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Duplicate Name on Network

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by rob

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I have a simple development network consisting of a Win2k Adv Server, Domain: CRES; and a Win2k Pro workstation, Workgroup: CRES. The workstation can also be part of the CRES domain when the server is up (its not always). I wrote some simple batchCMD files to map shares from each machine to the other (NET USE xxxxxxx), and they used to work just fine. Suddenly, I have been having problems with a mapping failure error "A duplicate name exists on the network" when mapping from the workstationto the server. The server can do its mapping with no problem. Since there are only two PCs on the network that should be impossible (in the usual sense of the issue). I checked NBTSTAT and found three sets of UNIQUE types for the server name, andonly two GROUPs, so I presume this is the problem area, but I don't know how that happened nor how to fix it. You assistance would be appreciated. TIA.

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by valley boy

Had a similar problem the other day. Only the error message was displayed behind the login dialogue box. Are you getting the error just after a drive tries to map?

In my case, there were two PCs with the same name in the same Workgroup. After renaming the one, the error ceased, and the mapping to our NT4 Server returned.

Did you run NBTSTAT on the client PC? What was the result?

W2K SP2 also resolves some NetBIOS conflicts that are not caused by duplicate PC names.

Hope this helps.
Steve.

by rob

Thanx for your suggestion, however it doesn't help me, as this is effectively a two-PC network, with distinctly different PC names as noted in my question. The 'server' can see the 'workstation' but randomly the 'workstation' cannot map to the 'server' due to the bogus 'duplicate name' error. 'Server' uses Win2k Adv. Server, SP3 and 'workstation' has Win2k Pro SP3. Mapping is done via a batch CMD file with NET USE commands, and does vary from use to use. The error occurs randomly -- yesterday I had no trouble, a week ago I did. All PCs on the network are shut down overnight (not a production envirnment), so its not latent memory 'ghosts' either. Thanx anyway. ROB

by curlergirl

I think your problem may be that you are switching the workstation from a workgroup to a domain and back again, and using the same name for both the workgroup and the domain. In WINS and/or DNS (whichever you are using), this could cause duplicate entries when the workstation tries to register itself. You need to clear your WINS database (you can do this by simply stopping the WINS server, deleting the wins.mdb file and then restarting the service), and/or check DNS for duplicate entries at the workgroup/domain registration level and remove them. Then, use a different workgroup name and you should be OK. Hope this helps!

by rob

Thanx for your ideas. The problem is that the SERVER shows as a duplicate entry to the workstation, not the other way around, so I'm not sure this is the right solution.

Note, also that I mis-typed my answer to Valley Boy above: The batch CMDfiles that do the mapping do NOT vary from use to use.

I don't use WINS on either server or workstation, so that's not it. I did find that I specify the ISP's DNS addresses on the workstation, but not on the server, so I changed the server to match. I also tweaked the workgroup name to CRES_WG to make it differ from the domain name (also had to do my laptop which is only an occasional occupant of the network). Now I have entries in 'Entire Network' for both the domain and workgroup and can no longer just use 'Computers Near Me' (since that only includes workgroup affiliates), but that doesn't really matter.

The only other difference I found is that now I do need to go to Network Neighborhood and just click on the server's name before I use the batch CMD file, or it just fails no matter what. But I haven't seen the duplicate entry error in Network Neighborhood again today, so maybe this fixed it. Time will tell, but I'll give you this one, and post a new problem if it comes back. Thanx.

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