Verify WINS registration of client NetBIOS names

  • 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

To verify WINS registration of client NetBIOS names

  1. On the WINS client computer, at the command prompt, type nbtstat -n.

    The local NetBIOS names table for the WINS client computer is listed. Verify that each name indicates Registered in the Status column.

  2. The Status column should indicate a status of either Registered, Registering, or Conflict.

    For cases where the name is shown to be either Registered or Registering, you can type nbtstat -RR to release and refresh registration of the local NetBIOS names of the client with WINS.

    For cases where the Status column indicates a conflict for the name, try either of the following to resolve the conflicted name state at the client computer:

    • For WINS clients running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or the Windows Server 2003 family, you can selectively disconnect and reconnect the network connection in the Network Connections folder to force release and refresh of all client NetBIOS names in WINS.

      For more information, see Related Topics.

    • For earlier versions of Windows, shut down and restart the system to achieve similar results.

  3. After the release/refresh process is completed, repeat nbtstat -n to verify that all local names have a status of Registered in WINS.

Notes

  • For name conflicts, you may only need to perform step 2 if the name in conflict is critically necessary for the WINS client to maintain visibility or locate other computers on the network. Names that fit this description might include the [00h] and [20h] type names, if they match the client NetBIOS computer name. The need to resolve a name conflict for other types of names might be less critical to support needs.

  • The nbtstat command can also be used to perform other useful procedures related to WINS client support. For more information, see Related Topics.

  • When you type nbtstat -n at a command prompt and the local NetBIOS name table is displayed, the status column should indicate that each name is registered, such as shown in the sample command output below:

Node IpAddress: [10.0.0.1] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table
Name                Type         Status
-----------------------------------------------------
MY_PC           <20>  UNIQUE      Registered
MY_PC           <00>  UNIQUE      Registered
WORKGROUP       <00>  GROUP       Registered
MY_PC           <03>  UNIQUE      Registered
ADMINISTRATOR   <03>  UNIQUE      Registered
WORKGROUP       <1E>  GROUP       Registered
WORKGROUP       <1D>  UNIQUE      Registered
..__MYBROWSE__. <01>  GROUP       Registered

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Connect to a remote network
Disconnect from a remote network
Command-line utilities
WINS Resolution