Can't see other NT4 Machines on same Workgroup

[mccor]

Hi,
Plse rescue me from this snag!
I have had 4 other NT.4 servers connected on the same subnet all on the the same workgroup name . They're situated in 4 different locations over an ATM WAN backbone network. The two NT.4 servers, primary and secondary are situated in the HQ where Iam. They all run on TCP/IP and they've been working well for almost 4 months.
However, just this week, I was not able to see those 4 NT.4 servers on the workgroup.
I can only see the machines at this site, HQ.

No problems was experienced across the WAN, so those Ethernet switches and ATM swtiches were these machinnes are connected to have all been up.
Further, Iam able to ping their IP addresses and their host names successfully. Iam also able to find the computers on the network
using: find/computer name/.

I have also checked that no configuration changes have been made to these 4 severs, even the those 2 servers at the HQ. The gateway and workgroup name, TCP/IP stack remain intact as before.

What could have happened that is causing these NT.4 to hide themselves?
Someone please give me the key to unlock the arbitary door where they are hiding behind..

Thanks a lot in advance.

Corney Alone
Waigani

[Ghost_Hacker]

I would follow the steps in this MSKB article:

Q188305 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q188305&)


The Browstat tool mentioned can be found, along with other NT resource tools, here:NT support tools (http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/recommended/ntkit/default.asp)


The article steps thur troubleshooting a domain master browser problem. However, you should be able to use the same steps to troubleshoot a network that does not have a PDC and therefore does not have a domain master browser (frankly, I have never setup a workgroup that crosses WAN links so I have no first hand knowledge of using this tool in that situation. But it should still work.)



Also there are registry settings that can hide a server from the browse list, (details here (http://windows.about.com/library/tips/bltip120.htm) ) in addition if the comment field of a server's shares is larger than 48 characters this can also cause the server to not be displayed in net 'hood.



Good Luck :)

[mccor]

Hi, thank you for those tips. Strangely, the 4 servers showed themselves up on the workgoup before I could anything at all.
I'd asked around if anyone had done anything- maybe reseting the primary server or the like, but nothing appears to have been done.

Think kind of holdaying thing without any apparent knowledge is a cause for worry. I'd like to get to the bottom of it but, cannot proceed as it is a production network. Hope it does repeat.

Thanks