Hi All
Browsed through the similar issues as suggested, but none match my scenario exactly :
I am facing a strange problem which is difficult to explain, but I'll try.
I have a Windows 2003 SP2 server in Site A ( Server A ), and a Server 2008R2 ( Server B ) file server in Site B
The basic problem is this :
If i attempt a UNC browse of server B's shares : I get this :
We do not have WINS servers - only DNS. The two sites in question are connected over MPLS WAN links.
What really confuses me is this :
1. It does not work using \\IPADDRESS either
2. It does not connect to the c$ or other Admin shares
3. It DOES work if I use the FQDN of Server B, but only to a fully shared folder ( \\serverB.domain.com\share ) - not an admin share nor just \\ServerB
4. It works perfectly fine from serverB -> \\ServerA ( reverse direction )
5. It DOES work if I log in as a local administrator on Server A and UNC to Server B
I have moved the server out of it's OU into Computers container in case of a GPO setting, but issue remains.
I have reset the security settings to default on Server A
I tried disabling StrictNameChecking - no result.
I read about SMB1 vs SMB2, but other 2003 servers in ServerA's site can connect to ServerB just fine using \\serverB
To just complicate matters - the exact same behaviour is exhibited from other servers in serverA's site to randomly selected servers in other sites in the organisation as well.
There is no pattern to this, but the only similarities are that these originating servers are mostly 2003 servers connecting out to somewhere else.
I have asked everyone I know of that knows what a computer is - and none of them have seen something like this, so I assume my situation is pretty unique.
So , as a last resort, and short of logging a call with Microsoft, I thought I'd come and ask all you clever people here on Technet to help me out before I take up drinking. ;-)
Thanks in advance !
Pieter