I'm having a strange network problem that's unrelated to unRAID.  My home network consists of my desktop computer, laptop, network printer, and my two unRAID servers all running through my Netgear router and a couple SMB switches.  My network has been set up like for almost a year without any problems.  A couple months back my laptop (running XP) quit showing any other computers on the network when I would look under network in Windows Explorer, but if I did a search for one of the computer names it would show up.  Also, when I'm in a program and go to save a file the computers will show up under browse in the "save as" window.  Just after Christmas I built a new desktop system running Vista and it's been fine until last night and it started doing the same thing.  Clicking on Network shows my residential gateway, printer and my desktop, but none of the other computers.  I can't figure out how to search for a computer on the network in Vista, so I can't check that, but once again the computers show up under browse in a "save as" popup window within a program.  Also, I have a couple Xboxes running XBMC that I use to access the unRAID servers and they have no problem seeing them at any time.  Anybody have any idea why Windows Explorer can't find my other network computers when they are obviously there?

Because it is Windows.

 

No, really.  Windows is crap.  It looks OK on paper, but the actual implementation is crap.

 

A virgin Windows system often works very well.  Six months later, the same box sucks and has several "problems."  There are many reasons, registry bloat, DLL mismatches, etc.  But it happens.

 

I wipe out the OS and reinstall it once a year on my Windows box.  That's really the only solution for any box that is heavily used with more than a handful of apps installed.

I don't want to turn this into a pro or anti-Windows thread, but I don't believe the problem is "Because it is Windows".  My Vista machine was just built less than three weeks ago and I haven't installed much on it yet, so I don't think bloat or a "dirty" Windows is the problem either.  I'm not trying to argue with you, I was just hoping for a little more of a technical answer.

I agree with you RockDawg. that wasn't much of an answer. All my systems run XP (in various version ... MCE, PRO, HOME) and all my shares always show up.

 

OK, even though nothing's changed, a couple of questions/suggestions:

 

1) how often to you reboot your various systems? (laptop I'm assuming daily, but others may be longer). Does rebooting get your shares back?

2) Verify on ALL machines that the workgroup is exactly the same (even down to case though I don't believe it really is case sensitive)

3) Any consistency on your XP machines as to when they started disappearing?

 

Oh well, it's a start ... off to lunch now

A found a thread with a similar issue and it offers some detailed guidance ....

 

http://forum.soft32.com/windows/Network-PC-Windows-XP-show-ftopict350317.html

 

 

Bill

Make sure the Windows Firewall (or any other firewall) is either not enabled or allows network browse/response on all the pc's. 

 

Also checkout this fix for the winXP computers being browsed by Vista.  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

I agree with you RockDawg. that wasn't much of an answer. All my systems run XP (in various version ... MCE, PRO, HOME) and all my shares always show up.

 

OK, even though nothing's changed, a couple of questions/suggestions:

 

1) how often to you reboot your various systems? (laptop I'm assuming daily, but others may be longer). Does rebooting get your shares back?

2) Verify on ALL machines that the workgroup is exactly the same (even down to case though I don't believe it really is case sensitive)

3) Any consistency on your XP machines as to when they started disappearing?

 

Oh well, it's a start ... off to lunch now

 

1.  My laptop (XP) and desktop (Vista) comp are rebooted daily.  The two unRAID servers are usually never rebooted.  I did try rebooting both the laptop and the desktop numerous times and the shares and it doesn't affect it.  I should mention though that they sometimes just start showing up on the laptop.  I can't tie to any event, it just seems to happen.

 

2.  I'll double check, but I'mm 99A% certain they are all set to MSHOME

 

3.  Nothing that I know that coincided with them disappearing on the XP machine.  Like I said above, they sometimes show back up (rarely) on it though and I can't tie that to anything either?

Billped & xore - it's more than just the Vista machine (desktop) not seeing the XP machine (laptop).  It also isn't seeing the two unRAID machines either.  It was seeing them all just fine the last time I used it which was ~3 days ago.  I have checked Windows Firewall and it looks OK, but I will check it again when I get home.