KB173525 - WINS Client May Switch Primary and Secondary WINS Servers

Article ID: 173525

Article Last Modified on 6/24/2004

Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows for Workgroups 3.11a
Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows for Workgroups 3.11b
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Network Client 3.1

This article was previously published under Q173525

SYMPTOMS

You may notice that the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) clients on your network appear to switch the primary and secondary WINS server settings as viewed by the utility Ipconfig.exe, for Windows NT and Windows for Workgroups, and Winipcfg.exe, for Windows 95. You may also see the client registering with the secondary WINS server, even though the primary WINS server is fully operational and its destination is reachable.

CAUSE

The configured primary WINS server has returned a negative name response, indicating that it cannot resolve the name, and the configured secondary WINS Server has returned a positive name response and resolved the name for the client. At this point, the client will switch its configuration to use the secondary WINS server as its preferred server.

RESOLUTION

The resolution for the above problem depends on the type of WINS client as specified below:

Windows NT version 4.0 Service Pack 3

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

Any other WINS client

Configure the client so that its primary and secondary WINS Servers are replication partners with each other.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

WINS clients can be configured with a primary and secondary WINS server in their TCP/IP properties. This article discusses an issue where the client will register successfully with its primary WINS server, then it sends a name query to the primary and either receives no response or a negative name response. At this point, the client will send the request to its secondary WINS server and receives a positive name response that causes the client to switch the primary and secondary WINS servers so that the client now uses the original secondary as its primary. If you view the TCP/IP properties on the client it will still show the original configuration; however, if you view the TCP/IP configuration through either Ipconfig.exe or Winipcfg.exe it will display the WINS servers switched.

This will cause problems if you have a secondary WINS server across a Wide Area Network (WAN) connection. After the server settings are switched, all the name resolution and registration traffic for the client is going across the WAN connection.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

252511 Statically Configured WINS Client Switches Between Primary and Secondary WINS Servers

Additional query words: flip swap

Keywords: kbbug kbfix KB173525