Two network name resolution failures in OS X: could they be related?

[John Faughnan]

I have a mixed LAN: Win2K, WinXP and OS X; wireless and wired. No
domain server -- workgroup only. The WAP/Router is an AirPort Extreme.

The OS X client has two name resolution failures.

1. It can't see the name of the AirPort Extreme base station. I have
to address it by IP address.
2. Remote Desktop Client (Microsoft) can't resolve a target machine
based on machine name, I have to use the IP address.

On the other hand, the OS X machine CAN resolve shares using smb
names.

Changing users on the OS X machine doesn't affect the behavior, so I
don't think it's a preferences problem. I've repaired privileges on
the OS X machine.

All drivers, ROM, software are at the latest versions. I don't use the
OS X firewall, though I've experimented with it in the past.

I suspect something is broken deep in the bowels of my OS X client.
Something that's important for name resolution.

Other than reinstalling OS X from scratch (which I may yet do), does
anyone have any tips, hints, places to look, experiments to try, etc?
Thanks!

Thanks,

john
[email]jfaughnan@spamcop.net[/email]

meta: jfaughnan, jgfaughnan, MacOS X, OS X, Apple, iBook, network,
LAN, WAP, wireless, wired, ethernet, name resolution, networking,
030928

[John Faughnan]

[email]jfaughnan@spamcop.net[/email] (John Faughnan) wrote in message news:<5c0dbfb4.0309270953.1487f6da@posting.google. com>...

> 1. It can't see the name of the AirPort Extreme base station. I have
> to address it by IP address.

That problem has been resolved. For about 6 months when I open the
AirPort Admin Utility my AirPort Extreme did not display; the list of
AirPort's was empty. I had to use an IP address to configure it.

I did two things. Not sure which worked or if it was both together.

First, I'd turned off the AirPort option of ad hoc networks
(Rendezvous). I turned that back on and restarted.

Second, I used the AirPort admin utility to rename my AirPort.
Previously the AirPort had the same name as the wireless network --
both were "faughnan". I changed the AirPort name to something else.

After the name change the AirPort shows up again. It may have been an
effect of two different issues interacting.

john
[email]jfaughnan@spamcop.net[/email]

> meta: jfaughnan, jgfaughnan, MacOS X, OS X, Apple, iBook, network,
> LAN, WAP, wireless, wired, ethernet, name resolution, networking,
> 030928

[John Faughnan]

[email]jfaughnan@spamcop.net[/email] (John Faughnan) wrote in message news:<5c0dbfb4.0309270953.1487f6da@posting.google. com>...

> I have a mixed LAN: Win2K, WinXP and OS X; wireless and wired. No
> domain server -- workgroup only. The WAP/Router is an AirPort Extreme.
>
> The OS X client has two name resolution failures.
>
> 1. It can't see the name of the AirPort Extreme base station. I have
> to address it by IP address.
> 2. Remote Desktop Client (Microsoft) can't resolve a target machine
> based on machine name, I have to use the IP address.

It turns out the two problems had independent causes. Problem #2 was
solved as discussed elsewhere (search google on jfaughan and AirPort
Extreme).

To debug #1 I studied a few good (non-Microsoft) pages on NetBIOS
CIFS/SMB browse masters. I learned, and can affirm from testing, that
a Windows machine will only try to be a browse master IF and ONLY IF
it has a non-administrative share. So even if it has file sharing
turned on, if nothing is being shared (save the admin shares), it will
not be a browse master! Also, it appears XP Pro and Win2K Pro have
exactly the same browse master priority. I also learned that
browstat.exe, a utility that comes with the Win2K resource kit (you
can download it from Microsoft somewhere, you don't have to buy it) is
the way to diagnose browse master issues.

Testing with browstat.exe convinced me that browse mastering is
working as well as it ever works -- at least on my LAN.

I think the name resolution problem with Windows Remote Desktop Client
may simply be that it's NOT a NetBIOS based software utility. It works
with IP addresses or DNS names. Since I don't have a DNS running on my
home LAN, it will only reach local machines via IP. I'll have to give
my WinXP Pro machine a fixed IP. Too bad AirPort Extreme routers don't
support fixed IP assignment, but I'll do it the old fashioned way.

john
[email]jfaughnan@spamcop.net[/email]

meta: jfaughnan, jgfaughnan, os x, networking, apple, name resolution,
IP address, DHCP, smb, windows, microsoft, remote desktop, broadcast,
name resolution , DNS, domain name server, NetBIOS, CIFS, SMB