I have not been following this thread too closely so I may be missing some
key posts. But, you do not need a hosts file or lmhosts file on the Windows
boxes. Rely on the naturally occurring B-Node broadcasts, which is the
default behavior of a Windows client that does not have WINS enabled.
Get rid of your lmhosts file and empty out your hosts file. Then run the
command "nbtstat -R" on the windows box to return the box to the wholesome
goodness that it once was. The -R flag is case sensitive.
You want to get fancy and do this right? Set up the Linux box as the WINS
server and point the Windows boxes to it. Under the [global] section add
the lines:
wins support = yes
name resolve order = wins lmhosts hosts bcast
OS Level = 99
if you want the Samba server to use your DNS settings if it cannot find an
entry in WINS, add the line:
dns proxy = yes
Then, in the TCP/IP Properties of the Windows boxes set the primary wins
server entry to point to the Linux box.
Restart nmbd and then watch your wins.dat file grow like a chia pet before
your very eyes.
Do not read any further than this line if you are not interested in how
NetBIOS name resolution occurs.
There are fundamentally four ways in which NetBIOS name resolution occurs
(again, without an lmhosts file): B-Node, P-Node, H-Node, and M-Node.
B-Node is the default behavior when there is no WINS server available. This
is the broadcast method. Essentially, your Windows boxes shout to each
other "Here I am" all day long. Samba works just fine with this method, but
it can be chatty for anything larger than the smallest of LANS.
P-Node broadcast is a step up from B-Node. P-Node is Peer-to-Peer Name
Resolution. This relies on a WINS server for name resolution. Instead of
your boxes shouting to each other "Here I am" all the live long day they
tell their peer (the WINS server) "Here I am" when they first boot up.
When the box is shut down cleanly it tells the WINS server "Good Night, I am
going away".
M-Node and H-Node are variations of B-Node and P-Node. M-Node first uses
B-Node and then P-Node name resolution. H-Node first uses P-Node and then
B-Node.
I outlined the steps above on how to configure your Windows boxes and your
Linux box for H-Node (first check the peers, then broadcast).
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Grantham, Patrick" <Patrick.Grantham@vacationclub.com>
Reply-To: slug@nks.net
To: "'slug@nks.net'" <slug@nks.net>
Subject: RE: [SLUG] Frank's Computer Networking Problems - Continued
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 09:17:52 -0400
IF you ping a host name listed in your LMHOSTS file AND get another IP, then
some other service is returning an IP before the win box parses the LMHOSTS.
LMHOSTS is used with MS LAN manager. MS implementation of tcp/ip uses the
HOSTS file. The win box may not even been parsing the LMHOSTS at all once
that erroneous IP is returned. I suggest copying the file LMHOSTS to HOSTS.
You should only need a hosts file and not an LHHOSTS file. Also, you can
change the resolution order and move priority of the hosts (or LMHOSTS)
file. There is a MS white paper on how change the order and force the Win
box to parse the hosts file first. When faced with the same problem, I
found my solution by hard coding the IP of the Linux box (whose was acting
as the NT domain controller) into the primary wins setting on the win box
AND copying the LMHOSTS file to hosts. I no longer edit the LMHOSTS file.
The only entries I place in the hosts file are those for Linux box an
network print servers (HP, even a couple of Axis). I did not have to edit
the registry. Having done this this, there is a hang time of 2-3 seconds on
the win boxes during login. However, all is ok and has been for the past 5
months. Incidentally, my largest implementation of the Linux NT domain
controlled network is ALSO a non-profit site.
I may have said it before, but I find swat an invaluable tool too.
good luck.
-----Original Message-----
From: SOTL [mailto:sotl155360@earthlink.net]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 8:13 AM
To: slug@nks.net; Paul M Foster
Subject: [SLUG] Frank's Computer Networking Problems - Continued
<Snip>
>>
>> I am not able to see the network in the Win box by use of names.
>> How does that interlate with the Samba conf file?
>> In short if the Win box does not know where it is how is it going to
know
>> how to get to the Samba files to find out where it is. This seems to be
>> going in a circle to me. Doesn't the Win box find out where the linux
box
>> is from the win lmhost or host file?
>
Thanks Paul
That is exactly what I thought.
> Yes, and if you can ping by number and not name, your LMHOSTS file is
> messed up
Maybe
> (assuming other setups in Windows are pointing to the LMHOSTS file).
This is where I think the problem is (if you are using a fixed address
approach). When I ping lan_user which is at 192.168.1.1 in the lmhost file
there is a 15 second delay and it pings 169.254.52.107
So based on that I stopped at T&T computers on the way to the picknick. T&T
people had claimed in the past that they had worked on Linus equipment. The
equipment was in the car; I need it operational; they were in route so being
desperate I stopped - Big mistake. Very insulting the response was:
Obviously
your problem is that you are not using proper MS server software and because
of that we can not help you with the workstation.
T&T only becomes relevant in light with other discussions that I had at the
picknick and at the Dunedin meeting. It was suggested that an appropriate
method of doing this would be to use a third computer as a gateway/server
running e-Smith. Principal advantages being that you could set up the system
using DHCP and then you would not have to worry about lmhost and host files
in the Win box.
That idea sounded good so I thought maybe I could just go back to the HOWTO
and initiate the part "The DCHP Server" which I had skipped. That is when I
discovered why I had chose fixed addresses instead of DHCP. Apparently RH7.1
has done a real number on DHCP as far as entry level network people are
concerned. I can not find the files in and subdirectory that are referred to
in the HOWTO. In particular I have no idea what happened to /etc/dhcpd.conf
plus others.
I have considered another distribution but I realized that after looking
through my collection of CD that I did not have anything but RH7.1 that
supported my video card.
Thus there appears to be three options.
1. Change distributions and change video cards. I have an older lower
quality
card but I do not like this option.
2. Take the equipment to another meeting and hope some one has the answer. I
do not like this option for three reasons: a) I do not like mooching, b) It
would be a real pain to take this to the Tamps meeting c) I never have a
record of the changes afterward so I do not know how to fix the problem
myself in the future.
3. Wait until RH comes out with 7.2 where they hopeful will have fixed the
DHCP problem along with a dozed other trivial issues that are causing real
problems.
Thanks
Frank
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