:wrkgpname.  On the Linux box the
command smbclient -L server -Uname%passwd P displayed all networked devices.
The only way to view the shared files and  printers in Windows Network
Neighborhood for any networked PC, was to first use "find computer".  The
computer is immediately found and all shared items are displayed.

The Microsoft Network Neighborhood folder displayed only the Entire Network
icon and HP Network Printers icon.  The only way everything works properly
is to not have Samba be the local master browser and turn on one Win98 PC as
enabled in the file and printer sharing properties.  By doing so, all
networked computers, including the two UNIX and the Linux PC's are displayed
in the Win98 Network Neighborhood folder window as icons.  Clicking on any
of those icons displayed the correct shared resources.

We've never been able to see PC's on the remote subnet's, (over routers),
without first using "find computer" and creating shortcuts to those
computers in Network Neighborhood.  I'm hoping to see that change, if I
understand the Samba "Browsing.txt" document.

The Browsing.txt document says cross-subnet browsing is possible if all
networked devices point to a WINS server.  Our UNIX PC, "Backup server" has
been configured to be the WINS server.  The UNIX PC, "Live Server" has been
designated as the Domain master browser.  A Samba server on the remote
subnets should not be necessary since I don't plan to use the remote
announce or remote browse sync.  All network PC's telnet from any subnet
into the UNIX PC "Live Server" which is on the same subnet as the "Backup
Server" so having them all point to the same WINS server should be no
problem.

Anyway, I'll see what happens next week.

(and that's a good suggestion about using old 386 or 486 boxes as Samba
servers.  Linux seems to be able to be installed on those older machines and
run with less ram. I hadn't thought of running "stand-alone" Samba servers,
but that's a good option.)

Harry Nicholls
harry1 at idirect.com