[c-nsp] Windows networking across subnets

[Joseph Jackson]

On 2/17/08, Robert Boyle <robert at tellurian.com> wrote:
>
> At 01:39 PM 2/14/2008, Mike Blodgett wrote:
>
> > > MS 2000.
> > >
> > > I am just looking to see if there is a router/network hardware
> solution for
> > > this. The do not want to map drives,
> > > they want to see all shares/printers in Network Barrio. Welcome to
> > > government. If there is not a network solution
> > > that is all I need to know; then it becomes "not my problem".
> > >
> > >
> >Not really a Windows guy either, but if you are running NBT (netbios
> >over tcp), to get all the entries in
> >the network neighborhood you would have to run a WINS server.  If you
> >disable NBT in
> >favor of raw smb over TCP, I'm not sure but I'd guess the WINS
> >functionality was put into active directory.
>
> WINS is old technology from Windows NT and hasn't been needed for WAN
> networking with Windows since 2000. If you are using active directory
> and only use Windows 2000/2003/2008/XP/Vista computers and haven't
> restricted any ports needed by Windows networking, just set the
> remote side to use the AD servers for DNS and the remote machines
> will register themselves and everything will just work. Obviously,
> all computers you want to talk need to have their default gateway and
> netmask set appropriately too.
>
> -Robert


He will need a WINS server if he is wanting what I think he is (I'm a
network guy but our shop is an enterprise windows 2003 AD setup).  What he
is most likely wanting is to beable to see other computers on differnet
subnets through network neighborhood.  There is only two ways to get that to
happen.  1) Set up a WINS server and point all clients to that.  2)Have all
clients be in the same broadcast domain or use IP-helper command to forward
all broadcasts to the subnet that has the DHCP servers (if there are any).
This will then allow you to view computers in network neighborhood.   We had
to do the ip helper setup since the boss didn't want a WINS server.  Also
without broadcast forwarding or a WINS server certain windows based tools
won't work correct if they have to "emunerate" computers/roles or users.


HTH

Joseph