. .

Master browser for the DOMAIN in SAMBA

Written by at April 15, 2012

Network browsing is convenient but causing a lot of headaches for administrator. The most 1st rule is setting up a WINS server could help a lot. When your network environment having multiple-domains and some of them are crossing multiple-subnets will cause you a lot or troubles.

Sample smb.conf

A master browser must be elected for each DOMAIN in each subnet. A Samba server maybe elected for the purpose, sample smb.conf

wins support = yes (turn on WINS support)
domain master = yes
local master = yes
preferred master = yes
os level = 65

A single WINS must be active for SAMBA, unlike Win NT, which allow multiple WINS running in a network environment.

DHCP configuration

Afterwards, all of your workstation should use the WINS server, the best that you can do is distribute your WINS server IP thru DHCP. Suggested options for dhcpd.conf

option netbios-node-type 8;
option netbios-name-servers 192.168.1.1;

Samba workstation using WINS

To let your Samba workstation registered in WINS, you could add following option in smb.conf

  wins server = 192.168.1.1

It is invalid for a smb.conf to having ‘wins support=yes’ and ‘wins server=xxx.xx.x.xx.x’ simultaneously.