So the working scenario had one FreeBSD server sharing content via samba and delivering ip’s with dhcpd. In this case my WD TV Lives found the server from “Windows shares” and everything worked like a charm.
Then I added another server to my LAN running pfSense and giving out ip’s. From this point on my WD TV Lives no more found the content server but two Win7 machines in LAN.
What is the problem in this scenario? Why won’t WD TV Live see the FreeBSD samba shares if not getting ip from the same server?
does the server assigning ip addresses have some kind of advantage in the master-browser election?
No, not at all. The two processes aren’t even aware of each other, and the fact that one server might also be a DHCP server isn’t factored into the Master Browser election criteria.
Browser Election is a nasty business. If I recall correctly, if the master disappears, it can take up to 30-40 minutes for a new election to be initiated.