[Samba] Do I need a WINS server if I want to browse?

[Uriel Avalos]

The main reason I'd rather not use a WINS server unless I absolutely have to is: I don't want to have a machine that has to be on to get browsing to work. To me that makes sense in an office environment but it seems overkill in a simple home network.

So broadcast resolution is unreliable? On my test network, with 2 computers, it took about 5 minutes for the workgroup to show up in the "Network Neighborhood." Is that the type of unreliability you are talking about?

If a WINS server gives you the same performance, then UPD broadcasting seems to be the "good enough" solution.


On Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 12:22:46PM +0900, Michael Heydon wrote:
> Uriel Avalos wrote:
>> So why do you not recommend UPD broadcasting? too much extra network traffic? but for a small network (max 5 computers) isn't that "extra" traffic insignificant
> The extra traffic is insignificant even in a much larger network (50-100  
> machines) assuming a 100mbit network. Broadcast resolution is  
> unreliable. With just 5 machines which don't get rebooted much you might  
> never notice it, but then again maybe you will.
>
> I run WINS on my home network of 3 machines, maybe it's not necessary  
> but it takes a whole 2 lines in config files to make it work (In the  
> time it took to ask if it was necessary you could have set it up several  
> times over). Why not do it properly now rather than risk things breaking  
> later?
>
> *Michael Heydon - IT Administrator *
> michaelh at jaswin.com.au <mailto:michaelh at jaswin.com.au>
>