XP machine fails to resolve local names (e.g. \\mycomputer) but connects via IP address (e.g. \\192.168.0.12) just fine.

Also check the WINS serever setting is the same as the working machines

Regards

DenisBS

Thanks for the reply Denis.

Just to be sure I set the DNS manually (usually it's pulled automatically) but this made no difference.

I'm not running a WINS server on the network so that tab remains blank (as it is for the other machines).
I have set it to enable the LMHOSTS lookup (which works as a partial solution as I mentioned above) and I have NETBIOS enabled over TCP/IP but still no change.

Doug

One more setting worth checking is on the DNS page.  Check that the Append primary and connection specific DNS settings are the same as the working machines.

Regards

DenisBS

Hi Denis,

Thanks again for your suggestion, but alas all of the DNS settings are identical.

Just out of curiosity is the DNS the key service here?  I had thought that was just used for remote names (like microsoft.com), but is it also used for my local machine names?
I do see a check box in there for "register this connection's addresses in DNS" and it's checked by default (and I've not changed it).

I think part of the problem I have figuring out what's broken is that I have no idea what mechanism is actually used to resolve the local names so I can't troubleshoot it.

Doug

Hi,

DNS and WINS are used for name resolution.  You said you don't have a WINS server so you can't be using WINS.

To comunicate over a network the machine name must be converted into either a MAC address (local segment) or TCP/IP address (Remote Segment).  This is accomplished by a combination of broadcasts (ARP) and LOOKUP tables (DNS,WINS,HOSTS,LMHOSTS).

The main difference between WINS and DNS is that DNS is a TCP/IP protocol and WINS is a netbois protocol, but there is a considerable amount of overlap.  Microsoft has stated an intention to phase out WINS and use DNS for all name resolution.

In your network it seems that name resolution is working OK for all machines except one laptop, so it seems logical that there must be a difference in configuration on this laptop.  The settings I suggested above are the settings most likely to make name resolution  fail if they are not correct.  I still think this is your most sensible approach at the moment.  If the settings are made identical and they work for other machines, then they must work for the laptop.  So I think you should very carefully go through all the settings on a working machine and ensure the laptop is set up identically.

I also note you said you have a wired and wireless connection.  You should disable whichever one is not currently being used to connect to the network.  I have encountered issues before if a machine has unused adapters enabled.

Hope this helps

Regards

DenisBS

Also it may be worthwhile comparing the LMHOSTS file with a file from a working machine.  In the absence of a WINS server the LMHOSTS file is an integral part of name resolution.  It could be that the LMhosts file was replaced with a standatrd one when the machine was reconfigured.

Regards

DenisBS

Hi Denis,

Thanks for all of the explanations -- this gives me a much better understanding of what's going on (I didn't know WINS was Netbios based--makes a lot of sense).  As you say, I'm sure some setting is slightly different between the machines, but I've yet to stumble across it.
I'm going to see if I can track down some tools to show me how name resolution is working machine to machine.  I found nbtstat which seems to report some of this information.  I'll compare what it reports on the laptop to the other machines.
I'll also go take a look at the LMHOSTS files and see if they're different.

I'll do another round of exploring and then post what I've learned.

Thanks again,

Doug

Hi

Don't forget the bit about disabling the NIC that is not currently being used for connection to the network.  If you need to have both available you should set up hardware profiles with with the wired connection enabled and the wireless one disabled and another hardware profile with the reverse,  then at machine startup you can select the appropriate profile for whichwver connection method you require.

Having both enabled at the same time with addresses for the local LAN may well cause the problems you have.

Regards

DenisBS

Hi

Here are some links for troubleshooting advice

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;32548

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314067

Regards

DenisBS

Hi Denis,

Thanks again for your posts and I've made some progress.  I disabled the wired adapter and that made no difference.  There's still a dial-up connection that's present (not in use) and I think I may soon try deleting it since it doesn't have the equivalent "disable" option and I worry that it's somehow getting itself involved in the mix.

I then ran nbtstat -r and compared the results are very different between the working machines and the problem laptop.
The working machines all appear to be using "broadcast" to register and resolve names (which you mentioned before).

On the laptop I get:

    NetBIOS Names Resolution and Registration Statistics
    ----------------------------------------------------

    Resolved By Broadcast     = 0
    Resolved By Name Server   = 0

    Registered By Broadcast   = 0
    Registered By Name Server = 0

So the problem is now much better focused--why is broadcast NetBIOS name resolution failing on this laptop?

