Weird network problem

[Bozo]

At work we have 28 computers on their own network. No DNS server, each computer has it's own permanent address. This network is NOT connected to the outside world.
About half of the computers have had the Computer Browser service turned off. The rest become the Master Browser or Backup Browser as needed and it is left up to the computers to figure out who is what. This network is a mix of XP, Server 2003 and a few Win2000 boxes. (The only reason we run Server 2003 is to be able to run MS SQL server.)
For some reason last week, we found we had no Master Browsers. The system still works, but no computers show up in My Network Places or after a search.
Where and how do you even start to figure something like this out.

Any help or ideas would be greatly apprieciated.

Bozo :joker:

PS: We installed a Linux box with Samba on the network to act as the Master Browser. This is a band-aid repair.

 

[Mercutio]

One of the Server 2003 computers should take up the role. Do these machines have firewall exceptions for File and Printer Sharing?

 

[Bozo]

The firewall is disabled on all the computers.
If I read correctly, Server 2003 doesn't use the Master Browser set up. Active Directory is in the mix somehow.

Also, most of the computers have more than one network card. ( my original post should read 'on their own networkS'.) But they still don't go to the outside world...no internet connection.
I'm beginning to think we might have to put computers on each network with only one network card. Then force it to be the Master Browser.

The more I read about networks, the more confused I get.

Thanks
Bozo :joker:

 

[ddrueding]

The event logs should be your friends on this; there should be records of master browser elections in there somewhere.

 

[Bozo]

The event logs should be your friends on this; there should be records of master browser elections in there somewhere.

The event log reports Error 8032-The browser service has failed to retrieve the backup list too many times......

Digging my way through the KB's and Google links.

Thanks,

Bozo :joker:

 

[ddrueding]

If you go back far enough, there should be the progress of the browser elections. Whether there were too many or too few, which computer had it last, etc.