Can't see available domains in Entire Network view. (Network Neighborhood)

[jfromm76]

On all of my Windows 2003 SP1 VM's I am unable to browse the Windows Network, old network neighborhood. However, If I add a WINS Server IP to my NIC then I can see all the domains and browse them.

When I remove the WINS server I can still see the domains but I am unable to browse them.

We are eventually planning on removing WINS from our Network but if this is the result then we will obviously run into some problems.

Any seen similar issues, or have an answer for this one.

[peetz]

This is definitely not VMware-related.

I guess you run all of our VMs in an IP subnet that is somehow separated from the physical boxes, so that browsing does not work without pointing them to an explicit WINS server.

If this is okay for you depends on the functionality you need in your Windows network. WINS and browsing is something you normally only need for downlevel clients (Windows 95, maybe NT4).

So what are you really worrying about?

\- Andreas

[cheeko]

You need to enable NetBIOS to browse the network neighborhood. If you want to see hosts from other subnets too, WINS is a requirement.

WINS doesn't play a role anymore and will die soon, so you might want to try living without it.

[jfromm76]

I have NetBIOS of TCP/IP enabled.

I VM's are on a seperate IP subnet. The way browsing works in Windows is that there is a browse master for each IP subnet that is determined based on the type of machine. So a Server will become a browse master over a Workstation etc. Then that browse master reports back to the domain master browser with its updates. The domain master browser communicates back with the full updated list.

I shouldn't need WINS for this to work. Even if I am on seperate IP subnet. Unless I am missing something.

I have physical machines with only DNS and they can browse the network even machines that are on seperate IP subnets.

[cheeko]

You might be right about the WINS requirement.

Anyway, have you seen this: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/e1cc4f8c-04f5-4b98-a04c-1ba601fb5d421033.mspx...

It brings some light into this issue.

[jfromm76]

cheeko,

This is exactly what I am talking about. Because I have the Computer browser service running. I should be able to browse My Network Places and see all domains and resources. However, in my VM's this is not the case. But on my physical machines it works.

Some may say who cares only downlevel clients need the browsing feature. Well there are some applications that require the Browsing service and depend on that service to find new machines on the network.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and is there a fix or am I doomed to keep WINS in my environment.