Win 2003 Server, Exchange 2003 Server Upgrade

[Gh0st Face Killah]

My pleasure. After all i'd only have been sat in front of the screen at home!!! But seriously I'm glad to have been of help. And leaving at that time meant the roads were lovely and clear so the journey home was a breeze apart from the speed camera I failed to spot (ooops). In fact got back in time to kill some FoCA's!!

[TeaLeaf]

The joys of network problems continue as some of the connectivity aspects are not as they should be:

All of the computers (MPW, PDH, CJB & FORTITUDE-AD) can ping each other.
All are in the 4TITUDE workgroup.
All computers happily sychronise with Exchange Server on FORTITUDE-AD.
CJB & PDH only show FORTITUDE-AD in the workgroup under the 4TITUDE network.
MPW occassionally showed all computers in 4TITUDE but now only shows FORTITUDE-AD.
Any idea how to get all computers showing?

All computers have access to some mapped network drives to share data.
Software which needs to install from either PDH/MPW or CJB to a mapped network drive on the server says there are network problems and that it cannot proceed with the install.

MPW has a printer attached via USB which is shared.
CJB & PDH can occassionally 'add printer' and successfully browse to it and select it, but it does not always show up in the choice of network printers.
CJB & PDH can add the printer by typing in the machine and printer name, eg \\MPW\HP3200 Laserjet which then shows on the local machine as \\MPW\HP3200 Laserjet on MPW.  But this printer cannot be printed to despite successfully being added to both CJB and PDH.

It's almost like a firewall or something is stopping connection, but none of the local area connections are firewalled.

Anybody got any clues as to what to try next?

TL.

[Rabbi Bob]

Originally posted by TeaLeaf@Jun 2 2004, 06:55 AM
4TITUDE workgroup

All is peer2peer networking correct?  

If so then: MPW, PDH, CJB are basically PC's on a network and FORTITUDE-AD is both an Exchange Server & PDC (but only a PDC onto itself in order to run Exchange)?

My gut instinct comes off and thinks that you aren't getting name resolution on your network but the connectivity is there (i.e. you can ping, but not everyone shows up in the workgroup folder).

Two things then come to mind, the easy way and the little more involved but learn something new way.

Easy: Edit the lmhost and host files on each PC to say that IP=Machine name (see file notes on format: c\winnt\system32\drivers\etc IIRC)

LMIBLSNW: activate and run a WINS server on FORTITUDE-AD and have all of the workgroup PC's use it as their primary WINS server.

Also, you *could* try to use FORTITUDE-AD as their DNS server, of which you will have to create an internal fwd and reverse look up zone for your...wait, that might now work as they aren't in a domain.. scratch that.

Pre-coffee suggestions.  I have a 30 min drive to work soon, will rest it on the back burner...

[BigFatCat]

Running WINS on the PDC and then specifying the WINS server in your DHCP scope would be quick and easy.

[TeaLeaf]

Thanks for the help peeps, problem solved.

It turned out to be a combination of things that borked the IP of the local machine hosting the printer and also the Windows firewall intermittently turning itself on without being asked.   :angry:

All is well in the land of my LAN, for the time being anyway.........  

TL.