NetBIOS name resolution means successfully mapping a NetBIOS name to an IP address. A NetBIOS name is a 16-byte address that is used to identify a NetBIOS resource on the network. A NetBIOS name is either a unique (exclusive) or group (nonexclusive) name. When a NetBIOS process is communicating with a specific process on a specific computer, a unique name is used. When a NetBIOS process is communicating with multiple processes on multiple computers, a group name is used.
An example of a process that uses a NetBIOS name is the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service on a computer running
When you attempt to make a file-sharing connection to a computer by using its computer name, the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service on the file server you specify corresponds to a specific NetBIOS name. For example, when you attempt to connect to a computer called CORPSERVER, the NetBIOS name corresponding to the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service on that computer is:
CORPSERVER [20]
Note the use of spaces to pad the computer name. Before you can establish a file and print sharing connection, a TCP connection must be created. In order for a TCP connection to be established, the NetBIOS name "CORPSERVER [20]" must be resolved to an IP address.
The exact mechanism by which NetBIOS names are resolved to IP addresses depends on the NetBIOS node type that is configured for the node. RFC 1001, "Protocol Standard for a NetBIOS Service on a TCP/UDP Transport: Concepts and Methods," defines the NetBIOS node types, as listed in the following table.
Node type | Description |
---|---|
B-node(broadcast) | B-node uses broadcast NetBIOS name queries for name registration and resolution. |
P-node (peer-peer) | P-node uses a NetBIOS name server (NBNS), such as a WINS server, to resolve NetBIOS names. |
M-node (mixed) | M-node is a combination of |
H-node(hybrid) | H-node is a combination of |
Computers running
It is highly recommended that you configure Windows-based computers with the IP address of your WINS server in order for remote NetBIOS names to be resolved. You must configure Active Directory–based computers, such as
For more information about WINS, see WINS defined.