I have installed a new server (Windows Server 2012 Essentials) on which to host my media (previous Windows Home Server v1).
I have a WDTV Live which worked fine in finding the network share and streaming from it.
For some reason I cannot get the WDTV live to find the new server.
The new server is also a domain controller. I therefore changed the workgroup in WDTV Live from “WORKGROUP” to “HOLONET” and “HOLONET.LOCAL”, but it cannot find either of them.
I’ve also turned off my old WHS because I read in a thread here it could interfere because it is the master browser (nbtstat -a listed …__MSBROWSE__. under it). Hopefully just turning it off was enough there.
I’ve pinged the WDTV Live from my server and it replies, so network wise everything is ok.
Device Info: 1.12.14, latest firmware
I’ve tried rebooting after changing the setting but no help.
Can anyone help ?
Thanks,
Jorn
PS: I also posted this in the Live Streaming Issues forum, but then I realized that is probably the wrong forum for it. I’m a bit confused by the format, is that other palce where you can log an official ticket ? Or just another way to discuss ?
How exactly does that work btw ? If I shut down the machine that is the master browser should another one take over immediately ? Or does it take a while before another machine takes over the role ? Can I set it somewhere on my new server to be the master browser ?
How exactly does that work btw ? If I shut down the machine that is the master browser should another one take over immediately ? Or does it take a while before another machine takes over the role ? Can I set it somewhere on my new server to be the master browser ?
Thanks,
Jorn
It can take some time.
Generally, according to some guides I’ve read on the network, it may take upwards of an hour. But I’ve never seen it take that long… I’ve seen it take up to 15 minutes though.
Often what will happen is a particular device will try to contact the master browser, and if it’s unable to contact it directly, it will try to contact it via broadcast, and if still unsuccessful, will trigger the re-election process, which generally only takes a minute or so to complete.
I’ve seen “master browser” mentioned in these forums a few times lately, and since I did not know what it is referring to, I googled it.
First hit I got is a good one, and there is even a cool program to download from the author that shows which computer is the master browser. Program even runs from the zip file. Here is the link for those interested in this, too:
OK, by using the free program, I see my Win 7 laptop is the master browser (it is the only PC on now, too.) So, other than turning it off and another PC on, how could my Win 7 laptop loose its status as the master browser, and what are the dire consequences of this if it would happen; especially as it pertains to the WD player?
So, other than turning it off and another PC on, how could my Win 7 laptop loose its status as the master browser, and what are the dire consequences of this if it would happen; especially as it pertains to the WD player?
It’s unlikely that a sole PC would lose its status as Master Browser since there’s no competition. That is, of course, short of the process or service dying for some reason.
If, for whatever reason, there is NO VALID MASTER BROWSER on the broadcast network, the WD will not be able to discover any “Window Share” servers.
I downloaded the tool, runs fine on my windows machine, but my idea was to run it off my new server (2012). There the command “net view” gives the following error:
C:\Users\Admin>net view System error 6118 has occurred.
The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available
Running it from my Windows 7 machine works fine, but my old server is currently not shut down yet (girlfriend is busy looking at stuff on it so I can’t test this yet). For some reason it doesn’t list my new server atm. It was showing my new server before though, but that could be when I had set my WD Live (which it finds) also to HOLONET domain at that moment.
Doing: net view /domain only lists WORKGROUP
Notice that my old server and my current pc are in workgroup “WORKGROUP” and my new server is in domain “HOLONET” (don’t know if I should add the .LOCAL or not after HOLONET"). But it should still show up no ?
Would putting all py client pc’s (and maybe old server as long as it’s running) in workgroup “HOLONET” instead of “WORKGROUP” help ? I don’t want to make them join the domain though.
Tony… >>> If, for whatever reason, there is NO VALID MASTER BROWSER on the broadcast network, the WD will not be able to discover any “Window Share” servers.
Is this why some people have trouble finding their Network Shares on the WD?
Do they need the master browser PC on when using the WDTV if they want to browse their network via the WDTV?
Is this why some people have trouble finding their Network Shares on the WD?
Do they need the master browser PC on when using the WDTV if they want to browse their network via the WDTV?
Yes, it’s a possibility.
If any device is set up to share files, it had better be capable of being the master browser. Doesn’t matter if it IS the master, just that one (and ONLY one) device in the workgroup must be functioning as master.
