Technical Notes on Browsing on Microsoft Networks

This section presents some brief notes related to browsing on Microsoft networks.

• The Windows 95 browser has been updated to support browsing across TCP/IP subnetworks. To take advantage of this, the network must use a WINS server or you must use #DOM entries in LMHOSTS files. For information about creating LMHOSTS files, see Appendix G, "HOSTS and LMHOSTS Files for Windows 95."
• Microsoft LAN Manager-compatible networks such as IBM® LAN Server and Microsoft LAN Manager for UNIX® support browsing of servers and shared directories using the Windows 95 user interface or net view.
• DEC™ PATHWORKS™ is an example of a Microsoft LAN Manager-compatible network that does not support browsing. AT&T® StarLAN is an example of a Microsoft Network-compatible network that is not based on Microsoft LAN Manager and that does not support remote browsing of servers and shared directories. These servers do not appear in Network Neighborhood; with Windows 95, however, users can still access the servers and shared directories through a network connection dialog box.

• When a known slow network connection is used (for example, the remote access driver), Windows 95 is automatically configured not to designate that computer to be a browse server for the network connection. The SlowLanas parameter in the Registry identifies the network LANA numbers for which the local computer will not serve as a master browse server. However, the user can still request a list of available workgroups and computers on the network across the slow network connection.