[nzlug] samba: puzzled user...

[Cliff Pratt]

Robin Sheat wrote:
> On Sunday 09 March 2008 22:00:41 Cliff Pratt wrote:
>> That accords with what I remember, except that there will be only *one*
>> Master Browser for the whole network segment, which knows everything for
>> all workgroups,
> Not on my network there isn't:
 >
Fair enough. I misremembered.
 >
>> Clients broadcast for the Master Browser so network browsing is 
>> restricted to one network segment unless you do some trickery with the
>> router between the two network segments.
 >
> WINS can let you browse across segments. The searching and so on happens with 
> broadcast packets, which aren't routed, but talking to a specific machine is 
> done with a regular TCP (maybe UDP) connection, and so is routable. You can 
> (and I have, for kicks, in the '98 days) access machines across the internet 
> that way especially when they're on dialup and so have a public IP. WINS I 
> think has some configuration so it knows how to cross the router. My guess is 
> that it talks to another WINS server on the other side, but I know no more 
> than that about it.
> 
I stand by what I said. I recall configuring a Cisco with 'ip 
helper-address' for just this reason. The Cisco then forwards all 
broadcasts to the remote LAN via UDP. (I could still be wrong, though!)

Cheers,

Cliff