Unfortunately, you can still get odd browse master elections forced even in AD. Locking the clients down to keep them from taking part in elections is a good idea.

Unless I'm mistaken, only win95 had the browse master problem. I believe it was fixed in 98. You could try only disabling it on the 95 machines first to save time.
 
-RY

It wasn't, as I have seen Win98/SE clients do it, and even some Win2K/XP clients as well if they are confused enough.

the WINS server is working perfectly, I checked the data base one by one and all the entries there are correct. I disconnected the W95 clients but nothing changed! what bothers me that the clients eventually see the network but after 1 - 2 minutes of searching! any new ideas ????????

As it's mentioned above, why don't u use DNS ? U have DC so u have DNS running on that server. I have the same network, near 35 98 clients n w2k srv as DC . All the clients have DNS enabled n using server's ip as DNS ip . No problem with network or such.
 
If I'm missing some reason for u to not use dns , I'm sorry.
Else if u can do it soon , it works without problem .

OK .. I tried almost every thing in the book but I m still having the same D@mn problem and am sick of searching for the solution!! I am going back to good old NT 4.0!! the only answer I got by the guys at microsoft is "this is a normal behaviour!!" and you call that a support, read this KB article (Q288801) that says in full mouth "SURRENDER" heheh and I am surrendering I tried every thing written in it but didn't work! and frankly I didn't understand the last post about using DNS only, since the clients use internal IP's 192.168.x.x thanks guys .. all of you for trying to help. I am back to win NT next weekend.

wess cool down. No need to turn back to NT 4 .
 
As I see u installed w2k adv srv but u didn't install active directory , also u don't have DNS service yet. I dunno if 95 supports DNS but if u can upgrade those 95 clients to 98 or newer n install active directory ( it will install also DNS service)
u will be ok. Of course AD is not easy also not so hard but u better check some articles before u go.

well .. ok I will give it nother chnce with Win2000 server, but can ny one help me set up the DNS server, I keep getting this error in the event viewer, system log (and i have Tons of this error!!); it says
 
"Event Type: Error
Event Source: NETLOGON
Event Category: None
Event ID: 5774
Date: 4/10/2002
Time: 1:13:03 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER
Description:
Registration of the DNS record '_kerberos._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.www.chocoo.com. 600 IN SRV 0 100 88 server.www.chocoo.com.' failed with the following error:
DNS server unable to interpret format.
Data:
0000: 29 23 00 00 )#.. "
 
does it have anything to do with my immortal problem??

For me the easiest way to install DNS is installing Active Directory
run - dcpromo.exe
n AD install will begin, also it will ask n install dns for u too.
4 things I can tell u to do by order.
 
1- if there is a dns running on at the moment , remove it.
2- enter your internal nics own ip to dns as well at tcp/ip properties.
3- To avoid conflicts u better use a domain name like xxx.yyy.com
using in a yyy.com format will be trouble for 98 clients, bc if there is yyy.com running on the net, they can't resolve the external ip but the internal one, so they won't be able to browse it.
4- After installing AD n reboot, go to DNS managament via mmc
n remove the "." zone . It's a root zone but u r not a root dns server so to enable dns forward u have to delete it. After u delete it u can enable forwarders n enter your ips's dns there.
 
hope could help.

I'll do that on weekend oaydin thanks, what about the error mentioned above, can anyone interpret it?? why does it keep occuring? help!

I always have DNS running first, that way I know that it's solid. I have yet to have any issues with this, and I have taught others to do this as well. This method will also ensure that your DNS is configured completely before trying to implement AD because the overly-simplistic DNS setup wizard used during AD installation leaves out things like server replication, forwarders, etc.

Exactly True , but
it's harder to manually setup DNS n config it right, at least for him at the moment , so I recommended to auto install with A.D.
else u r right .
 
But one thing I want to ask, without A.D. U can't install A.D. integrated DNS ,
Does A.D. install, convert it to integrated one ?

You can run DNS and AD without being integrated/dynamic. This is exactly what happens when you use a BIND DNS box (like a *nix unit) to host DNS on the network. I enable those after the upgrade to AD.