This has the look/feel of a computer browser problem usually caused by just one machine on the network with a firewall. Even though the browser service is running on every computer, only the one computer serving as Browse Master really needs to have it running. This Browse master maintains the list of computers on the network and gives it to any machine that requests it when opening Network Places.
What happens when one computer has a firewall is that the firewall blocks the NetBT broadcasts and it thinks that it is the only machine on the network so it elects itself as Browse master. The firewall effectively prevents it from finding out about other computers and adding them to the list, so its list is empty except for itself. The reason that it works for a few minutes after you power up is because the computer that was really elected as the Master Browser starts up and works for a while until the firewalled computer convinces the real Master Browser that it really is not the browse master, causing it to shut down. The way I've been able to verify this is to use browstat to force a browser election: browstat elect <interface> <workgroup> then, over the next minute or so, use browstat to view the network: browstat view <interface> <workgroup> Examine the view output and if you see more than one computer with the Master Browser (MBR) status, then this is your problem. One of these machines is your problem machine. With only 5 machines, you could try getting a network to work properly with only two computers and add computers one-by-one until the problem resurfaces. Another debug method would be to disable the browser service on all but one computer (then add in additional ones in one-by-one until you find the problem computer). Keep in mind that when looking for firewalls, VPN Clients (such as the Cisco VPN Client) often have a firewall built-in as well. "Troubleshooting the Microsoft Computer Browser Service" <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188305> -- JRS stei...@pacbell.net Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. ________________________________ From: DHSinclair <dsinc...@bellsouth.net> To: Hardware Group <hardware@hardwaregroup.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 7:16:01 AM Subject: [H] Missing clients? What causes winXPpro clients to disappear from the net neighborhood? The only objects I still have are my printer, server (w2ksvr), and NAS. This is the 2d time I've seen this happen. It fixed itself the last time through no help from me IIRC! Stumped I am. Thanks, Duncan
