Win2k client in Samba network refuses to use DNS, only NBNS broadcast

From: Rob Mitchell (robert.mitchell_at_sympatico.private)
Date: 03/10/05


Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 03:34:18 -0500

I am trying to get a win2k laptop working on my Samba (Linux) domain. I
have several win boxes running. This laptop USED to work. I recently
re-installed it and now am having all kinds of grief.

It refuses to use the configured DNS servers that my ISP provides.
Whenever I do 'ping www.ibm.com' ethereal shows me that the win2k box
does a NBNS to x.x.x.255. (This is a simple home lan netmask ff.ff.ff.0
using /etc/hosts on the linux box and no LMHOST files on the pcs, I
guess they just broadcast when they need to)

If I configure Samba for wins support, then the laptop will go to it to
resolve addresses (local and network) and this works for ping. However
for some reason, the addresses returned (look correct) but don't get up
the stack to IE, but that's another problem.

I have re-installed this laptop twice now. What on earth could I be
doing wrong? Why is my laptop insisting to use Netbios to resolve IP
addresses?

I tried to eliminate netbios from the equation by setting TCPIP to not
use netbios/tcp. then:

I checked the routing and I think everything is ok. If I ping the DNS
server by IP address, the laptop first gets the address of the gateway,
then passes the ICMP request to the gateway to be routed. (as expected?)

BUT if I try to ping www.google.ca or some other name I get
'unknown host xx' and no network traffic. I expected that it would get
the address of the gateway, then pass a dns lookup request to the DNS
via the gateway. But it does nothing at all! How does PING know that
www.ibm.com is an unknown host without sending out anything on the network?

Advice?

Rob



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