WINS clients

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 8 Beta

WINS clients

WINS clients attempt to register their names with a WINS server when they start or join the network. Clients thereafter query the WINS server to resolve remote names as needed.

WINS-enabled clients are computers that are able to be configured to make direct use of a WINS server. Most WINS clients typically have more than one NetBIOS name that they must register for use with the network. These names are used to publish various types of network services, such as the Messenger or Workstation service, that each computer can use in various ways to communicate with other computers on the network.

Microsoft supports WINS clients running on the following platforms:

  • Windows Server 2003 operating systems

  • Windows XP operating systems

  • Windows Millennium Edition

  • Windows 2000 operating systems

  • Windows NT operating systems

  • Windows 98

  • Windows 95

  • Windows for Workgroups

  • Microsoft LAN Manager

  • MS-DOS clients

  • OS/2 clients

  • Linux and UNIX clients (with Samba installed)

WINS-enabled clients communicate with the WINS server to:

  • Register client names in the WINS database.

  • Renew client names with the WINS database.

  • Release client names from the WINS database.

  • Resolve names by obtaining mappings from the WINS database for user names, NetBIOS names, DNS names, and IP addresses.

Clients that are not WINS-enabled can participate in these processes in a limited way by using WINS proxies. For more information, see WINS proxies.