what to find the WINS server in my LAN

What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

In article
,
tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:
In article
,

tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server. What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.

On Nov 15, 8:32 am, tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:

In article
,

tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server. What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.


I downloaded the nblookup tool and these are the results I get when I
execute it. It's telling me that each PC is an acting WINS server and
I don't understand how that can be true. BTW, I should mention all the
PCs in the LAN are Windows XP Home SP2.

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc1

pc1 resolved to 192.168.0.106
Default Server: 192.168.0.106

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.106
NetBIOS Name: pc1
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC1
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.106

....

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc2

pc2 resolved to 192.168.0.105
Default Server: 192.168.0.105

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.105
NetBIOS Name: pc2
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC2
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.105

tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:
In article
,

tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server.

That's apples to oranges.....and note that hosts isn't for NetBIOS. That's
LMHOSTS.

What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.

NetBIOS is broadcast based. Without a WINS server (which you don't normally
have in a workgroup), your workstations are all participating in browser
elections and hollering at each other over the network. "Hey, have you seen
SERVER1? Oh, over there? Thanks."

WINS essentially shuts them up and says, "just check here when you want
NetBIOS name resolution." Your WINS server is usually your master browser -
when you have WINS, you can even stop & disable the computer browser service
on all the workstations. Without WINS, you need it running.

tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 8:32 am, tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:

In article
,

tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a
computer running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server. What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must
be missing something in the way NetBIOS works.


I downloaded the nblookup tool and these are the results I get when I
execute it. It's telling me that each PC is an acting WINS server


No. Browser.

See http://www.chicagotech.net/netbios&wins.htm for some more help
explaining this all....

and
I don't understand how that can be true. BTW, I should mention all the
PCs in the LAN are Windows XP Home SP2.

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc1

pc1 resolved to 192.168.0.106
Default Server: 192.168.0.106

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.106
NetBIOS Name: pc1
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC1
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.106

...

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc2

pc2 resolved to 192.168.0.105
Default Server: 192.168.0.105

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.105
NetBIOS Name: pc2
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC2
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.105

In article
,
tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server. What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.

I downloaded the nblookup tool and these are the results I get when I
execute it. It's telling me that each PC is an acting WINS server and
I don't understand how that can be true. BTW, I should mention all the
PCs in the LAN are Windows XP Home SP2.

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc1

pc1 resolved to 192.168.0.106
Default Server: 192.168.0.106

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.106
NetBIOS Name: pc1
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC1
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.106

...

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc2

pc2 resolved to 192.168.0.105
Default Server: 192.168.0.105

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.105
NetBIOS Name: pc2
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC2
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.105

I think that the results from running the NBLookup tool on your
network are misleading. There is no WINS server in a Windows XP
workgroup network like yours. I suspect that the WINS server that the
NBLookup identifies is the computer that was able to resolve the
computer name that you queried. In a workgroup, that name resolution
is done using NetBIOS over TCP/IP, not using WINS.

With no WINS server, you can assign static IP addresses to all of the
computers and create an LMHosts file (not a Hosts file) on each
computer that specifies the mapping of NetBIOS names to IP addresses.

But neither WINS nor LMHosts should be necessary on a workgroup
network, unless the network has multiple IP subnets.

Why are you asking about WINS in the first place? If something isn't
working right, there's probably a better solution.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

On Nov 15, 4:12 pm, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:
In article
,





tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server. What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.

I downloaded the nblookup tool and these are the results I get when I
execute it. It's telling me that each PC is an acting WINS server and
I don't understand how that can be true. BTW, I should mention all the
PCs in the LAN are Windows XP Home SP2.

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc1

pc1 resolved to 192.168.0.106
Default Server: 192.168.0.106

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.106
NetBIOS Name: pc1
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC1
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.106

...

