How does windows do cross-subnet browsing ???

[John J. LeMay Jr.]

I hope I understand your question, and I hope my explanation is what you
are looking for.

Every subnet in a Windows environment has at least one local master
browser for the subnet. The job of this machine is to maintain the browse
list for the subnet and to distribute it as it is requested. Every 15
minutes or so the local master browser sends it's browse list to the
domain master browser (usually the PDC). At this point the domain master
now knows about that specifc subnet. The domain master broswser also sends
it's master broswe list to the local master browser. This occurs for each
subnet, therefore each local master browser knows about each other subnet,
even though that data is likely at least a half hour old!

That said, I believe your understanding was correct, however I wanted to
make sure! This is also well documented in a series of Microsoft Q
ariticles that can be found at support.microsoft.com. Sorry, the specific
numbers elude me at the moment.

On Thu, 25 Nov 1999 arning at hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I guess the question in the subject is not very clear,  but what I want to
> ask is:
> 
> When a windows box wants to access a workgroup that has no local-mastor on
> the subnet of the windows box, how does it proceed ???
> 
> My logical guess is that  windows acts as a local master (if it finds
> none on the subnet) when it talks to the domain-master (queried from the
> WINS) to get the browse-list.   Am I right ???
> 
> What could be the problem if I get a error message saying it couldn't find
> the share or computer with the given name, and suggests checking the
> spelling and trying again,  when I click on the workgroup (wich is rightly
> listed in NN).
> 
> Every computer are using the same WINS and all the domain-masters are listed
> there.
> 
> 
> One more question:
> 
> Can a router act as a local-mastor on one interface (eth0) only, and correctly
> communicate with the domain-master wich is on an other interface (eth1) ??
> 
> 
> Thanks advance,
> 
> Arni Ingimundaron
> arning at hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de
>