Been experimenting with Samba as a WINS server.
Need a WINS server as I am using VPN tunneling.
My goal was to set up a central WINS server and have all the computers
talk to it for NetBIOS name resolution.
In the end I was hoping to have only one Samba server.
I have currently worked with:
Samba 2.2.7B on a uclinux.
Samba 3.0.10 on RedHat.
Samba 3.0.10 on Slackware.
Samba 3.0.10 on FreeBSD.
They all seem to do exactly the same thing:
If the remote subnet does not contain another Samba server which is synced
with REMOTE BROWSE SYNC, then the only thing which appears in the Microsoft
Network Neighborhoods from either subnet is the Samba server itself and not
all the computers on the other respective subnet even after using REMOTE
ANNOUNCE to the actual LMB (local master browser) or subnet broadcast.
However I can resolve the name with a standard UNC like \\2kas-server, it just
doesn't get an icon.
I have verified that Samba servers are able to communicate to the Microsoft
LMB (local master browser)
That the Samba server acting as a DMB (domain master browser) will communicate
it's existance to the Microsoft systems.
I have verified I am not getting any errors in nmbd.log or smbd.log even with
a log level of 2.
I have verified that there are in fact 2 copies of nmbd running when they
should be and that they started without posting any errors to the syslog.
I have verified that there is 1 computer on either subnet with a MSBROWSE in
the NBTSTAT -a indicating that there is a LMB (local master browser) for
each subnet.
I can ping everything from everything else.
The DMB (domain master browser) does show a workgroup 1B in the nbtstat -a.
I have waited longer than 2 hours to insure that the systems have time to
communicate the browse lists.
So what I am really looking for is someone to verify this:
If the only thing on a remote subnet to a Samba WINS server (acting as
LMB (local master browser) and DMB (domain master browser) in a workgroup
environment) is Microsoft workstations the best I can ever get will be
the Samba server itself to appear in both Microsoft Network Neighborhoods.
using the Samba server for WINS will NOT produce a unified browse list
between the 2 subnets unless there is a SAMBA server acting as LMB (local
master browser) in each and every remote subnet to the SAMBA server acting
as the DMB (domain master browser). Further that even that won't work
unless all the computers point to that WINS server which is acting as the
DMB (domain master browser).
I've read all the documentation I could get my hands on.
This fact is not spelled out either as yes or no.
Someone please enlighten me as to whether this is really the case.
TIA, Brian
