WINS/NetBIOS questions - RESOLVED

[Fencer128]

Hi,

We currently have several windows workgroups split across 2 different subnets (that is each workgroup contains members from both subnets), as a part of our class B network. At the moment we are using a single master browser service in each workgroup to resolve NetBIOS broadcasts. We have a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0, which I realise is not optimal as our organisation uses 254 subnets with 254 hosts on each configuration (i.e. 255.255.255.0 would be better.)

However, because NetBIOS in itself is not a routable protocol, if I change from 255.255.0.0 to 255.255.255.0 then only nodes on the same subnet as the master browser within each workgroup can see each other (we have one single forced browser per workgroup).

My questions are:

1. I believe that changing subnet as described above will help reduce broadcast traffic outside of our 2 subnets (could someone please confirm?)

2. If we use a central WINS server (or 2) to reolve NetBIOS requests, can we get away with having no master browser in any workgroup - or am I not thinking straight?

Please feel free to comment on any aspect of my post, as well the answers I've reuqested (this might be a silly idea for instance?)

Thanks for your time,

Andrew

 

[spidey07]

Fencer,

Are you running netbeui or netbios over TCP?

If the latter then all you need is a WINS server. You can direct all windows machines to the WINS server for NBT (netbios over TCP) name resolution. The WINs server will maintain all netbios names and master browsers. works like a champ.

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Thanks for posting. We are using NetBIOS over TCP (NBT). From reading your response you seem to imply that the WINS server maintains a list of master browsers. Does that mean that in order for this to work, we'll still need a master browser per workgroup to "route" down to individual hosts?

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Any ideas about my last point?

Thanks in advance,

Andrew

 

[spidey07]

anytime you have more than one broadcast domain (ip network) using a wins server allows good netbios name resolution.

There isn't much configuration to it. Load up WINs server on a machine, then place the WINS server's ip address into each client's ip configuration.

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Thanks, you've helped a lot.

Andy