Notice that my old server and my current pc are in workgroup “WORKGROUP” and my new server is in domain “HOLONET” (don’t know if I should add the .LOCAL or not after HOLONET"). But it should still show up no ?
Would putting all py client pc’s (and maybe old server as long as it’s running) in workgroup “HOLONET” instead of “WORKGROUP” help ? I don’t want to make them join the domain though.
Thanks,
Jorn
DOMAINS are NOT supported on the WD. Only WORKGROUPS are supported.
I thought I saw here on the forum people who managed to access shares on domain pcs from wd live. Are you saying I won’t be able to access these shares?
I would be very surprised because none of my pcs are joined to the domain for example and they can access the shares just fine…
Is this why some people have trouble finding their Network Shares on the WD?
Do they need the master browser PC on when using the WDTV if they want to browse their network via the WDTV?
Yes, it’s a possibility.
If any device is set up to share files, it had better be capable of being the master browser. Doesn’t matter if it IS the master, just that one (and ONLY one) device in the workgroup must be functioning as master.
Tony, thanks for all the answers. Since this question of mine wasn’t answered (Do they need the master browser PC on when using the WDTV if they want to browse their network?) I got an answer on my own: I pulled the ethernet cord from my only PC on the network at the time; effectively removing any computers/master browsers. I checked my WDTV – all shares previously there were gone. I turned off the WD, I had to reboot the laptop (and the two wireless printers that also showed as shares) to get everything back as it was when I turned the WD back on.
Bottom line: If someone is planning to use the Network shares of the WD, the PC that is typically their master browser needs to be ON. Knowing about this now explains a lot of my situations concerning network shares that I could not explain until now.
BTW, info about the master browser is another of Microsoft’s best-kept secrets. No info in the computer’s Windows Help, so I am referred to Microsoft – no answers there, but I am asked to check the answers in the MS community – YES, info there. This is where I ended up. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/search#q=master+browser&s=Answers
Some interesting stuff there – especially from someone who had other (unknown) folks on his wireless network and it was screwing up his master browser!
It doesn’t look like my windows server 2012 essentials is able to also be part of a workgroup :( I will open a post for this at microsoft answers forum to be sure.
In the meantime, with my old server turned off, I did a “net view” again and it only found 1 item, namely the WDTVLIVE, which is currently in standby. Doing an nbtstats on it it seems it is the master browser. I had not expected it to be able to be so for some reason, is this normal ?
What I find strange is that it doesn’t list my own pc where I’m doing this command on (which is part of the same workgroup btw, and there is a streaming service (not network shares) installed, which it finds on the WDTVLIVE normally)).
Is this expected behavior ?
Thanks,
Jorn
EDIT: ok just realised, my windows 7 pc doesn’t have any shares, so it’s probably normal it doesn’t show up. But I’m curious as to why my new server doesn’t show up in the net view command, I know it’s on another domain but yesterday for some reason it was showing up and now it’s not and it’s turned on.
EDIT2: ok all of a sudden it found my new server, both in net view as in the wdtv live. Currently trying to figure out if I can login somehow (domain\user didn’t seem to work)
EDIT3: it seems with just username and password it works ! (not domain\user, just user)
…Doing an nbtstats on it it seems it is the master browser. I had not expected it to be able to be so for some reason, is this normal ?
What I find strange is that it doesn’t list my own pc where I’m doing this command on (which is part of the same workgroup btw, and there is a streaming service (not network shares) installed, which it finds on the WDTVLIVE normally)).
Is this expected behavior ?
Yes, it’s possible for the WD itself to be the master browser.
If it doesn’t list your own PC when you do that command, then your own PC is *NOT* correctly functioning in the workgroup.
I had/have a similar problem with the live plus in one of my bedrooms not being able to access network shares and I do have a device that is master browser. The strange thing is that only one of the live plus boxes I have hooked up cannot access network shares. The other bedroom has no problem accessing network shares and the live hub in the living room also has no problem accessing network shares. The only way I could remedy the problem was to reset my router. After the router reset, all live plus and live hub boxes could access network shares. The weird thing is; after I reset the router, the master browser assignment changed from one of the live plus boxes to the pc. I am on another thread discussing this same topic also.