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc2

pc2 resolved to 192.168.0.105
Default Server: 192.168.0.105

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.105
NetBIOS Name: pc2
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC2
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.105

I think that the results from running the NBLookup tool on your
network are misleading. There is no WINS server in a Windows XP
workgroup network like yours. I suspect that the WINS server that the
NBLookup identifies is the computer that was able to resolve the
computer name that you queried. In a workgroup, that name resolution
is done using NetBIOS over TCP/IP, not using WINS.

With no WINS server, you can assign static IP addresses to all of the
computers and create an LMHosts file (not a Hosts file) on each
computer that specifies the mapping of NetBIOS names to IP addresses.

But neither WINS nor LMHosts should be necessary on a workgroup
network, unless the network has multiple IP subnets.

Why are you asking about WINS in the first place? If something isn't
working right, there's probably a better solution.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Programhttp://mvp.support.microsoft.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I just couldn't figure out how the ping by hostname was bale to work
when:
1. I'm using DHCP to acquire IPs from the router
2. The IPs are not in the hosts file
3. The IPs are not in the lmhost file
4. I didn't assign a PC to act as a WINS server
5. Only one PC of the four PCs in the LAN has the Computer Browser
service running

My TCP/IP settings for each PC has "Use NetBIOS from DHCP server"
selected. This must be the key to being able to ping by hostname?
The router being a Linksys BEFSR1 v3 router.

tek wrote:


snipped for length


I just couldn't figure out how the ping by hostname was bale to work

Did you read the link I posted?


when:
1. I'm using DHCP to acquire IPs from the router
2. The IPs are not in the hosts file
3. The IPs are not in the lmhost file
4. I didn't assign a PC to act as a WINS server
5. Only one PC of the four PCs in the LAN has the Computer Browser
service running

Then it's going to be the master browser. If you don't have a WINS server I
suggest you set computer browser to automatic on all your computers.

My TCP/IP settings for each PC has "Use NetBIOS from DHCP server"
selected. This must be the key to being able to ping by hostname?

Actually, it means NetBIOS over TCP/IP is *enabled* on that computer because
you have a DHCP configured address, basically. Your router is not doing this
name resolution for you

If you don't have WINS or an internal DNS server and can ping a
computer/node by name, it's simply working via broadcast. Is that clearer
now?

The router being a Linksys BEFSR1 v3 router.

Not relevant, tho.

On Nov 15, 6:44 pm, "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
hoo.com wrote:
tek wrote:

snipped for length



I just couldn't figure out how the ping by hostname was bale to work

Did you read the link I posted?

when:
1. I'm using DHCP to acquire IPs from the router
2. The IPs are not in the hosts file
3. The IPs are not in the lmhost file
4. I didn't assign a PC to act as a WINS server
5. Only one PC of the four PCs in the LAN has the Computer Browser
service running

Then it's going to be the master browser. If you don't have a WINS server I
suggest you set computer browser to automatic on all your computers.



My TCP/IP settings for each PC has "Use NetBIOS from DHCP server"
selected. This must be the key to being able to ping by hostname?

Actually, it means NetBIOS over TCP/IP is *enabled* on that computer because
you have a DHCP configured address, basically. Your router is not doing this
name resolution for you

If you don't have WINS or an internal DNS server and can ping a
computer/node by name, it's simply working via broadcast. Is that clearer
now?

The router being a Linksys BEFSR1 v3 router.

Not relevant, tho.

Gotcha, Thanks

tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 6:44 pm, "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
hoo.com wrote:
tek wrote:

snipped for length



I just couldn't figure out how the ping by hostname was bale to work

Did you read the link I posted?

when:
1. I'm using DHCP to acquire IPs from the router
2. The IPs are not in the hosts file
3. The IPs are not in the lmhost file
4. I didn't assign a PC to act as a WINS server
5. Only one PC of the four PCs in the LAN has the Computer Browser
service running

Then it's going to be the master browser. If you don't have a WINS
server I suggest you set computer browser to automatic on all your
computers.



My TCP/IP settings for each PC has "Use NetBIOS from DHCP server"
selected. This must be the key to being able to ping by hostname?

