[Samba] two networks and network browsing

[Tomasz Noiński]

Hi,

I've been trying to set up routed OpenVPN with Windows roadwarrior
clients accessing samba shares and I've run into a problem with network
browsing.

I know some people already asked similar questions, but unfortunately I
couldn't find an answer exactly my problem on google.
I've read suggestions about using bridged OpenVPN mode rather than
routed. There would probably be no problem with Samba at all then, but
I'd prefer to keep the routed variant.

A scenario I've been testing is as follows:

"newmaster" server --(LAN)-- "hector" server --(VPN)-- "noix" server
10.1.1.2                     10.1.1.254                10.2.1.5
                             10.2.1.1

"newmaster" runs Linux and Samba 3.0.5 and is a domain master serving
domain logons for the local network and also a WINS server.
"hector" is Linux router and OpenVPN server; it doesn't run Samba.
"noix" is roadwarrior OpenVPN client on which I'm trying to get network
browsing working; it uses newmaster as WINS server

I can't make noix appear in the workgroup or "see" it.
I'd like it to be in a way so noix can run both Linux or Windows.

When noix ran Windows (Windows XP SP2) I could manually write
"\\newmaster", give my domain login and password and freely access the
shares. However, I could't see the list of computers in a domain and
noix didn't show up in the list on newmaster's side.

If noix could be Linux only (Samba 3.0.14a-Debian), I would be able to
achieve it with "remote browse sync = 10.1.1.2" on noix; I tried it and
it worked.
I can't use "remote announce" on newmaster as it can't send broadcasts
to 10.2.1.0/24 and I don't know the IP of the local master there
(different OpenVPN clients get different IPs).

After reading BROWSING.txt I thought local master browsers would
exchange browsing lists through the domain master (after determining
which one is it through WINS).

It doesn't work, so my questions are:
- did I misunderstand BROWSING.txt and I'm really trying to do something
impossible?
- if not, what could go wrong? I'd be happy to show my config files, log
snippets or whatever could help..

Tomek Noiński