[24] in winnt
Re: MITnet networking
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Rob Smyser)
Mon Jun 30 09:36:18 1997
In-Reply-To: <9706271533.AA13539@the-good.MIT.EDU>
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 09:36:13 -0400
To: ccano@MIT.EDU, winnt@MIT.EDU
From: Rob Smyser <smyser@MIT.EDU>
At 11:33 AM -0400 6/27/97, ccano@MIT.EDU wrote:
>I'm not sure that this is the right forum to ask these questions,
>but it's the only one I found.
Charlie, you've probably found a reasonable place. :-)
>I'm running NT Server from Boston-side. I'm trying to connect to
>an NT Workstation on Cambridge-side.
You don't describe what is going on between the two sides -- are you in
your fraternity in Boston and reaching machines in, say, your lab at MIT?
That is, the two machines are permanently connected to MITnet in different
network subnets?
>1) Is there no way to have the workstation visible in Network Neighborhood?
>What does NT use to find computers there?
Consider Network Neighborhood to be the list of machines in your local
network subnet. NN for your Boston machines will show the machines in your
fraternity; NN for your Cambridge machine might show all the machines in
your building.
A WINS server can hold a master list of all the machines that have
registered with it. If your machine in Boston your machine in Cambridge
set the same server as their primary WINS server, then both machines would
show up in the same list of browsable machines.
WINS is strongly discouraged at MIT, which has no firewalls to protect its
network. If some nefarious person were to get wind of the address of your
WINS server, they could point to it as their primary or secondary server
and get a list of all the machines listed on your server. They could then
use the browsable network neighborhood as the starting point for hacker
attacks against the usually underprotected machines. It could be said that
running WINS on MITnet is like writing your phone number on the wall in the
bathroom.
A workaround is to Find Comuter once on the machine you want, then save a
shortcut to it on the Desktop. The shortcut will then open the machine
over the network without requiring another find computer. You can create a
folder of these shortcuts, creating your own virtual "neighborhood", more
like a Rolodex of connectable computers. Not browsable, but very
serviceable.
>2) Why is it that I can find-->computer and locate the workstation, but
>it cannot use find to locate me? What settings could be off to cause this
>anomaly?
Find Computer uses several methods, one after the other, to find the
requested machine. The _last_ one is to use Domain Name Service for a
hostname that is the same as what I'll call the NetBeui name of the machine
you asked for. That is, if your computer's hostname is the same as the
NetBeui name, then a DNS lookup will find it. If your hostname is
ccano@mit but you're sharing the name "charlie" then the DNS loookup will
fail.
Actually, Win95 does this fallback to DNS without be told to. But in
Windows NT you have to turn it on. Look in your Network control panel -->
Protocols --> TCP/IP properties --> WINS Address pane. Set the checkbox
for:
[x] Enable DNS Lookup for Names Resolution
>3) Is creating a new NT domain (to group computers) in MITnet allowed?
Hard to stop it.
> If so, how can I go about doing this (and using my server as the domain
>controller).
A Domain is created by an NT machine running NT Server installed as a
Primary Domain Controller.
The domain you ask it make can be created in your subnet, assuming it
doesn't already exist.
Domains imply a master login arbitrator, which would be your server. You
wouldn't want to create a domain unless you were willing for your machine
to assume that responsibility.
Maybe you want to simply join another domain that already exists. Does PKS
not have one?
>What about workgroups? How can I add a computer to a workgroup so that it is
>visible?
You can join a workgroup just by entering its name in the Identification
pane of the Network control panel. If the workgroup exists, you can join
it. If not, you create it. The workgroup is visible only in your subnet
unless you connect to a WINS server, which we've already described as a bad
idea. Other folks in your building can see the workgroup and join it too.
>Any information someone could offer me would be greatly appreciated,
>Charlie
We appreciate hearing your questions, because they are probably in the
minds of many people.
I'd like to use yours as the starting point of an NT at MIT FAQ, if you
don't mind, which would be visible off the //web/winnt/ web site.
If you have more questions or need help configuring your lab/home working
relationship, please let us know via email to winnt@mit. Thanks!
Rob
--------
Rob Smyser
I/S Computing Help Desk, MIT, 11-226, 617.253.1358
smyser@mit.edu
