Wierd workgropu issues

[Circlenaut]

I've got a via epia RAID NAS server running windows server 2003 R2. I have a vista sp1 client desktop and a windows xp sp2 laptop. The vista computer cannot reconnect networked drives at login. it pops up a little message saying "network drives could not be reconnected". The same thing happens with my windows xp laptop. The thing with my lap is when I try to browse the network it gives me a message "you do not have permission to access the workgroup". But when I map the network drive directly with the ip of the server it works. Also if I remotely connect to my server from the laptop I have to type in the ip, the servername doesn't work. From the vista desktop it works. Anyone have any ideas? I've searched a crapload and can't really find anything.

 

[Circlenaut]

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[spidey07]

It sounds like a typical netbios/ip windows name resolution problem. Accessing by IP and not by name = name resolution/netbios problem.

A few things to try:
1) Make sure tcp/ip is the ONLY protocol loaded on ALL devices. This is extremely important. This can be found in network control panel.
2) Make sure "enable netbios over TCP" is enabled on ALL devices, also in network control panel.

 

[RebateMonger]

How about a listing of the results of running "IPCONFIG /ALL" at the MS DOS Prompt on your server, your desktop, and your laptop?

 

[Circlenaut]

for my desktop:

C:\Users\felipeds>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : desktop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-30-1B-BC-04-80
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::fc51:63ac:9a40:cd80%8(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.107(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, March 21, 2008 8:58:40 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 22, 2008 8:58:40 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.189.0.29
66.189.0.30
66.189.0.5
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{91F31913-AC78-4937-A666-09B8638CE
76A}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:cf2e:308c:180c:1bc6:3f57:fe94(Pref
erred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::180c:1bc6:3f57:fe94%10(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

 

[Circlenaut]

for my server:

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : homeserver
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VIA Networking Velocity-Family Giga-bit E
thernet Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-63-F2-D0-FE
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.25
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

 

[Circlenaut]

for my laptop: Sorry about doing 3 posts I had to copy and paste from each computer. I tried enable Netbios in all 3 computers but it didn't stick. It's check in the wins tab but in vista it still shows as "disabled" when I do ipconfig /all. And nothing changed in the other computers.

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : lipetop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Peer-Peer
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Networ
k Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0E-35-F2-69-8A
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.189.0.29
66.189.0.30
66.189.0.5
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, March 21, 2008 9:10:49 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 22, 2008 9:10:49 PM

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Marvell Yukon 88E8001/8003/8010 PCI
Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-D8-8B-F3-39

 

[RebateMonger]

First, if name resolution suddenly stops working, it's usually because of a 3rd-party (non-Microsoft) firewall. I frequently see that in home settings where people install all sorts of firewall software on their PCs. Disabling these permanently can be a challenge sometimes.

My preference would be to disable DHCP on your router (192.168.1.1) and use your Server 2003 to provide DHCP and DNS services. Right now, the DNS server for your client PCs is a public DNS server, and it knows nothing about your internal network. So you are reliant on NetBIOS for your internal network name resolution. That's not very fast or reliable.

By letting your Server provide DNS/DHCP, you'll get consistent and instant name resolution on your entire network. Those functions have a near-zero effect on your Server workload.

1) Disable DHCP on your router.
2) Install DHCP and DNS on the Server, listening on your 192.168.1.25 NIC.
In the DNS Service properties, you can use your 66.xx.xx.xx DNS Servers are "Forwarders" for the rest of the Internet, or simply leave the Forwarders blank and use Root Hints for outside DNS name resolution.
3) Tell your Server to use it's own IP address as its DNS source. (192.168.1.25). Keep a static IP (192.168.1.25) for this Server.
4) Reboot your client PCs. Leave their TCP/IP DNS and IP settings on "Automatic". You should see that they are now using your Server for their DNS and DHCP sources.

 

[Circlenaut]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
First, if name resolution suddenly stops working, it's usually because of a 3rd-party (non-Microsoft) firewall. I frequently see that in home settings where people install all sorts of firewall software on their PCs. Disabling these permanently can be a challenge sometimes.

My preference would be to disable DHCP on your router (192.168.1.1) and use your Server 2003 to provide DHCP and DNS services. Right now, the DNS server for your client PCs is a public DNS server, and it knows nothing about your internal network. So you are reliant on NetBIOS for your internal network name resolution. That's not very fast or reliable.

By letting your Server provide DNS/DHCP, you'll get consistent and instant name resolution on your entire network. Those functions have a near-zero effect on your Server workload.

1) Disable DHCP on your router.
2) Install DHCP and DNS on the Server, listening on your 192.168.1.25 NIC.
In the DNS Service properties, you can use your 66.xx.xx.xx DNS Servers are "Forwarders" for the rest of the Internet, or simply leave the Forwarders blank and use Root Hints for outside DNS name resolution.
3) Tell your Server to use it's own IP address as its DNS source. (192.168.1.25). Keep a static IP (192.168.1.25) for this Server.
4) Reboot your client PCs. Leave their TCP/IP DNS and IP settings on "Automatic". You should see that they are now using your Server for their DNS and DHCP sources.

I tried doing this and nothing really changed. I noticed a speed increase (response time) but nothing else. I think I'll just wait for SP3 to come out. I noticed the problem with my laptop began after I did the windows update after a fresh install. Right after installing all the drivers and antivirus I tested the network and it worked fine (map network drive etc..) but after installing all the updates it stopped working.

 

[Markbnj]

RebateMonger's recommendation is a good one. Name resolution is almost always flaky on home lans where the only method is NETBIOS over TCP/IP. If various hosts are connected wirelessly it makes the problem worse (unless the connection is very good and stable).

If you don't want to set up your own DHCP server you can solve the issue on the cheap by giving each host on the internal network a static IP assignment at the router, and then entering all the IPs and names for internal systems in the windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file on each machine.

In any case, what you want is what RebateMonger offered: instant, accurate name resolution.

 

[RebateMonger]

Yeah, with only a few PCs, a HOSTS file would be OK. It's best done with static IP addresses, though. If the laptop needs DHCP enabled for use in "foreign" networks, you can use an Alternate IP addresses to give it a static IP when it's on your network (no DHCP server available).