Quieting down your Windows NT at home

I have successfully configured my NT Workstation 4.0 to not call to the office unnecessarily over the ISDN link. You will need a master browser on your local network (one of your NT machines will choose to be it by default: this is the MaintainServerList parameter seen below). None of the browsers can be domain master browsers (so other master browsers don’t try to tell you things and cause calls from the office to your home).

Name registrations on your home network should happen using broadcasts only (the m-node type). This prevents calls to the WINS server in the office to register your host.

NOTE: in the office it is best to use the h-node type which avoids unnecessary broadcasts by first trying to directly contact the configured WINS servers. This is the default if no NodeType value exists.

You must be running one of the following:

Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 1 installed
Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 5 installed

Using the registry editor (regedit) can kill your machine. You’ll need to use it to change the following values:

- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
  |
  +- SYSTEM
     |
     +- CurrentControlSet
        |
        +- Services
           |
           +- Browser
           |  |
           |  +- Parameters
           |     \MasterPeriodicity = 0x7080 (DWORD, 28800, 8 hours)
           |     \BackupPeriodicity = 0x7080 (DWORD, 28800, 8 hours)
           |     \IsDomainMaster = "FALSE" (STRING)
           |     \MaintainServerList = "Auto" (STRING)
           |
           +- NetBT
              |
              +- Parameters
                 \NodeType = 0x4 (DWORD, 4, m-node i.e. Mixed)

I also have my computer be part of a WORKGROUP (not DOMAIN). I call the workgroup KIM HOME. This workgroup does not exist outside my home network. This can be changed in the network properties:

Right click on Network Neighborhood, choose Properties.
On the Identification tab click on Change.
In the “Member of” section check Workgroup and type in the desired workgroup name. Click OK.
Click OK on the Network properties sheet.

Now reboot your computer (regardless of whether you changed the workgroup name or not).

Kimmo Suominen

kimmoX@Xsuominen.com

(31.12.1996)