Rarely issue with NetBios

Hi:
I have a problem and I need help with this issue. The situation is described
as following:
I have 2 sites, “Site A†and “Site Bâ€. The computers in “Site A†cannot
access to the most shared resources of computers in “Site Bâ€. However from
the computers in “Site B†can access to their shared resources between them
as well as to the computers in “Site Aâ€
The computers in “Site A†can do ping and get remote access by terminal
server to the computers in “Site B†and vice versa. However from “Site A†it
cannot access to the shared resources of the most of computers in “Site Bâ€
and for other computers in “Site B†it can be access it.
The client computers are managed by active directory domain; I have 2 Domain
Controllers under Windows Server 2008 in "Site A" and 1 Domain Controller in
"Site B". The clients are Windows XP and it has enable File and Printer
Sharing. The PDC is in "Site A".

 

Hello ABC,

If you use multiple subnets you have to install WINS to use NetBIOS resolving.
If DNS is configured correct you should be able to access any share via \\server\share.

 

Hi Meinolf,

Thanks for your answer, but my DNS resolution is working fine, because i'm
getting the correct ip address from a nslookup query, and i'm sniffing 2
connections with wireshark to 2 diferents computers in "Site B" and the
destination ip address are correct, but with one computer the connection was
sucessfully and with the another computer was falied and with this computer
i've nerver recived a response except for an ICMP echo REPLY in response to
an ICMP echo REQUEST that was sending in the falied trying connection to the
shared resource.

 

Hello ABC,

As said before if you need NetBios name resolution, use WINS.

 

I agree with Meinolf. You need WINS in a multi-subnetted environment.

--
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

Please reply back to the newsgroup or forum for collaboration benefit among
responding engineers, and to help others benefit from your resolution.

Ace Fekay, MCT, MCITP EA, MCTS Windows 2008 & Exchange 2007, MCSE & MCSA
2003/2000, MCSA Messaging 2003
Microsoft Certified Trainer

For urgent issues, please contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please check
http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

 

Thanks, for your answers. I've been trying to find the cause of this problem,
and i got it, although it is somewhat embarrassing to say, but it only was
that some computers in "Site B" had configured the Windows Firewall to block
connections from public networks.

That was the reason why computers in "Site B" could access to their shared
resources between them and computers from "Site A" coudnt connect to the
shared resources in "Site B".

But, it's something that's still no clear to me.¿Why do you say to me that i
should use a WINS server to resolve names in a multi subnet enviroment
instead of a DNS server??.Both do the same work and I don't see why do you
prefer WINS instead of DNS. For even, DNS has many advantages over WINS.

 

Hello ABC,

As you mentioned the use of NetBIOS we recommended the use of WINS. Normally
DNS is enough for pure AD environment. But some services, also applications
still rely on Netbios/WINS so if you have more then one subnet WINS is really
helpful as addition.

 

As Meinolf said, some apps still require NetBIOS and not DirectSMB, whcih is
what non-NetBIOS uses with AD, resolution. One huge example is Exchange.

Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server require NetBIOS name
....Explains the different scenarios where Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange
2000 Server still require NetBIOS name resolution for full functionality.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837391

Otherwise, for the most part you can get away from WINS in your scenario,
where AD support computername resolution through DNS and single name
connectivity using DirectSMB (port 445). Matter of fact,with AD, it will try
DirectSMB first, then NetBIOS (139).

Ace