# The network path was not found - xp - entire network



## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

We have a network with about 20 computers. Before last weekend everything worked fine.
Now when I click "view workgroup computers" I get "the network path was not found" error on all computers.

If we type the computer name in the explorer address bar eg "\\computer\" it works just fine and all ip's are pingable.
Shared printers are still working, but if I search for network printers, it won't list the computer names.

DHCP is enabled running DNSMasq and all computers are on the same subnet. We're running DD-WRT with multiple ip's coming in and special iptable routing. All that works fine.

NetBIOS is enabled, File and Printer Sharing is enabled, everyone is on the same workgroup. Windows Firewall is disabled on all PCs.

Active and DHCP client tables show all computer host names properly.

We never had a WINS server.

I have no idea what's wrong.

help?

Thanks

Adan


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Your missing your Master Browser, that's the behavior you'll see.

Download LANScanner from this site: Scottie's Tech.info and run it. My guess is it'll find no master browser.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

All the systems on the network are XP and there is no domain, only a workgroup.

How does the master browser get delegated? If I rebooted all the computers there, would one randomly get selected when they hit the network? Can there be a conflict? I take it if any computer is alone on a network, it always selects itself as the master browser.

I'll run that program as soon as I get to work in the morning and see what it says.

EDIT:
Found this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188001
which was informative.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

Ok, I ran LANscan and this was the results:



> LANscanner v1.3 - ScottiesTech.Info
> 
> Scanning LAN...
> 
> ...


When I ran it on my pc at home, it also gave that system error 53, but then it listed my one computer and said it was master. Here I got nothing...

Though even "ping computer-name" works between systems.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

That's really odd, try running that on another computer on the network. I've run it on a number of computers, it works fine on all of them!


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

I tried LANscan on a few systems now and got the same thing.
Also "net view" gives the same "system error 53"

Besides pinging the netBios name, I can also ping and access the network with the dns suffix:
ping computer-name.local.suffix.com
or
//computer-name.local.suffix.com/


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Check that all your network services are Started: 

COM+ Event System (for WZC issues)
Computer Browser
DHCP Client
DNS Client
Network Connections
Network Location Awareness
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Server
TCP/IP Netbios helper
Wireless Zero Configuration _(XP wireless configurations only_)
WLAN AutoConfig (_Vista wireless configurations only_)
Workstation

_*Note:* You can check the services in Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services._

*All of these services should be started, and their startup type should be automatic (or perhaps manual).*

If a service is not running, open it's properties and check the dependencies. Check each of the dependencies and see which one is preventing the service from running. Checking the event log is also a good idea here, there may be clues to what is failing.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

All those services (except WLAN AutoConfig) are auto or manual and all are started.

Also "net use \\pc\folder" works fine with netbios name/dns name/ip

"net start" results:



> These Windows services are started:
> 
> Application Layer Gateway Service
> Application Management
> ...


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

I should note that some of the computers are almost never turned off. Everyone here just leaves their system running when they leave. I have rebooted a few, but some haven't been rebooted in a long time. I could get everyone to reboot all at once, but it could be difficult to get them all to do that at once.

Shoot, actually I was thinking, we do have Win2003 on our server. I was thinking that was on a different subnet, but it only has separate iptable rules so it has it's own dedicated external ip and static routing, the internal ip is on the same subnet. It hasn't been rebooted in years, it's running our Dynamics GP and runs/integrates all orders for our website.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

net view and LANscan work on W2K3, but it only lists itself and our voip phone server, which are the only 2 systems on static ips and in their own workgroup different from the workgroup all the XP computers are on. It says the W2K3 is the master browser. But I don't think that matters since it's not the same workgroup...


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

Maybe a Server Reboot is all you need. I give all our Servers a little break every couple of months.
I would do a power cycle on you modem and router too, it might help.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

I will need to schedule a reboot sometime in the next few days, hopefully that will do it.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

There is no server in this network, it's simply a workgroup, right? If there's a server, I'd recommend enabling the WINS server.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

There's no server in this workgroup, there is another workgroup with Windows Server 2003 running MS Dynamics GP.


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

It looks like you have 2 diff networks, 2 diff Subnets I suppose. Those 20 Workgrp computers are not connected at all to the Server correct? You shd reboot all the computers as well.

Pls give us an update.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

I rebooted all the computers in the main workgroup today, still getting network not found error.

The W2K3 server is on the same subnet, different workgroup. I can't reboot the server until the weekend.


Just to be clarify:
W2K3: static 10.0.0.100, workgroupB
everything else: DHCP 10.0.0.102-10.0.0.142, workgroupA


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Since they're all on the same subnet, why don't you use automatic addressing and then the server will be the browse master?


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

The server has to be static. It has it's own dedicated external ip, all the other systems on the network share a different external ip. Lots of stuff would break if it's not fixed, many different systems, internal and external, talk to it.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Servers are typically statically addressed, this isn't really non-standard. If some of the workstations are connecting to the server, obviously it's internal address is on the subnet, right?


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

Yes, the internal address is on the same subnet. I'm going to be rebooting the server tonight.

On any of the machines if I disconnect them from the network and run "net view" it gives no errors.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

Rebooting the server didn't do anything, probably because it's on its own workgroup.

I disconnected the router and connected it to a few systems directly, bypassing all the switches and everything else on the network. In that case LANScan did show a master browser. Router eliminated as the cause. So it seems something else on the network is preventing it from working. I'm either going to have to turn off every single network device and slowly turn them on one by one... or find some other way to trace this issue.

Is it possible to manually trace the issue with like Ethereal or Wireshark? I assume some network device is either creating a port conflict or interfering with the browser service master browser election.


EDIT:
I found this:
Master Browser Tool Kit
which lets me specify the master browser.

And found this:
Troubleshooting the Microsoft Computer Browser Service
So I'm looking for browstat now.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

Fixed!!!!

I downloaded browstat and it actually listed the master browser:



> C:\Documents and Settings\Adam>browstat status
> 
> Status for domain WORKGROUPA on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{8588CA8F-447A-411C-A537-0F1C3780F9FE}
> Browsing is active on domain.
> ...


I then spent ages going to every computer on the network searching everywhere for APRIL... to no avail. But I could ping it...

Finally I found it, with no mouse, keyboard, or monitor. The front light wasn't even on. But I put my ear to it and heard noise. I pulled the power plug out, and boom, everything worked again!!!

Now it says:


> C:\Documents and Settings\Adam>browstat status
> 
> 
> Status for domain WORKGROUPA on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{8588CA8F-447A-411C-A537-0F1C3780F9FE}
> ...


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

That's pretty funny, a rogue computer was hiding in the corner! :grin:

Glad you tracked it down.


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## phazei (Jul 7, 2010)

It's been a few months since that computer was used. We scavenged all the parts off it. Last time I used it, I shut it down. 

It must have gotten stuck in the shut down process. In all that time everyone's rebooted their computer at least once, causing the master browser to move about until it reached the only system that had never been off. Perhaps it worked on that system for a while till the service crashed, but never restarted because it was stuck in shutdown, heh. Talk about some random ****.

Only problem is, seems every time there is any problematic issue, it always turns out to be random and obscure, lucky me!

Thanks for the help


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

That's about the oddest one I've seen! :grin:


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