Actually, it means NetBIOS over TCP/IP is *enabled* on that computer
because you have a DHCP configured address, basically. Your router
is not doing this name resolution for you

If you don't have WINS or an internal DNS server and can ping a
computer/node by name, it's simply working via broadcast. Is that
clearer now?

The router being a Linksys BEFSR1 v3 router.

Not relevant, tho.

Gotcha, Thanks

No prob.

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
hoo.com wrote in message
...
tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:
In article
,

tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server.

That's apples to oranges.....and note that hosts isn't for NetBIOS. That's
LMHOSTS.

What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.

NetBIOS is broadcast based. Without a WINS server (which you don't
normally have in a workgroup), your workstations are all participating in
browser elections and hollering at each other over the network. "Hey, have
you seen SERVER1? Oh, over there? Thanks."

WINS essentially shuts them up and says, "just check here when you want
NetBIOS name resolution." Your WINS server is usually your master
browser - when you have WINS, you can even stop & disable the computer
browser service on all the workstations. Without WINS, you need it
running.



Hi, all.

I'd just like to add some clarification, if I may :-)

The default name resolution sequence for windows XP is:

1) DNS:
check local DNS cache;
check hosts file;
query DNS server ( if configured);

if that fails, revert back to

2)NetBIOS:
Check Netbios name cache;
check LMHOSTS file;
Query WINS server ( if configured );
Try Netbios broadcasts.

On a win2k or above domain, the DNS server will be where it succeeds.
In a serverless workgroup, it will fall all the way down to the method of
last resort, Netbios broadcasts.
Here, all machines listen out for broadcasts containing their name, and
respond to the broadcaster with their IP address.

The exact priority within netbios ( wins / brodcast ) can be changed using a
parameter called NodeType.
What I described was the default, which is generally fine.

For name resolution, the browser does not come into it.
You can shut the browser system totally down on all the machines, and
Netbios broadcast name resolution will still work.

The browser's job is to maintain a list of machine names only, not IP
addresses.
This is only used to populate the 'browse list', which you see when you
'show workgroup computers', or do a 'net view'.
It also uses Netbios broadcasts to operate.

Hope this is illuminating!

Best Regards,
Ron Lowe

Ron Lowe ronATlowe-famlyDOTmeDOTukSPURIOUS wrote:
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
hoo.com wrote in
message ...
tek wrote:
On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:
In article
,

tek wrote:
What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a
computer running a server operating system.

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server.

That's apples to oranges.....and note that hosts isn't for NetBIOS.
That's LMHOSTS.

What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must
be missing something in the way NetBIOS works.

NetBIOS is broadcast based. Without a WINS server (which you don't
normally have in a workgroup), your workstations are all
participating in browser elections and hollering at each other over
the network. "Hey, have you seen SERVER1? Oh, over there? Thanks."

WINS essentially shuts them up and says, "just check here when you
want NetBIOS name resolution." Your WINS server is usually your
master browser - when you have WINS, you can even stop & disable the
computer browser service on all the workstations. Without WINS, you
need it running.



Hi, all.

I'd just like to add some clarification, if I may :-)

The default name resolution sequence for windows XP is:

1) DNS:
check local DNS cache;
check hosts file;
query DNS server ( if configured);

if that fails, revert back to

2)NetBIOS:
Check Netbios name cache;
check LMHOSTS file;
Query WINS server ( if configured );
Try Netbios broadcasts.

On a win2k or above domain, the DNS server will be where it succeeds.
In a serverless workgroup, it will fall all the way down to the
method of last resort, Netbios broadcasts.
Here, all machines listen out for broadcasts containing their name,
and respond to the broadcaster with their IP address.

The exact priority within netbios ( wins / brodcast ) can be changed
using a parameter called NodeType.
What I described was the default, which is generally fine.

For name resolution, the browser does not come into it.
You can shut the browser system totally down on all the machines, and
Netbios broadcast name resolution will still work.

