[Samba] Browsing / NetBIOS QQ

Rupert Heesom rupert at heesom.org.uk
Thu Mar 10 19:56:18 GMT 2005


Hi all:

I'm not sure where to begin.

My setup here is Samba Version 2.2.7a-security-rollup-fix acting as wins
for a bridged OpenVPN network (if you know what that means).

The net consists of 1 subnet (10.0.0.0/24).  The OpenVPN Linux box also
runs Samba, ip 10.0.0.110.  There are 2 other windows/linux boxes
"behind" the VPN server.  

There are "guests" (Road Warriors) connecting into the network using
OpenVPN (bridged (tap) mode), therefore they are on the same subnet, and
configured for the same workgroup SAMBAGRP.  

Using one test "road warrior" I've been trying to get network browsing
working.  To a point it is.  I've been having most problems getting Win
PCs behind the VPN server and RoadWarr to access each others shares. 
All machines are visible in Net Neighbourhood.

All the Win PCs (XP Home sp2) I've enabled Peer-to-Peer networking in
Control panel (add/remove win components), I've enabled Windows services
(Workstation, Server, Messenger), enabled NetBIOS over TCP on the
relevant IP stack.  I don't know much about these services; just read
about them when looking for NetBIOS info, so enabled them.

My one problem currently seems to be the wins records
(/var/cache/samba/wins.dat).  The IPs given for the current test
RoadWarr are different for different services:

Here the test RoadWarr is "DEBBIE" with all 3 services abled on the PC
(as you can see). However because her IP changes with connections and
disconnections to the VPN, wins is not updated here.

I'm testing browsing between "DEBBIE" and "RUPERT-LAPTOP".  My internal
IPs are static.

I'm wondering whether wins could update the IPs quicker if I use the MAX
WINS TTL param in smb.conf?  The smb.conf manpage says NOT to change
this param, but it may help this particular situation.

If I set the MAX WINS TTL to 5 mins or so, would that do something
terrible to the SAmba traffic?

BTW, I've been confused by the wins.dat vs the browse.dat.  I've always
thought that the wins server provided the input for the browsing lists. 
The wins.dat and browse.dat files are not at all alike.

/var/cache/samba/wins.dat:

VERSION 1 10212
"DEBBIE#00" 1110580748 10.0.0.203 24R
"DEBBIE#03" 1110783156 10.0.0.222 24R
"DEBBIE#20" 1110580748 10.0.0.203 24R
"MDK-SAMBA#00" 1110742524 10.0.0.110 46R
"MDK-SAMBA#03" 1110742524 10.0.0.110 46R
"MDK-SAMBA#20" 1110742524 10.0.0.110 46R
"MTAMBARA#00" 1110568868 10.0.0.202 24R
"OWNER#03" 1110783156 10.0.0.222 24R
"RAHEESOM#03" 1110703485 10.0.0.120 24R
"RUPERT-LAPTOP#00" 1110702143 10.0.0.120 24R
"RUPERT-LAPTOP#03" 1110703485 10.0.0.120 24R
"RUPERT-LAPTOP#20" 1110702143 10.0.0.120 24R
"SAMBAGRP#00" 1110783500 255.255.255.255 c4R
"SAMBAGRP#1b" 1110742524 10.0.0.110 44R
"SAMBAGRP#1c" 1110742524 10.0.0.110 c4R
"SAMBAGRP#1e" 1110783500 255.255.255.255 c4R

-- 
Rupert Heesom <rupert at heesom.org.uk>



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