Some computers disapear/don't show under Network in Win8

[RockDawg]

I've been having this problem for a while and I'm fed up and would like to fix it. I have a small network at home comprised of my desktop (Win8), laptop (Win7), 3 HTPC's (Linux) and my ESXi server running a handful of VMs (Win & Linux including unRAID). My problem is that the Linux computers often do not show under Network in Windows. Once in a blue moon they will show up, bust most time they do not.

 

I can access them fine buy typing \\COMPUTER-NAME or \\IP-ADDRESS in the address bar of Windows Explorer. I've read about Local Master Browser election issues and I'm wondering if that's my issue. I have my unRAID VM set as Local Master, but if I run nbtstat -a UNRAID I get:

 

C:\Windows\system32>nbtstat -a wopr

Ethernet:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.XXX] Scope Id: []

           NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

       Name               Type         Status
    ---------------------------------------------
    WOPR           <00>  UNIQUE      Registered
    WOPR           <03>  UNIQUE      Registered
    WOPR           <20>  UNIQUE      Registered
    MSHOME         <1E>  GROUP       Registered
    MSHOME         <00>  GROUP       Registered

    MAC Address = 00-00-00-00-00-00

 

It doesn't report that it's the Local Master. How can I correct this issue or is there something other than the Local Master Browser that may be causing or could resolve my issue?

[RockDawg]

Anyone have any ideas how to fix this issue?

[switchman]

Download and run Lanscanner from below.  It will tell you the all of the workgroups and their associated master browsers within your L2 network.  It could help with issues.

 

http://scottiestech.info/2009/02/14/how-to-determine-the-master-browser-in-a-windows-workgroup/

 

 

 

[RockDawg]

Thanks I ran script and it returns strange results.  It is only showing my unRAID and Ubuntu VM on the workgroup when there is actually more. 

 

I finally decided to try something and went and disabled Local Master Browser on all my Windows machines, shut down all my computers and restarted them all beginning with unRAID (I read that the first eligible computer to boot will usually be the local master).  After everything booted up, Ubuntu was the Master and all my computers showed up when browsing the network.  I had to do a couple things in Ubuntu and rebooted it.  Then my FreeNAS server was the Master and only a few computers were showing.  I disabled Local Master in FreeNAS and rebooted it and now unRAID is the local master, but FreeNAS is not showing when I browse the network.

 

Why the frig is this so hard?  All I want is for all my network computers to be available when browsing the network in Windows.  How do you all deal with this?  Or is my situation unique?

[switchman]

From what I have read, my impression is that you only want one master browser in the network.  I have unraid set up to be the MB in my network, I have noticed issues in the past when I enabled WINS server on my RT-N16 running tomato where the entire network would not resolve.  Even though it was no the master, it seemed to confuse my PC.  My solution is to turn of WINS server in the router.  Everything now works fine.

 

I would turn it off MB/WINS on all your LINUX devices except unraid and see what happens.  But I believe these type of issues is why MS implemented domain controllers.

[RockDawg]

Thanks for your feedback switchman.  All computers are now showing, but I wonder how long.  I don't know much about domain controllers, but I have read that it would solve my issue.  I can't help but think that would be serious overkill though.  Plus I've read that Windows 7 Home can;t join a domain and I have three machines running that.  Wouldn't I also need a copy of Windows Server 2008 or 2012 or something like that to act as the domain controller?

[garycase]

I agree it's overkill to implement a Domain Controller just to resolve this issue ... as I understand it, it's not even an access issue - just a "view" problem (i.e. you can easily access everything as long as you know the address ... you just don't "see" them in the network view).

 

And yes, you'd need to run an OS that can server as the DC ... Server 2008, Server 2012, etc.    I believe Samba can provide this function in Linux systems; but I'm not a Linux guy and have no idea how you'd set it up.

[RockDawg]

Correct.  It is more of a view problem than an access problem although it does limit access in some cases.  For example, when saving an image in Photoshop you can't type in \\server\folder\.  You can only navigate to whatever locations are displayed.  I know I can map the location on the local computer, but I would need to do that on all my computers and I'd rather avoid that.

 

I've disabled on everything I know how, but I still have a couple systems (pfsense and ESXi) that I don't know if they can ever be Local Master or not.  Right now unRAID is the Local Master and I want it to stay that way, but I'm not sure what will have down the road or subsequent reboots.

[garycase]

Interesting ... I'd never noticed that with Photoshop, but just confirmed that you're correct.    I agree that having to create a mapped drive on all your systems for that is a PITA that's best avoided.

 

Do you require logins on your UnRAID servers that aren't showing?  If so, have you added the credentials to your Windows boxes?

 

[RockDawg]

I can't think of which ones right now but I've run into other programs that behave similarly to Photoshop in that regard.  No, I do not require logins to my unRAID shares.  And when I was having problems it was entire computers that wouldn't show and for whatever reason it was almost always the Linux ones missing.  The Windows computers always seems to show up.