I tried some of the troubleshooting from the support links you sent but no success yet (BTW, the first link was broken--I think a digit was dropped when you pasted it) although my understanding of what's happening here continues to improve.

Can you tell me anything about how broadcast works?  I see there are discussions about different modes that XP can use for name resolution, like b-mode, h-mode etc.,  but nothing yet about where that's set (I assume it's implicit from the user's choices in the control panel) or how to check that it's functioning.

I keep coming back to the fact that it reports a failure instantly, which makes me think the broadcast service is probably turned off (maybe as a security feature somewhere?) because if it went out to the network at all there'd be some delay before it decided nothing was out there.

Doug

Hi

Here are a couple more links that may help.

Basically you can't turn off broadcasting.  This is a default behaviour.

You may have problems with the installation of Netbois on the machine.  Try uninstaling and reinstalling it.


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;169141

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314053

Regards

DenisBS

Hi Denis,

I tried uninstalling and re-installing Netbios a couple of times in different ways but it made no difference.
This is so frustrating!  I really thought that might do the trick.  I also checked dozen of registry entries using the trouble-shooting docs you posted (thanks for those) but all seem to be in order.

At least I am gathering a good understanding of how this works and also why this system is prone to failure (it's obviously wildly complex with many places things can go wrong and throw it off).

I'm wondering now if I should configure my Windows 2000 server to be a WINS server (if that's not too hard) and then have this machine use that server to get names.  But my heart's not really into that as it seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Oh my,

Doug

The fact you can add entries to the LMHOSTS file and the machine then connects to those machines indicates that a WINS server will work, as a WINS server is just a way of automatically deploying and keeping up to date the information normally found in the LMHOSTS file.

WINS servers are easy to set up and relatively self maintaining so it is worth a try.  All you need to do is use the configure my computer wizard to add the WINS server.

Regards

DEnisBS

dpearson,

You have been very thorough, and have checked many things. I hope you find your solution soon. It almost sounds as if the laptop no longer has a name to broadcast, or is no longer participating in name broadcasting.

If you haven't already done so, some other things to check in services:
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper - should be started
Also make sure that the 'Dependencies' for Computer Browser are running. The dependencies for a service are in the dialog box on another 'Tab' when you double-click the service to examine it. On my XP Pro box, the dependencies for Computer Browser are Server and Workstation - Both are running and Startup Type = Automatic

You mentioned that all the machines are in a simple workgroup. It might be worthwhile to 'uninstall' then 'reinstall' the laptop in the workgroup again. That might include unistalling/reinstalling Microsoft File and Printer Sharing and Client for Microsoft Networks. Then 'unjoin' and 'rejoin' the workgroup.


Good luck...

Hi Denis and CableGuy,

Thanks once again for your posts. Thanks Denis for explaining that the WINS option isn't so bad--I'm keeping that as my fallback position.
I tried uninstalling and re-installing both File Sharing and Client for MS Networks (no luck with either) and changed the workground name and back w/o result.

But reading the flow-chart on how name resolution works has helped me make more progress, I think.

Running "ipconfig /all" the problem laptop says it's Node Type is "Peer-to-Peer", which I take is p-mode.  According to that flowchart this means it doesn't go through the broadcast step so that explains why I'm not seeing anything in the broadcast stage under nbtstat.
What's more the other machines on the network are in "Mixed" mode, which I take it is m-mode, which *does* use broadcast.

So the problem gets simplified again.  Now it's just a question of figuring out why this laptop is in p-mode not m-mode...which presumably brings us back to the original settings in the network connection's dialogs but now with a much tighter focus.
I'll go back and re-read some of the URLs Denis posted with registry settings and see if I can figure out when the mode changes and how this is different on this laptop.

Doug

Hi Denis and CableGuy,

Just wanted to let you know that manually setting the mode in the registry did the trick.  I almost can't believe that it's finally working again.
I don't suppose I'll ever figure out who changed that bit, but the more important thing is I now really understand how the whole name resolution system works...something about the value of teaching a man to fish comes to mind :)

Thanks so much for helping me through this long process, I really appreciate it,

Doug

Happy to be able to help.

Thanks for the points

DenisBS