Multihomed Master Browser May Cause Event ID 8021 and 8032

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

SYMPTOM

Your computer running Windows NT Server or Workstation may occasionally log one or more of the following events in the Event Viewer System log:

Event id: 8021 Source: Wins Description: The browser was unable to retrieve a list of servers from the browser master <PDC> on the network \device\<protocol_netcard>. The data is the error code.

Event id: 8032 Source: Wins Description: The browser service has failed to retrieve the backup list too many times on transport of <protocol_netcard>. The backup browser is stopping.

This symptom occurs if:

• Your computer is a multihomed computer (that is, it may link simultaneously to two or more subnets using multiple network cards).
• Your computer is a master browser.
• Your computer is running the TCP/IP protocol.

CAUSE

The following situations can cause this symptom:

• Your computer network cards are linked to the same subnet.
• Your computer network cards are not linked directly to the same subnet, but are linked indirectly through other subnets that they are connected to.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do one of the following:

• Unbind all but one of the TCP/IP subnet transport bindings from the workstation service.

  -or-

• Remove all but one of the network cards or RAS connections.

  -or-

• At the command prompt issue the following command:

           net stop browser
  
     NOTE: This option prevents you from receiving computer browse lists
     from other networks.
  
  

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT Workstation and Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.