fr3akd1
Tue Jun 10 06:27:00 PDT 2008
I checked on the browser issue. Disabled all browser services except on one
machine, shut everything down and turned Master Browser on first. This
worked fine for about an hour, then 1 by 1 the same three pc's disappeared.
Even the one that is set as the Master Browser. Disabled all firewalls and
suspected firewall software.
"John Wunderlich" wrote:
> =?Utf-8?B?ZnIzYWtkMQ==?= <fr3akd1@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> in news:4FD05A33-D9DF-4046-B242-AE2E558C4172@microsoft.com:
>
> > I have a network of five computers, all windows xp pro, no servers
> > or domains, and all in same workgroup. Static IP (manually
> > configured, not DHCP). When I restart my pc I can see all of them
> > in Network Places, then after about 20 minutes, 3 of them
> > (including mine) disappear. I can ping them, and still access
> > mapped drives but can not see them in network places.
> >
> > I have checked ipconfig, ran cdiag, and browstat. XP firewall is
> > disabled, I have KIS 7.0 and tried with and without it disabled
> > with same results. The network has run fine for about 2 years,
> > then about 2 weeks ago the PC's start disappearing.
> >
> > I have checked the browser service, even stopped them and
> > restarted, checked power management, file and print sharing
> > enabled, and for IP address conflicts.
> >
> > All computers have unique ip's, same subnet, dns, workgroup name,
> > and default gateway.
> >
> > If you need more info let me know. Thanks in advance for any help.
> >
>
> This has the look/feel of a computer browser problem usually caused
> by just one machine on the network with a firewall. Even though the
> browser service is running on every computer, only the one computer
> serving as Browse Master really needs to have it running. This
> Browse master maintains the list of computers on the network and
> gives it to any machine that requests it when opening Network Places.
>
> What happens when one computer has a firewall is that the firewall
> blocks the NetBT broadcasts and it thinks that it is the only machine
> on the network so it elects itself as Browse master. The firewall
> effectively prevents it from finding out about other computers and
> adding them to the list, so its list is empty except for itself. The
> reason that it works for a few minutes after you power up is because
> the computer that was really elected as the Browse master starts up
> and works for a while until the firewalled computer convinces the
> real Browse Master that it really is not the browse master, causing
> it to shut down.
>
> The way I've been able to verify this is to use browstat to force a
> browser election:
> browstat elect <interface> <workgroup>
> then, over the next minute or so, use browstat to view the network:
> browstat view <interface> <workgroup>
> Examine the view output and if you see more than one computer with
> the Master Browser (MBR) status, then this is your problem. One of
> these machines is your problem machine.
>
> With only 5 machines, you could try getting a network to work
> properly with only two computers and add computers one-by-one until
> the problem resurfaces.
>
> Another debug method would be to disable the browser service on all
> but one computer (then add in additional ones in one-by-one until you
> find the problem computer).
>
> Keep in mind that when looking for firewalls, VPN Clients (such as
> the Cisco VPN Client) often have a firewall built-in as well.
>
> "Troubleshooting the Microsoft Computer Browser Service"
> <
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188305>
>
> HTH,
> John
>
>