Master Browser problem

[Jong]

Sorry for the probably noob question!

I have a regular workgroup-based network - no domain server, all PCs on the same segment and in the same workgroup - no Homegroup. I've just tried to "Force as Master Browser" in 378.55. All seemed to work for a few hours but then in the middle of the night this "NetBT" error appeared and the affected computer is no longer browsable: "The name "WORKGROUP :1d" could not be registered on the interface with IP address 192.168.0.6. The computer with the IP address 192.168.0.1 did not allow the name to be claimed by this computer."

All computers are in the same workgroup and the affected computer is the only one with that name. It seems that the router is stopping it claiming its own name??? Any ideas? The computer is running Windows 10, so I suppose it could be an oddity related to that. On the other hand, all I did was "force as master browser" on the router; maybe there is something I should be doing on the other devices to prepare the groundwork.

 

[ColinTaylor]

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...e/14a09bd4-6e86-4d8f-8783-74a85dd844fa?auth=1

 

[Jong]

Thanks, but I understand the error. What I don't understand is why it would happen on a long standing network without any name changes when I start to force my router as Master Browser.

 

[ColinTaylor]

The error appears to suggest that the PC (192.168.0.6) is trying to become the master browser. Maybe it's a Windows 10 thing?

Obviously by forcing the router to always be the master browser you have created a conflict with the PC.

 

[Jong]

That's not how I read it, but I may be wrong. My understanding is 192.168.0.6 (the Windows 10 system that has become unbrowsable) is trying to register its network name with 192.168.0.1 (the router and Master Browser) but the router is saying that name is already taken.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Hmm maybe. Well unless the PC's name is WORKGROUP...

The name "WORKGROUP :1d" could not be registered on the interface with IP address 192.168.0.6

1d is the code for Master Browser name whereas 00 is the code for a workstation and 20 is a file/print server, etc.

 

[Jong]

OK. Thanks. Maybe I need to dig deeper into this. Still, I'm interested in how this should work. What are we supposed to need to do to use the router as Master Browser? Should it "just work" by turning it on in the RMerlin firmware or is there more?

 

[Jong]

Thanks for the pointer. I can now see the error was simply the PC trying to become Master Browser. I'm now thinking it may be a coincidence.

 

[L&LD]

OK. Thanks. Maybe I need to dig deeper into this. Still, I'm interested in how this should work. What are we supposed to need to do to use the router as Master Browser? Should it "just work" by turning it on in the RMerlin firmware or is there more?

Try turning off all network equipment for as long as you can (10 minutes to one hour should be plenty).

Now, turn on the modem (optional, for this case), wait 5 minutes. Turn on the router, wait 5 minutes. Turn on any switches and then turn on each client.

If this doesn't help then you have some specific instructions on that computer that needs to be modified.

Tell us how it goes.

 

[ColinTaylor]

OK. Thanks. Maybe I need to dig deeper into this. Still, I'm interested in how this should work. What are we supposed to need to do to use the router as Master Browser? Should it "just work" by turning it on in the RMerlin firmware or is there more?

If the master browser option on the router is not set then elections will be periodically held to decide which device will become the browser. If a PC becomes the master browser and is then turned off there can be a short delay whilst the browsers absence is noticed and a new election takes place.

Obviously if you have an always-on server available it makes sense for that to always be the master browser.

The default priority (20) for samba would make it win elections over normal PCs but loose against Windows domain controllers. There is normally no need to force it to become the master.

The ASUS option "Force as Master Browser" gives it the highest priority (255) in becoming the local master browser and makes it the domain master browser. If you choose this option you must understand that only one local and one domain master browser is allowed to exist on a network.

If another device (like a NAS or Windows domain controller) is also configured as a domain master browser then that will be a problem.

 

[Jong]

Thanks. After your pointer about the "1d" code I did some digging.

For anyone else with a similar issue or if you think you have a similar issue these links might help

https://www.samba.org/samba/docs/using_samba/ch07.html
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/163409

I think I've come to the conclusion though that the error was a conincidence. The PC most probably just failed in an attempt to become the Master Browser. Sorry for wasting your time.

It turns out at some point Kaspersky had realised the network name defined in the router was different to its previous default name (the ethernet adapter name). As a result it had turned the network into a public one without notification, blocking all NetBIOS activity. I've set Kaspersky straight and turned on "Force as Master Browser" (even though I now realise from you and from the Samba guide that it shouldn't be needed!). Let's see if it works OK. I'll update here in a day or so, if only to help any others who might hit similar problems.

 

[Zirescu]

I had some strange issues with Master Browser as well as of late. The two windows computers, one WinXP Pro and the other Win 7 Pro are wired into my N66U which is running in Media Bridge mode, AC87U is setup as the Master Browser. What initially happened the previous week was that my WinXP system would drop off the network, could no longer ping back to the AC87U but could ping the N66u by IP.

Tried different network cables etc, only thing that would solve it would be to reboot the AC87U. Then discovered some eventlog messages related to Master Browser so disabled that service on the XP computer. Had no more issue with it dropping off the network. Then yesterday I had the Windows 7 computer do the same thing, drop offline, no internet access and not able to ping back to the AC87U. Rebooted the AC87U and was able to get the Windows 7 machine talking again, but then about an hour later it was offline. Checked the eventlog and the Master Browser messages matched up with when the computer went "offline" each time. Ended up disabling the Master Browser service in Windows 7 and no more drops.

Not sure why the AC87U would drop all the traffic from those two machines or if it's some weird Media Bridge issue when those computers would run the Master Browser checks.