The browser's job is to maintain a list of machine names only, not IP
addresses.
This is only used to populate the 'browse list', which you see when
you 'show workgroup computers', or do a 'net view'.
It also uses Netbios broadcasts to operate.

Hope this is illuminating!

Best Regards,
Ron Lowe

Thanks for the clarification, Ron.

Ron,
this is very helpful.. I see now (in reply mode) the date of this post. Sorry. But I'm having a strange problem that has been going on since 2005, and you seem close to an answer. Please assume that I've done everything right as you read this. I have spent a good 40 hours on this problem.. and applied many tweaks that have netted nothing.

I have a home workgroup of 5 PCs, and a cisco wireless router. 4 of the PCs network fine. But 1 very old XP installation does this... (and this is KEY somehow) It boots up, and sees the workgroup, and all pcs which are on at the time. And it works fine, sharing, printing to remote, and being seen, for about 15 minutes. THEN it (without a whisper or a fault) disappears from the workgroup. It can still access the internet, but cannot be seen by any computer, nor can it print to the remote computer...Unless I completely disable the firewall on that computer. Then it can print (RAW data type) but it still doesn't see anyone, and still is not seen.

Any and every fix applied appears to work, since it always works for 15 minutes or so after booting.

details:
This PC is XP. The remote printer host is XPe. Both are SP3. This PC is connected using Wifi, a belkin adapter, but the signal is good and can be tested. Also, since I can print to the remote machine without seeing it (with the firewall off), the connection is there. Let me clarify, this PC works and networks perfectly, for 15 minutes. Thereafter, the XPe print server has to have the firewall disabled, to accept print jobs from this PC. I even gave this PC static IP, and created a "Rule" in the firewall to allow anything from this IP. No go.

The other machines are Win7. Off/On even disconnected, nothing affects this old XP machine one bit. Since the problem is between two XP SP3 machines, I will not give up. WINS DNS LMHOST and CBS are all new things to learn. Thanks for your short post. This long one is mostly to avoid replies to many of the things already done.. BTW the most useful was an internet config change that moved shortcuts from "The internet" to "local network."

This whole thing might be related to request timeouts.

On Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:21 AM Steve Winograd [MVP] wrote:

In article
,
tek wrote:

If a network connection has been configured to use a WINS server,
"ipconfig/all" will show the server's IP address.

At the risk of stating what you already know: a typical workgroup
network doesn't have a WINS server. WINS usually requires a computer
running a server operating system.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:52 PM Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

tek wrote:

That's apples to oranges.....and note that hosts isn't for NetBIOS. That's
LMHOSTS.


NetBIOS is broadcast based. Without a WINS server (which you don't normally
have in a workgroup), your workstations are all participating in browser
elections and hollering at each other over the network. "Hey, have you seen
SERVER1? Oh, over there? Thanks."

WINS essentially shuts them up and says, "just check here when you want
NetBIOS name resolution." Your WINS server is usually your master browser -
when you have WINS, you can even stop & disable the computer browser service
on all the workstations. Without WINS, you need it running.


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:53 PM Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

No. Browser.

See http://www.chicagotech.net/netbios&wins.htm for some more help
explaining this all....


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 4:12 PM Steve Winograd [MVP] wrote:

In article
,
tek wrote:

I think that the results from running the NBLookup tool on your
network are misleading. There is no WINS server in a Windows XP
workgroup network like yours. I suspect that the WINS server that the
NBLookup identifies is the computer that was able to resolve the
computer name that you queried. In a workgroup, that name resolution
is done using NetBIOS over TCP/IP, not using WINS.

With no WINS server, you can assign static IP addresses to all of the
computers and create an LMHosts file (not a Hosts file) on each
computer that specifies the mapping of NetBIOS names to IP addresses.

But neither WINS nor LMHosts should be necessary on a workgroup
network, unless the network has multiple IP subnets.

