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Windows NT assigns browser tasks to specific computers on the network. The computers work together to provide a centralized list of shared resources, eliminating the need for all machines to maintain their own lists. This reduces the CPU time and network traffic needed to build and maintain the list. The Windows NT Browser system consists of a master browser, backup browsers, and browser clients. The computer that is the master browser maintains the browse list and periodically sends copies to the backup browsers. When a browser client needs information, it obtains the current browse list by remotely sending a NetServerEnum application programming interface ( API ) call to either the master browser or a backup browser.

When Windows NT Workstation or Windows NT Server starts, the Browser service looks in the registry for the parameter MaintainServerList to determine whether it will become a browser. The value is found:

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters\
Name: MaintainServerList
Type: REG_SZ
Value: No - computer can not host a browser server. Preferred setting for heavily used servers and most NT workstations. If you set it to NO, you need to disable the Browser service or you will get a error because the service can not start. The service is only used to maintain a browse list, it has nothing to do with whether you can browse the network.

Value: Yes - computer will server as a browser server. Upon startup, this computer attempts to contact the master browser to get a current browse list. If the master browser cannot be found, the computer will force a browser election. This computer will either be elected master browser or become a backup browser. Yes is the default value for Windows NT Server. You usually have BDCs set to this value.

Value: Auto - computer, referred to as a potential browser, may or may not become a browser, depending on the number of currently active browsers. The master browser notifies this computer whether or not it will become a backup browser . Auto is the default value for computers running Windows NT Workstation. I believe No is a better setting for most networks.
I suggest that for Windows 95 and 98 machines, go to the Network control panel, select File andprinter sharing and Properties. Change Browse Master from Auto to Disabled.

The browser system roles are:

• Non-browser : computer configured not to maintain a network resource or browse list

• Potential browser : computer that is capable of a maintaining a network resource browse list and can be elected as a master browser. The potential browser computer can act as a backup browser if instructed to do so by the master browser.

• Backup browser : receives a copy of the network-resource browse list from the master browser and distributes the list upon request to computers in the domain or workgroup. All Windows NT domain controllers are automatically configured as either master or backup browsers. Computers running Windows NT Workstation, Windows for Workgroups, or Win9x can be backup browsers if there are fewer than three Windows NT Server computers performing backup-browser functions for the domain.

  When NT boots to the network, it broadcasts its presence once every minute with the broadcasts increasing in interval up to 12 minutes. The Master Browser uses the announcements to know if the computer is still online. If a computer is shut down gracefully, it announces the removal of its network resources. If it just goes offline, powered off or network problem, once its broadcasts stop, the PC is maintained in the network list until three broadcasts are missed. This means a PC will be on the list for up to 36 minutes after its off the net.

  Backup browsers call the master browser every 15 minutes to get the latest copy of the browse list and a list of domains. Each backup browser caches these lists and returns the list of servers to any clients that send a remote NetServerEnum API call to the backup browser. A failed resource can remain on the network list for 51 minutes (36 - 3 missed broadcasts, normal interval plus 15 if combined with loss of Master Browser).

  If the backup browser cannot find the master browser, it forces an election of the master browser. The data limit for the list of servers maintained on computers running a version of Windows NT prior to version 4.0, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows 95 is 64K. This limits the number of computers in a browse list for a single workgroup or domain to between 2,000 and 3,000 computers.

• Master browser : is responsible for collecting the information necessary to create and maintain the browse list. The browse list includes all servers in the master browser's domain or workgroup, and the list of all domains on the network. Individual servers announce their presence to the master browser by sending a directed datagram called a server announcement to the domain or workgroup master browser. See Preferred Master Browser for the registy hack to set the PCs browser function to preferred master browser.

  Windows NT Resource Kit utilities, browmon and browstat will give you present Browse Master status. Browser Monitor, Browmon.exe, is a graphical application that shows all domains and workgroups on your network and tells which computers are master browsers, which ones are backup browsers, etc. Browser Monitor also captures some statistics. For example, you can find the number of server announcements, number of election packets, etc. This utility is easy to use, and it's a good place to start when troubleshooting browsing problems.

  While Browstat.exe is similar to Browser Monitor in functionality, browmon is a gui utility whereas browstat.exe is a command line utility. You can also employ this tool to display statistics and information about the master and backup browsers, force an election on a remote domain, etc.

  Computers running NT Server, NT Workstation, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, or LAN Manager send server announcements. When the master browser receives a server announcement from a computer, it adds that computer to the browse list. When a domain spans more than one subnetwork, the master browser will do the following tasks:

  • Maintain the browse list for the portion of the domain on its subnetwork
  • Provide lists of backup browsers on the local subnetwork of a TCP/IP-based network to computers running Windows NT Server, Windows NT Workstation, and Windows for Workgroups
  If a TCP/IP-based subnetwork is comprised of more than one domain, each domain has its own master browser and backup browsers. On networks using the NWLink IPX/SPX-compatible network protocols, name queries are sent across routers, ensuring that there is always only one master browser for each domain. NetBEUI Frame (NBF) is not designed for a routed network and requires a separate master browser per subnet. When a computer starts and its MaintainServerList registry entry is set to Auto, the master browser must tell that computer whether or not to become a backup browser.

• Domain Master Browser: responsible for collecting announcements for the entire domain, including any network segments, and for providing a list of domain resources to master browsers. The domain master browser is always the primary domain controller (PDC) of a domain. The PDC of a domain is given priority in browser elections to ensure that it becomes the master browser. The Windows NT Browser service running on a PDC has the special, additional role of being the domain master browser.

  For a domain that uses TCP/IP and spans more than one subnetwork, each subnetwork functions as an independent browsing entity with its own master browser and backup browsers. NwLnkNb and NBF transports don't use the domain master browser role because those transports have only a single master browser for the entire network.

  Browsing across the wide area network ( WAN ) to other subnetworks requires at least one browser running Windows NT Server, Windows NT Workstation, or Windows For Workgroups 3.11b on the domain for each subnetwork.

  When a domain spans multiple subnetworks, the master browser of each subnetwork announces itself as the master browser to the domain master browser, using a directed MasterBrowserAnnouncement datagram. The domain master browser then sends a remote NetServerEnum API call to each master browser, to collect each subnetwork's list of servers. The domain master browser merges the server list from each subnetwork master browser with its own server list, forming the browse list for the domain. This process is repeated every 15 minutes to ensure that the domain master browser has a complete browse list of all the servers in the domain.

  The master browser on each subnetwork also sends a remote NetServerEnum API call to the domain master browser to obtain the complete browse list for the domain. This browse list is available to browser clients on the subnetwork. A single computer may play multiple browser roles. For example, the master browser may also be the domain master browser.

  Windows NT workgroups cannot span multiple TCP/IP subnetworks. Any Windows NT workgroup that spans subnetworks actually functions as two separate workgroups with identical names.