NetBIOS/WINS Help Us!
MS provides many options for NetBIOS name resolution such as local cache lookup, WINS server query, broadcast, DNS server query, and LMHOSTS and HOSTS lookup. Microsoft TCP/IP uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) to support the NetBIOS client and server programs in the LAN and WAN environments. In the most cases, NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses in workgroup network and WINS resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses in domain network.
NetBIOS names must be between 1 and 15 characters long (the names are up to 16 characters, but the last character is reserved as a special characters). For that reason, you should not give a computer name longer than 15 characters.
How can I install NetBEUI on WinXP?
To check if the computer has registered a 00, a 03, and a 20 entry, and these correspond to the Workstation service, the Messenger service, and the Server service, respectively, use nbtstat -n. That will list local NetBIOS names. To list remote computer name table, use nbtstat -a computer name or nbtstat -A IP.
How to re-cache the NetBIOS name
If you can ping a remote computer IP but not the name, and you have WINS or enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, this may be an outdated NetBIOS name resolution in the local NetBIOS name cache. You may want to run NBTSTAT -r to reset the cache and force the computer to retrieve remote computer name.
How to fix name resolution issue on a standard DNS network
Some w2k/xp computer have a difficulty to connect to a laptop and your company has standardized on DNS for name resolution (no WINS and NetBIOS enabled). you also find that you can ping the laptop ip but not name. You may want to run ipconfig /registerdns to renew the ip configuration and register the laptop's DNS name with the DNS.
Name resolution order on Windows XP's previous version
Before the XP, the name resolution generally occurs in the following order: 1. NetBIOS remote name cache; 2. WINS server; 3. Broadcast; 4. LMHOSTS file; 5. HOSTS; 6. DNS.
nbtstat -n does not show <20> (Server service)
If nbtstat -n doesn't show <20> that is server services, make sure 1) the computer starts server service automatically; 2) you have installed File and Printer Sharing; 3) Enable NetBIOS.
NetBIOS and WINS are required in a mixed network
NetBIOS and WINS name resolution is required only on mixed-mode (Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000 and XP) networks to provide backward-compatibility older versions of Windows. If you have a domain mixed-mode network with DHCP and DNS, you are better to cerate WINS in your system. In workgroup mixed-mode network, most people enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP to resolve NetBIOS name to equivalent to IP addresses. Alternatively, you can install NetBEUI protocol in the clients.
Why enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP doesn't work
In a mixed OS (win9x, NT, ME, W2K and XP) workgroup network, you may need to enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on w2k/xp. However, you may be in a situation that enabling netbios over tcp/ip doesn't work, but loading netbeui solve the name resolution problem. There are many reasons for this. One of the popular reasons is some software like firewall and NAT disable or block the TCP/IP. One of solutions is loading NetBEUI on w2k/xp. Note: loading netbeui may be slower the network and netbeui is not routable.
You can use UNC to map network resources but can't browse any networking computers
If you can't browse Network Neighborhood/My Network Places, but you can connect to file and print shares by using UNC to map the networking resources, you have a name resolution issue. Your may need to setup WINS server or enable NetBIOS over tcp/ip,
Will XP Pro
operate as a client on a LAN using netbeui?
A: NetBEUI is unsupported WinXP by default. However, you can install NetBEUI
from the XP CD (Re: Q301041).