Network Shares Problem - Wireshark Capture

mallard · February 20, 2013, 2:05pm

Very simple network - Windows Vista PC, WDTVLiveHub connected through a Netgear DSL modem/router.

When I try to access network shares and select Windows Shares I get a spinning arrow for a very long time. I used to see my PC name pop up after several minutes. Now I don’t even get that.

WDTVLiveHub address is 192.168.1.215

My computer name is DYKESPC

A picture of a Wireshark capture follows. Can anyone tell me why there might not be any responses to the NBNS name queries?

TonyPh12345 · February 20, 2013, 2:56pm

My first guess is that the master browser (wherever it is) isn’t responding, or there isn’t a master browser at all.

See if this tutorial for troubleshooting helps:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/Networking/Troubleshooting-Windows-File-Sharing/m-p/92642#U92642

mallard · February 20, 2013, 4:46pm

Thanks for replying Tony. I used that post several days ago to begin my troubleshooting. As you can see from the following, my WDTVLiveHub is the Master Browser on my network.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Not enough storage is available to process this command.

C:\Users\OWner>net view
Server Name Remark

\DYKESPC Dykes PC
\WDTVLIVEHUB WDTV LIVE
The command completed successfully.

C:\Users\OWner>nbtstat -a dykespc

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.121] Scope Id:

NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

       Name               Type         Status
    ---------------------------------------------
    DYKESPC        <00> UNIQUE      Registered
    WORKGROUP-PC   <00> GROUP       Registered
    DYKESPC        <20> UNIQUE      Registered
    WORKGROUP-PC   <1E> GROUP       Registered

MAC Address = 00-1A-92-24-9F-20

C:\Users\OWner>nbtstat -a wdtvlivehub

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.121] Scope Id:

NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

       Name               Type         Status
    ---------------------------------------------
    WDTVLIVEHUB    <00> UNIQUE      Registered
    WDTVLIVEHUB    <03> UNIQUE      Registered
    WDTVLIVEHUB    <20> UNIQUE      Registered
    …__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP       Registered
    WORKGROUP-PC   <1D> UNIQUE      Registered
    WORKGROUP-PC   <1E> GROUP       Registered
    WORKGROUP-PC   <00> GROUP       Registered

MAC Address = 00-00-00-00-00-00

TonyPh12345 · February 20, 2013, 5:25pm

One thing that perplexes me is why your PC is sending NOTHING… No responses to any queries – no other traffic of any kind. – or was that a filtered capture?

KAD79 · February 20, 2013, 5:59pm

if the WD is the master browser, generally speaking this is a bad idea

master browser should be

1st - A Server

2nd - A Desktop, if there is no server on the network

TonyPh12345 · February 20, 2013, 6:45pm

It’s OK for it to be the master browser since it is, in fact, a server… as long as it can do the job.

Yet to be determined if it’s the browser because no one else wanted the job, or if something else is going on. :)

Last time I remember looking, the Hub was a pretty low-priority in the election criteria, so it generally WON’T be the master browser if an election ensues.

mallard · February 20, 2013, 10:18pm

Tony that was a continuous (sequential packets) excerpt from the Wireshark capture. My PC occasionaly sources out packets but never to the WDTVLiveHub it seems. When my WDTVLiveHub joins the network it always ends up as the master browser. Following is a Wireshark excerpt which includes a broadcast my WDTVLiveHub (192.168.1.215) that seems to indicate it is assuming the Master Browser role. See packets 244 and 245. I hope you can read it. If I take my WDTVLiveHub offline. My PC becomes the Master Browser. I confirmed this with the nbtstat -a command.

mallard · February 22, 2013, 5:48pm

Problem resolved by upgrading to Windows 8. My Vista OS was obviously corrupted. There was no problem with my WDTVLiveHub or the firmware.

Thanks to those who replied.