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

[Uriel Avalos]

I tried the UPD broadcast only method on a test network with  2 computers. It took about 5 minutes for the workgroup to show up in the network neighborhood. 

Is that the slowness you are talking about? Or is a WINS server the same?

On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 02:36:46PM -0600, Dale Schroeder wrote:
>    WINS is not absolutely required, but it does make things faster and more
>    reliable and is quite easy to set up in Samba.
>    In workgroups, I like to make a Samba server the master browser and WINS
>    server.
>    DNS becomes a necessity when the network is an AD domain.  In the small
>    network you described in your original mail, DNS would not be required.
> 
>    Basically, the more complex your setup, the more of these name resolution
>    servers you would want.
> 
>    Dale
> 
>    Uriel Avalos wrote:
> 
>  The docs aren't clear, so don't think that I'm being lazy and want a quick answer. (I'm reading Ch 10 of the how-to)
> 
>  On the one hand it says, "where there is no WINS server, all name registrations + name lookups are done by UPD broadcast." So then I don't need a WINS server.
> 
>  But then it says, "Clients wishing to browse the network make use of this [DMB] list but also depend on the availability of correct name resolution..."
> 
>  So then I need a working DNS setup and a WINS server (if I use a DMB) and only in the case of a DMB? Can someone clarify this for me?
> 
>  Here's my setup:
> 
>  * only one subnet
>  * mixed environment (windows + linux)
>  * all boxes using NetBIOS over TCP/IP (default)
> 
>  AND
> 
>  * DNS is NOT working
>