[Samba] Question about Samba and a WINS server...

[Jason]

Hello everyone. I have a question about setting up a WINS server and to allow
browsing across VPN tunnels. Let me give my setup...

Running FreeBSD 4.9, with samba-3.0.4. Sole purpose right now is to just be a
WINS server on the corporte network. 

We have 3 VPN tunnels setup at remote locations that will need to access the
network and browse the corporate network. All the clients on the 3 branch office
VPN's point to the WINS server located on the corporate network. Hence, since
NetBIOS traffic cannot travel down VPN tunnels, that was the need for the WINS
server.

The kicker: We have one NT 4.0 server (yes yes, I know...working on getting rid
of it) that is really just acting as a file server for the time being. 

Subnets:
Corporate: 192.168.1.0/24
BO #1: 192.168.111.0/24
BO #2: 172.16.1.0/24
BO #3: 192.168.5/24

smb.conf

[global]
        workgroup = COURTESY
        server string = Wins Server
        log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
        max log size = 50
        os level = 33
        preferred master = Yes
        domain master = Yes
        dns proxy = No
        wins support = Yes
        hosts allow = 192.168.1., 192.168.5., 192.168.111., 172.16.1, 127.0


I'm running into some problems where sometimes I can browse the network from the
 Branch office location, and other times I cant see anything. Also, sometimes I
can search for a computer on the corporate network and find it, and other times
it does not come up at all.

Here are some snips from my log.nmbd:

[2004/06/23 22:53:43, 0]
nmbd/nmbd_become_dmb.c:become_domain_master_browser_wins(327)
  become_domain_master_browser_wins:
  Attempting to become domain master browser on workgroup COURTESY, subnet
UNICAST_SUBNET.

[2004/06/23 22:53:43, 0]
nmbd/nmbd_become_dmb.c:become_domain_master_browser_wins(341)
  become_domain_master_browser_wins: querying WINS server from IP 192.168.1.50
for domain master browser name COURTESY<1b> on workgroup COURTESY

[2004/06/23 22:53:43, 0] nmbd/nmbd_become_dmb.c:become_domain_master_stage2(113)
  *****

  Samba server OXYGEN is now a domain master browser for workgroup COURTESY on
subnet UNICAST_SUBNET

  *****
[2004/06/23 22:53:43, 0]
nmbd/nmbd_become_dmb.c:become_domain_master_browser_bcast(282)
  become_domain_master_browser_bcast:
  Attempting to become domain master browser on workgroup COURTESY on subnet
192.168.1.50

[2004/06/23 22:53:43, 0]
nmbd/nmbd_become_dmb.c:become_domain_master_browser_bcast(295)
  become_domain_master_browser_bcast: querying subnet 192.168.1.50 for domain
master browser on workgroup COURTESY

[2004/06/23 22:53:43, 0]
nmbd/nmbd_become_dmb.c:become_domain_master_query_success(225)
  become_domain_master_query_success:
  There is already a domain master browser at IP 192.168.1.20 for workgroup
COURTESY registered on subnet 192.168.1.50.

[2004/06/23 22:54:05, 0] nmbd/nmbd_become_lmb.c:become_local_master_stage2(396)
  *****

  Samba name server OXYGEN is now a local master browser for workgroup COURTESY
on subnet 192.168.1.50

  *****
[2004/06/23 22:56:33, 0]
nmbd/nmbd_incomingdgrams.c:process_get_backup_list_request(683)
  process_get_backup_list_request: domain list requested for workgroup COURTESY
and I am not a domain master browser.


I just went out and bout "The Official Samba 3 How to and reference guid" and
plan on going through it extensively.

In the meantime, I was hoping that someone may be able to give some suggestions
on how I can correct this problem.

I appreciate the help.

Jason