[pptp-server] WINS resolution

[Robert Dege]

Steve,
I'm not entirely sure if WINS is working correctly.  I do have
browse.dat & wins.dat files in /var/lock/samba.

browse.dat only shows the local master for each workgroup.  Right now,
there are only 2 machines on the LAN that point to WINS.  They are both
local Masters.  I added 4 more machines to point to WINS inside a
separate workgroup.  If I try to double-click on that workgroup from
network neighborhood (from the PPTP client), I still get that workgroup
is inaccessible.  The remaining workgroups & computers show up via
broadcast & are also inaccessible.

wins.dat shows all the computers that are pointing to it.  One thing
bugs me though.  Here is a quick sample of the file:

"__MSBROWSE__#01" 981932577 255.255.255.255 84R
"HOMER#00" 981996600 172.28.254.32 44R
"HOMER#03" 981996600 172.28.254.32 44R
"HOMER#20" 981996594 172.28.254.32 44R
"PPTP_GROUP#00" 981996810 255.255.255.255 c4R
"PPTP_GROUP#1e" 981996810 255.255.255.255 c4R
"SIMPLE#00" 981996594 255.255.255.255 c4R
"SIMPLE#1e" 981996594 255.255.255.255 c4R
"SKID#00" 981996810 172.28.254.46 46R
"SKID#03" 981996810 172.28.254.46 46R
"SKID#20" 981996810 172.28.254.46 46R
"SNIFFER#00" 981996765 172.28.41.46  4R
"SNIFFER#03" 981996764 172.28.41.46  4R
"SNIFFER#20" 981932487 172.28.41.46  4R

Homer is the local Master of the workgroup SIMPLE.
SKID is the local Master of the workgroup PPTP_GROUP. (PPTP Server)
Sniffer is the PPTP Client

Notice how MSBROWSE & the workgroups have a 255.255.255.255 address, as
if to infer no viewing capabilities via subnet mask.  Is this supposed
to be normal?

Thank for the insight.

-Rob

> Are you sure the WINS server is operational? Check your WINS server for the
> file browse.dat (i think), which contains entries of all the nodes that have
> registered with that WINS server.
> 
> Also, all systems on the LAN must be configured to use the WINS server. i.e.
> They must register with the WINS server at boot-up. Otherwise, they will not
> show up in the browse list.
> 
> Steve Cowles