Configuring Master Browser in a P-to-P Network

Jack,

Your explanation makes sense.

What you probably need to do in this case is to prevent C1 from ever becoming a Browse Master.  You can do this by either setting MaintainServerList to "No" (then rebooting) or do the equivalent by stopping and disabling the "Computer Browser" service.  Normally all computers have this service running and as a result are shown as "Potential Browsers" (PBR) in the "browstat view" command.  Potential Browsers are eligible for Master Browser Elections.   The winner of the election becomes Master Browser (MBR) and it, in turn will specify one or two other PBR machines to be Backup Browsers (BBR), eligible to take over should the Master Browser go offline.  For things to work correctly, at least one computer on a subnet must have  "Computer Browser" service running (ie you must have at least one Potential Browser) so if you only have one or two computers that will hibernate on your subnet and there are other computers that won't, then this is the way to make sure the hibernators won't become Browse Masters and generate these errors when they come out of hybernation.

HTH,

  JW

The errors are still being logged. After further testing I think I understand why I am getting them.

Computer1 is the BM.

I turn on Computer2 and it sees C1 is BM (both browstat show C1 as BM)

C1 hibernates and C2 cant find a BM so it becomes the BM (C2 browstat show C2 as BM after 15 min timeout)

C1 comes out of hibernate and still thinks it is the BM, but C2 thinks it is BM (C1 browstat show C1 as BM from earlier when it was, C2 browstat shows C2 as BM from last election)

Is there a way to set one as a "backup" BM, or fake the OS version or something?

If there is no way around this, is there a way to disable the logging of Browser events so that they dont fill the log with extraneous "noise"?

Thanks

Thanks for your reply.

From some of the info you provided I think I was able to track the problem down to the Mac Desktop. So far after a few hours I dont have any logged errors, but I wont really be sure until everything has been running with different computers on and off for a while.

Thanks again

Event ID 8003 MRXSMB

The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer

COMPUTER2 that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on

transport NetBT_Tcpip_{404E201B-137A-322. The master browser is stopping or

an election is being forced.

I've seen this a lot.  Every time I've seen this, the problem has been due to a mis-configured firewall.  In this case, COMPUTER2 is the likely candidate.  Ideally, the "MaintainServerList" on all machines should be set to the default "Auto".  "IsDomainMaster" should be set to default "False".

What happens is that all the machines have an election and elect one machine as the "Master Browser".  This election is carried out by Broadcast Packets.  In this case, a firewall on COMPUTER2 blocks these broadcasts from coming into it.  So the rest of the computers do their thing and elect a Master Browser.  COMPUTER2 hears none of it because of its firewall.  Thus, COMPUTER2 thinks it is the only computer on the network because it receives no broadcasts... therefore COMPUTER2 makes itself a Master Browser.  So now we have two Master Browsers on the subnet when we should only have one.  Periodically, the master browsers broadcast the fact that they are master browsers.  The "real" master browser will receive the announcement from COMPUTER2 that says that COMPUTER2 thinks that it is the master browser.  The real master browser is now confused because it thinks that it is the master browser.  After several of these broadcasts from COMPUTER2, the real master browser "gives up" and cedes the master browser duties to COMPUTER2 (thus generating the above message).  However, because COMPUTER2 blocks incoming broadcasts, it cannot function as a master browser and then the network is without a functioning master browser.  All this can be verified using "browstat.exe".  After forcing an election (browstat el), a browstat view (browstat vw) will show two master browsers for a time.

Best solution:

Get rid of or fix the firewall on COMPUTER2. Look for hidden firewalls, too.  (e.g. The Cisco VPN Client has a firewall that is active even when the VPN client isn't running).  If you are using Windows Firewall, make sure the "Exception" tab in the control panel shows an exception for "File and Printer Sharing).

2nd Best Solution:

Prohibit the firewalled COMPUTER2 from becoming Master Browser (Set "MaintainServerList" to "No" on COMPUTER2)  or stop/disable the "Computer Browser Service" on COMPUTER2.

This is the root cause for the following KB article:

"Internet firewalls can prevent browsing and file sharing"

  < http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298804 >

HTH,

  JW