netbios routing problem
 

theres a server across the town (server1 @192.168.1.101) on subnet 192.168.1.x. Its linux, running samba as a file server. all the computers on that subnet can access it without any problems. they can see it in network 'hood and access the shares. they are connected to another network via VPN. this other network is on subnet 192.168.2.x. Computers on 2.x can see server1 in 'hood but cannot browse its share. They get the error "\\server1 is not accessible. Network path is not found". Comps on 2.x can go run > \\192.168.1.101 and access the shares that way.

2.x comps can access other computers on 1.x via 'hood but not this server. so basically, its not resolving to a name.

Heres a tcpdump:
-------------------------------------
10:38:15.720000 192.168.2.175.1360 > server1.ourdomain.com.microsoft-ds: S 2244697666:2244692366(0) win 65535 <mss 1460,nop,nop,sackOK> (DF)
10:38:15.720000 server1.ourdomain.com.microsoft-ds > 192.168.2.175.1360: R 0:0(0) ack 2244692367 win 0 (DF)
10:38:15.720000 192.168.2.175.1361 > server1.ourdomain.com.netbios-ssn: S 2344732415:2344732415(0) win 65535 <mss 1460,nop,nop,sackOK> (DF)
10:38:15.720000 server1.ourdomain.com.netbios-ssn > 192.168.2.175.1361: S 3651970433:3651970433(0) ack 2244732416 win 5840 <mss 1460,nop,nop,sackOK> (DF)
-------------------------------------

There is no IP from server1 sent back. I dont think there should be a problem with them being on 2 different subnets since netbios sits on tcpip and tcpip seems to be working.

Some other random pieces of info...

I can ping server1's IP and unix hostname, but not by the samba netbios name. There are no firewalls running on this server. it is running samba 2.07. The WINS server is a newer Samba box and also the master browser.

Any ideas? i am going to try upgrading to a newer samba, and if that doesnt work, uping the debug level on the WINS server to get some more info out of the logs as somone suggested to me.

thanks

please post your smb.conf file. do you have wins in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. do you need to possibly add the .2.x to the hosts allow? perhaps you need to add, but i assume you have, the netbios name parameter in smb.conf? or do you have lm announce = yes in smb.conf? not sure, but smb.conf would help if you don't mind sharing. you say firewall is off on the problem linux box? just going through random stuff here. maybe you need to do the browse list synchronization thing. not on linux right now. sorry if not very precise. is there a route to the other network listed on the linux box? route -n may show this. it should have routes for the .2.0 network and the .1.0 network and the gateway to the network trying to be reached must be the ip of the nic that is on the same network as the problem box. i know this is sort of cruddy explaining. if you see any sense here or get any closer with any of this let me know and i will try to help more. smb.conf would help greatly if you don't mind sharing it.

sorry if this didn't help at all. will try my hardest to help you out. i like these sorts of challenges. so please let me know if any of the suggestions get you any closer. also, are the users on the remote network also users and samba users on the samba problem box?

thanks for your help...

[global]
workgroup = ourdomain
netbios name = server1
server string = server1
security = DOMAIN
encrypt passwords = Yes
password server = NTserver, anotherNTserver
log level = 3
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
name resolve order = wins bcast
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
preferred master = False
domain master = False
dns proxy = No
wins server = 192.168.2.82
remote announce = 192.168.2.255/OURDOMAIN 192.168.3.255/OURDOMAIN

try adding lm announce = yes so it announces it's netbios name to the network. and remember to restart samba. what does route -n say. is there a route to the remote network?

also, i had problems with the name resolve order. try editing the /etc/nsswitch.conf file and scroll down to where it shows hosts or maybe it just says host. anyway you will see like bcast, etc. try putting wins there as the first option for resolving host names

ie:

hosts: wins bcast whatever whatever

netstat -nr and route -n show:


Destination Gateway Genmask Flags MSS Window irtt Iface
192.168.1.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 40 0 0 eth0
127.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 U 40 0 0 lo
0.0.0.0 192.168.1.100 0.0.0.0

where 1.100 is the router. I see no reference to 2.x network, but i can ping computers in 2.x subnet.

your router probably has the route to the 2.x network. did you make sure lm announce is in the smb.conf file. so that the linux box will announce itself to the master browser?

not yet, having some problems with that machine right now...

wouldnt remote announce = 192.168.2.255/OURDOMAIN 192.168.3.255/OURDOMAIN cause it to announce itself to the master browser?

by the way, thanks for all your help!

you could very well be correct. i am thinking that lm announce was what made the announce happen. i was thinking perhaps this machine should announce, then the actual master browser for the network should do the remote announce stuff. sorry if i am wrong. will think about it. might look up lm announce in the man page for smb.conf. might clear things up a little.