[kwlug disc.] DHCP registering to DNS?

[Unsolicited at gto.net]

In Windows, unless you change it to behave otherwise:

- whenever a machine boots it wants to be the master browser (not strictly
true, but work with me here), unless it has been told not to be. (vs.
Automatic, or Yes I'm the master browser.)
- trying to be a master browser, it calls for an election. If it wins the
election, it becomes the master browser, after sucking up the former master
browser's tables.

1. AD masters / servers win. Always.
2. Then NT domain servers win. (in our case, the samba server.)
3. Then NT servers win.
4. Then whomever else is set to be a master browser wins.
5. Then whomever is at the same / automatic rank as the requestor wins.
(Loses?)
6. Then the new machine wins.
-  Something set to not be a master browser always loses. (Win 9x defaults
this way.)
- the above is approximate based on old memory.

> It does not seem to work until the master browser has "seen" all the
machines, but 

Correct - it announces itself at boot. If a machine gets lost in the
shuffle, particularly during an election and table transfer, well, it just
gets lost. Comes back at next boot. Different machines go down at different
times, including the current master browser, making the whole mess
annoyingly inconsistent.

Things are also impacted by node type. If nodes are set to be wins aware,
the wins server always wins. i.e. Rather than broadcasting "I'm the best!"
they go "You the man!"

> All machines get their names from the hosts file.

The Linux ones you mean.

On your windows machines, you probably want to go into each network card's
properties, advanced, ... and NEVER MIND. Pre-XP there was an advanced
setting for node type (you could set wins, broadcast, mixed, different
priorities, and umpteen other orders). search.microsoft.com on "windows xp"
"master browser" "node type" reveals nothing useful, except
https://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en
-us/netsh_wins.mspx?mfr=true. Which is to say, a netsh command for the wins
server - which you're not supposed to need with AD. {sigh} If I remember
correctly, you can still set in if you use DHCP. [Now confirmed, and that
the only way to set it in XP is via registry, or DHCP.]

FWIW: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188001


I also believe you want to go to the ip address properties, advanced, and
disable netbios. All this magic works over TCP/IP. NetBios is just an extra,
no longer needed protocol. (Unless you're still running Win9x.)

BUT - that's in the Windows world. If I understand John and Donald
correctly, Linux side 'browsing awareness' depends upon NetBios being on. So
your mysterious XP machines coming and going may be because their NetBios is
set to Default, or off. Try turning them all on, instead. Browsing may get
consistent.

If I read Ilquiz' post correctly, there are other non-NetBios Linux
solutions. John makes the good point that if you want to do it quick and
dirty, run Samba, which you're probably running already, anyways. Or such as
the smb4k utilities Donald talks about, which many are probably all but
running too.

-----Original Message-----
From: kwlug-disc-bounces at kwlug.org [mailto:kwlug-disc-bounces at kwlug.org] On
Behalf Of Donald Tees
Sent: December 5, 2006 8:53 PM
To: kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
Subject: Re: [kwlug disc.] DHCP registering to DNS?

Unsolicited at gto.net wrote:
>>> [And remind me ... what does one use to see the list of hosts on the 
>>> local network? Browse in Konqueror?]
>>>       
>
> So, there is no Linux (non-SMB?) 'machine browser'? 
>
>   
No, though there is a winxp system that I do not have a clue what it does.

The win machine has no problem seeing the Linux shares though.

There are a few funnies with the methodology.

It does not seem to work until the master browser has "seen" all the
machines, but then I can can see everything from everywhere. After boot, I
use smb4k to search for the master browser by IP, then smb4k picks up the
entire work-group. The master browser machine has "master browser=yes" and
the "prefered browser=yes" set.  The other machines have the master browser
set to the IP number of the master browser.  The XP system does whatever it
does.

All machines get their names from the hosts file.

Smb4k is worth it's weight in gold.  I have it running on all machines all
the time.

Donald

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