[Samba] Need Help Getting Windows XP To Use Samba Properly

[Hodges, Robert CTR USAF AFMC 520 SMXS/MXDEC]

Thanks, Chris.

The only WINS server we're attempting to use is Samba itself.  We are not using lmhosts.

Samba is verified to be properly hosting WINS, as there are two instances running (would be only one if WINS wasn't being hosted) and like I said, everything runs great if using a Windows 2000 workstation against the Solaris/Samba server.  No NetBIOS scopes or anything like that, not erven using DHCP - just static IPs on a local workgroup.  Just a very simple, no-frills networking setup.

You guys are awesome, keep the ideas coming.  

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Smith [mailto:smb_77 at chrissmith.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 3:20 PM
To: Hodges, Robert CTR USAF AFMC 520 SMXS/MXDEC
Cc: samba at lists.samba.org
Subject: Re: [Samba] Need Help Getting Windows XP To Use Samba Properly

On Wed, Dec 29, 2010 at 1:07 PM, Hodges, Robert CTR USAF AFMC 520
SMXS/MXDEC <robert.hodges.ctr at hill.af.mil> wrote:
> The registry change and enabling the browser service produced the same results as before, same error ("The specified network name is no longer available.").
>
> However, it did allow Windows XP to force itself to use the Samba server as the master browser without having to disable the Computer Browser service, which is what I had been doing.  So that was nice.
>
> Any other suggestions?

If you have a WINS server that the system is registering with you
shouldn't need an lmhosts file - although as long as they don't
contradict you would be fine. FYI, possibly the absolute dumbest UI
decision ever was Microsoft's one to hide file extensions for known
file types. Many users think they have a perfectly fine lmhosts file
when they have a useless lmhosts.sam or lmhosts.txt file instead.

You can examine the wins.dat file on the WINS server host to determine
if the XP system is registering itself.

Outside possibility - NetBIOS Scope - which allows for some
(il)logical type of NetBIOS "subnetting". It possible that the XP
system has been setup to respond to a particular NetBIOS scope ID
(although I haven't seen such a setup in use for eons). I do admit to
always adding an - option netbios-scope ""; - to my dhcpd server to
eliminate this tattoo from the registry. You can also manually check
it at:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters\ScopeID
If there's any value there delete it (unless you're using a Scope ID,
then make it match).

Chris