WINS and resolutions

NetBIOS Names Resolution and Registration Statistics

Resolved By Broadcast = 30
Resolved By Name Server = 0

Registered By Broadcast = 8
Registered By Name Server = 0

NetBIOS Names Resolved By Broadcast

PRINTSERVER
Domain Controllers <1C>
Domain Controllers <1C>
workstations2
WEB
workstation1
DATABASE
PRINTSERVER

I need some help understanding what the above output is trying to communicate. What does the following mean?

Resolved By Broadcast
Resolved By Name Server
Registered By Broadcast
Registered By Name Server

Also there is a WINS server on site and clients use DHCP. My translation of the above is that the WINS server is not always being used by the workstation to resolve all NetBIOS names on the network...if at all.

Oh and for those who are studying for network+, I typed in the following command: NBTSTAT -r

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Comments

Webmaster

My translation of the above is that the WINS server is not always being used by the workstation to resolve all NetBIOS names on the network...if at all.

Correct. Your clients are not using the WINS server at all. The obvious problem causing this is that you forgot to add the option: code 46 WINS/NBT node type in the DHCP options. Meanging that your clients are currently not H-nodes (hybrid) (check with ipconfig /all or winipcfg on clients) but B-nodes instead. A Netbios h-node will first try to resolve the name at a WINS server, of that fails it will try broadcasts...

mynameisboring

Thanks webmaster, I've done the ipconfig /all but I see that my host type is HYBRID, would it be the WINS Proxy Enabled value of "no" causing this?

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : J0L5T21-ASa
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domain.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network Connect
ion
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-DB-65-EC-3B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.104
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.10
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.10
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.10
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 20, 2003 8:20:48 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, August 24, 2003 8:20:48 AM

Webmaster

No, the WINS Proxy should be no. (if it was yes, your client would intercept WINS broadcast to forward it to a WINS server in another LAN, on the other side of a router, which doesn't forward broadcasts. So a WINS proxy allows you to use 1 WINS server for multiple IP subnets.)

You don't have an LMHOSTS file configured do you? If you do, delete it, and run nbtstat -R (capital R), ping a s server or other client using a Netbios name, and run nbtstat -r again.

Your congfiguration seems correct. Is the WINS service running, antyhing in the system log?

mynameisboring

A LMHOSTS file is not being used, I'll check with the admin on this one maybe lay a trail of potato chips to the server room so that she can get her lazy ass of the chair

Thanks for the help webmaster, I sometimes can't believe how much of this is packed inside your brain!

And I'll post the resolution too

Webmaster

Your welcome.

During my NT 4 sys admin days, I had more exposure to WINS than I wanted

MS's switch to DNS as the primary name resolution service with Windows 2000 is one of the best moves they ever made.

mynameisboring

I promised my update for the resolution so here it is: Restart WINS

Believe it or not I had suggested this to my oh so knowledgable employer, but he could not find how to restart WINS....Ofcoarse me being the support technician I am, I can not touch the servers. So a contractor was asked to fix the problem while he was in helping out with setting up a firewall.

I think my experiences of watching uncertified admins do work is enough of a goal to complete as many certifications that apply to me as I can.