Why are you asking about WINS in the first place? If something isn't
working right, there's probably a better solution.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 6:44 PM Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

tek wrote:


snipped for length


Did you read the link I posted?



Then it's going to be the master browser. If you don't have a WINS server I
suggest you set computer browser to automatic on all your computers.

Actually, it means NetBIOS over TCP/IP is *enabled* on that computer because
you have a DHCP configured address, basically. Your router is not doing this
name resolution for you

If you don't have WINS or an internal DNS server and can ping a
computer/node by name, it's simply working via broadcast. Is that clearer
now?


Not relevant, tho.


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 8:43 PM Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

No prob.


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 9:50 PM tek wrote:

What command can I execute to find which PC is acting as the WINS
server in my LAN?


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 9:50 PM tek wrote:

On Nov 15, 3:21 am, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:

The \windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts files on each PC do not
contain static IPs because the router is the DHCP server. What allows
me to ping by hostname if there is no WINS server available? I must be
missing something in the way NetBIOS works.


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 9:50 PM tek wrote:

On Nov 15, 8:32 am, tek wrote:


I downloaded the nblookup tool and these are the results I get when I
execute it. It's telling me that each PC is an acting WINS server and
I don't understand how that can be true. BTW, I should mention all the
PCs in the LAN are Windows XP Home SP2.

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc1

pc1 resolved to 192.168.0.106
Default Server: 192.168.0.106

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.106
NetBIOS Name: pc1
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC1
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.106

...

C:\Tempnblookup -s pc2

pc2 resolved to 192.168.0.105
Default Server: 192.168.0.105

Recursion is on

Querying WINS Server: 192.168.0.105
NetBIOS Name: pc2
Suffix: 20

Name returned: PC2
Record type: Unique
IP Address: 192.168.0.105


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 9:50 PM tek wrote:

On Nov 15, 4:12 pm, "Steve Winograd [MVP]"
wrote:

I just couldn't figure out how the ping by hostname was bale to work
when:
1. I'm using DHCP to acquire IPs from the router
2. The IPs are not in the hosts file
3. The IPs are not in the lmhost file
4. I didn't assign a PC to act as a WINS server
5. Only one PC of the four PCs in the LAN has the Computer Browser
service running

My TCP/IP settings for each PC has "Use NetBIOS from DHCP server"
selected. This must be the key to being able to ping by hostname?
The router being a Linksys BEFSR1 v3 router.


On Thursday, November 15, 2007 9:50 PM tek wrote:

Gotcha, Thanks


On Friday, November 16, 2007 11:59 AM Ron Lowe wrote:

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
hoo.com wrote in message
...


Hi, all.

I'd just like to add some clarification, if I may :-)

The default name resolution sequence for windows XP is:

1) DNS:
check local DNS cache;
check hosts file;
query DNS server ( if configured);

if that fails, revert back to

2)NetBIOS:
Check Netbios name cache;
check LMHOSTS file;
Query WINS server ( if configured );
Try Netbios broadcasts.

On a win2k or above domain, the DNS server will be where it succeeds.
In a serverless workgroup, it will fall all the way down to the method of
last resort, Netbios broadcasts.
Here, all machines listen out for broadcasts containing their name, and
respond to the broadcaster with their IP address.

The exact priority within netbios ( wins / brodcast ) can be changed using a
parameter called NodeType.
What I described was the default, which is generally fine.

For name resolution, the browser does not come into it.
You can shut the browser system totally down on all the machines, and
Netbios broadcast name resolution will still work.

The browser's job is to maintain a list of machine names only, not IP
addresses.
This is only used to populate the 'browse list', which you see when you
'show workgroup computers', or do a 'net view'.
It also uses Netbios broadcasts to operate.

Hope this is illuminating!

Best Regards,
Ron Lowe


On Friday, November 16, 2007 1:27 PM Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

Ron Lowe ronATlowe-famlyDOTmeDOTukSPURIOUS wrote:

Thanks for the clarification, Ron.