[pptp-server] Samba on another machine?

[Cowles, Steve]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Orr [mailto:james at lrgmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 10:47 PM
> To: George Vieira; pptp-server at lists.schulte.org
> Subject: Re: [pptp-server] Samba on another machine?
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Thank you for your reply.  When I try net view \\10.0.0.1, or net view
> \\server (which is an entry in my hosts file to 10.0.0.1) I get the
> following message :
> 
> Error 31: A device attached to the system is not functioning. 
> For more information, type NET HELP 31 at the command prompt.
> 
> I can ping 10.0.0.1 fine, and I do have proxyarp in my 
> options file.  Of course I can mount the drives OK on windows
> machines in the actual office. The samba server is not currently
> setup as a WINS server, as I don't really need to be able to
> browse the network, but would it help in this situation
> if it was?
> 

First of all, at the lower layers of the network OSI model, "ping" and "net
view" really have nothing to do with each other. "Ping" uses your TCP/IP
stacks resolver libraries for name resolution. i.e. /etc/hosts and DNS.
Except when pinging by ip address. "Net view" uses nmb/smb packets which
basically (at a 30,000 foot level) are an encapsulated netbios over TCP/IP
packet. In order for "net view" to work properly, (based on windows netbios
configured node type) it must either be able to issue a broadcast packet for
the netbios name or be able to contact a WINS server for nmb/smb name
resolution.

For future reference: 

Based on your Windows client configured node type, the following rules
applies when a windows client tries to perform a netbios based name
resolution query. i.e. net view

  The NetBIOS node type option allows NetBIOS over TCP/IP
  clients,  which  are  configurable to  be configured as
  described in RFC 1001/1002.  The value is specified  as
  a single octet which identifies the client type.

   Possible node types are:
     1    B-node: Broadcast - no WINS
     2    P-node: Peer - WINS only.
     4    M-node: Mixed - broadcast, then WINS
     8    H-node: Hybrid - WINS, then broadcast

You can determine how your windows client node type is configured by using
"ipconfig /all" for NT/W2K and "winipcfg" for the Win9x releases. I most
cases,

1) If not configured to use a WINS server, node type = broadcast
2) If configured to use a WINS server, node type = hybrid.

Since broadcast packets (by default) DO NOT get routed across "any" VPN you
have two choices:

1) Edit your LMHOSTS file (netbios's equivalent to hosts file) on the remote
PPTP client and include the name/ip address pair of the desktop/server you
are trying to mount a share on. If you have a Domain Controller and/or
workgroup... these entries must also be specified in the LMHOSTS file. Using
the LMHOSTS file could have the potential of being an administration
nightmare on large networks, but it works. You have been warned!!!

2) Enable a WINS server on the remote LAN and include its definition
"ms-wins 10.0.0.x" in your ppp options file. This way, the remote PPTP
client will not issue a broadcast packet (which will never get routed and/or
answered), but contact the WINS server directly for the ip address of the
requested netbios name. FWIW: This is exactly why Microsoft developed a WINS
server... to resolve the problem with broadcast packets not being routed
across routers!! Your PPTP server IS a router.

As for "why" your net view \\ipaddress is not working, I really do not know.
That is an odd error. I would start by checking your windows clients netbios
settings. i.e. workgroup/domain, file/print sharing settings. Something else
is wrong here if you "are" actually able to ping the ip address of the
system you are trying to connect to.

Good luck
Steve Cowles