Windows – Unable to access Windows file share by simple server name

netbioswindows

I have a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine connected to an IPv4 Windows network that cannot resolve the simple name of another server when trying to access a file share. If I try to browse to \\SERVERNAME in Explorer I get

The network name cannot be found

However, other server names (from the same domain) work fine. I can also connect to the same server if I specify the FQDN, ie. \\SERVERNAME.my.domain.com Pinging the simple name (ping SERVERNAME) also works. Does anyone know what's wrong here?

Best Answer

Since it resolves with the FQDN, it sounds like DNS is working, but your DNS search suffix may not be configured, causing the single name to be failing to resolve?

The single names for other servers may be resolving via netbios/WINS, but the server that's not resolving may not be registering.

Check your DNS search suffix list, and test netbios with nbtstat -a servername

Edit: just realized that ping works with the single name. Check the nbtstat, and if that fails to find the name, try disabling netbios altogether in the network adapter settings.

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