[Samba] WINS + multiple subnets + multiple domains

[Aleksandr Koltsoff]

Hello

After seeking solutions and fixes to the problem I'm experiencing and not
finding any, I turn here. If there is no solution, please don't be shy to
pointing out that too :-)

The problem:
I have multiple IP-networks with windows clients in them. Some are 95, most
are 98, some 2000 and xps. Most networks have at least one NT4.0 server in
them, some have more, some have none.

Each network has at least one workgroup or domain. Workgroups do not "cross"
ip network boundaries.

I need to get all the computers to see each other, i.e. need to browsing to
work correctly.

I've setup a computer with one ethernet card (did try to do this on a
multihoming/VPN-routing host first, but that failed too).
This computer is connected to one of the ip-nets I'm trying to connect.
IP-routing works, I can use ip-addresses to connect to shares and there are
no firewalls blocking the traffic.

On the host I'm running WINS with no wins-proxying (not that that should
matter) and by looking at wins.dat I can see that all the configured hosts
are indeed registering with the WINS. All windows clients/servers are using
this one WINS.

I'm seeing funny entries in the log.nmbd similar to this:
>> sync with SAH_PALVELIN(0.0.0.0) for workgroup SAH completed (0 records)
also this:
>> initiating DMB<->DMB sync with SAH_PALVELIN(0.0.0.0)
however another host (at my home network,being the local browser there and
running samba) gets this (on the WINS host):
>> initiating DMB<->DMB sync with SUOLIHARJA(192.168.1.254)
SUOLIHARJA is in the same workgroup as the WINS server. The WINS server is
the domain master for the workgroup and this workgroup does not contain any
windows computers.

I'm at lost why the IP-addresses of the computers that are in different
workgroups are 0.0.0.0? What does this signify?

I'll send a log at any logging level if anybody wants that.
I've been looking for info about browsing and WINS and have studyed the
netbios/ip thing too much now. Cursing microsoft for the whole mess, but
thinking that there _must_ be a way to do this. It's probably a problem in
my network configuration or samba configs, but I've already tried pretty
much everything and don't know what still to try.

Some of the networks are over a VPN but three of them are connected via a
router at one physical location and even that doesn't work. The router in
between doesn't do any kind of mangling of packets, but it doesn't forward
allones-broadcasts either (which it shouldn't).

I have 2.2.3a-1 for Debian (unstable/testing) if that helps.

"Desperately seeking windows domains"
Aleksandr Koltsoff