MS provides many options for NetBIOS name resolution such as local cache lookup, WINS server query, broadcast, DNS server query, and LMHOSTS and HOSTS lookup. Microsoft TCP/IP uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) to support the NetBIOS client and server programs in the LAN and WAN environments. In the most cases, NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses in workgroup network and WINS resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses in domain network.

NetBIOS names must be between 1 and 15 characters long (the names are up to 16 characters, but the last character is reserved as a special characters). For that reason, you should not give a computer name longer than 15 characters.

Symptoms: Event viewer may show Event ID 4320, Event ID: 4319. You may get system error 52 and a duplicate name has been detected on the TCP network.

Resolutions:
1. If two computers on the Network with the same name, use the nbtstat -n command to find out these two computers, for example, using nbtstat -n to check the name and ip of the local computer, and then using nbtstat -a command with the IP address to get the another computer name.
2. If identical username is logging on to multiple computers, the usernames will register with a <03h>, and that may cause the name conflict in the network. Ask the user to log off of all computers and log back on to just one computer.
3. This may be occurred because of inactive or duplicate names in the WINS Database. Go to the WINS server, check the database and delete the inactive or duplicated names.
4. This my be occurred because of a possibly corrupted DHCP database. To clear DHCP related entries or clean out old settings in the registry, delete any .mib files, and then reinstall DHCP.
5. This may be occurred because of conflicting NICs in a Multihomed Computer. To fix this problem, you may want to stop Computer Browser service or uncheck one of Client for MS Network.
6. This may be ocurred because IPCONFIG /ALL returns incorrect host name. To change computer name in the TCP/IP parameters section, run regedit.exe, and locate the HOSTNAME value in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip \Parameters, and then edit the string data.

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Failed to access NetBT driver -- NetBT may not be loaded

causes: 1. No rights to run NBTSTAT.
2. Missing NetBT parameters in registry.
3. NetBIOS is not enabled.

A: NetBEUI is not included on XP by default. To install NetBEUI, 1) Copy Nbf.sys to the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\Drivers
directory from Windows XP CD - Valueadd\MSFT\Net\NetBEUI folder. 2) Copy Netnbf.inf to the %SYSTEMROOT%\Inf hidden
directory. 3) Go to Control Panel>Network Connections, right-click the adapter you want to add NetBEUI to, and then click Properties>General>Install>Protocol>Add>NetBEUI Protocol.

If your have non-WINS machines on a subnet and want to them to be visible browsing participants, you may have two options to setup WINS for non-WINS machines. 1) Enable WINS Agent. To setup a machine as proxy agent in NT 4, run regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters. Double-click on the EnableProxy and set vale to 1. 2) add static entries on WINS Manager. To do this, run WINS Manager>Mappings>Static Mappings and add information.

To check if the computer has registered a 00, a 03, and a 20 entry, and these correspond to the Workstation service, the Messenger service, and the Server service, respectively, use nbtstat -n. That will list local NetBIOS names. To list remote computer name table, use nbtstat -a computer name or nbtstat -A IP.

To disable wins proxy, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters, change the value to 0.

   Value Name: EnableProxy
   Value Type: REG_DWORD
   Values: Boolean (0 or 1)
   Default: 0

1. For W2K/XP, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters to make change:
Name: DhcpNodeType
Value Type: REG_DWORD - Number
Valid Range: 1,2,4,8 (b-node, p-node, m-node, h-node)
Default: 1 or 8 based on the WINS server configuration

If this key is present, it will override the DhcpNodeType key. If neither key is present, the system defaults to b-node if there are no WINS servers configured for the client. The system defaults to h-node if there is at least one WINS server configured.

2. Windows 95, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
Name: NodeType
Value type: DWORD
Valid range: 1, 2, 4, or 8
Default: 1 (b-node) if no value is specified or no WINS servers are configured on the network; 8 (h-node) if WINS servers are specified and NodeType is not otherwise defined in the Registry.

If DNS is enabled (which also enabled LMHOSTS in Windows 95), name resolution will also follow the mode defined by this parameter. This value can also be configured using DHCP.

If you can ping a remote computer IP but not the name, and you have WINS or enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, this may be an outdated NetBIOS name resolution in the local NetBIOS name cache. You may want to run NBTSTAT -r to reset the cache and force the computer to retrieve remote computer name.

Some w2k/xp computer have a difficulty to connect to a laptop and your company has standardized on DNS for name resolution (no WINS and NetBIOS enabled). you also find that you can ping the laptop ip but not name. You may want to run ipconfig /registerdns to renew the ip configuration and register the laptop's DNS name with the DNS.

Before the XP, the name resolution generally occurs in the following order: 1. NetBIOS remote name cache; 2. WINS server; 3. Broadcast; 4. LMHOSTS file; 5. HOSTS; 6. DNS.

Can ping ip and computer name but can't see it on My Network Places

Symptoms: if you can ping ip and computer name but can't see it on My Network Places even you have correct DNS and WINS settings. Or you have enabled NetBIOS over TCP/IP in a peer to peer workgroup network. Or when you may get NetBIOS name resolution failure message.

Resolutions: 1. If you have the ICF running, disable it. 2. Install netbeui or IPX protocol.

If nbtstat -n doesn't show <20> that is server services, make sure 1) the computer starts server service automatically; 2) you have installed File and Printer Sharing; 3) Enable NetBIOS.

NetBIOS and WINS name resolution is required only on mixed-mode (Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000 and XP) networks to provide backward-compatibility older versions of Windows. If you have a domain mixed-mode network with DHCP and DNS, you are better to create WINS in your system. In workgroup mixed-mode network, most people enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP to resolve NetBIOS name to equivalent to IP addresses. Alternatively, you can install NetBEUI protocol in the clients.

After installing/removing a software such as AOL and MS update, the Node Type is modifies. As the result, you may have a connectivity issue. Refer to case 091304XP

Point-to-Point node type relies on WINS servers for NetBIOS name resolution. If the WINS server is unavailable, or if a node isn’t configured to contact a WINS server, the computer will not be able to ping other computer by name.

In a mixed OS (win9x, NT, ME, W2K and XP) workgroup network, you may need to enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on w2k/xp. However, you may be in a situation that enabling netbios over tcp/ip doesn't work, but loading netbeui solve the name resolution problem. There are many reasons for this. One of the popular reasons is some software like firewall and NAT disable or block the TCP/IP. One of solutions is loading NetBEUI on w2k/xp. Note: loading netbeui may be slower the network and netbeui is not routable.

If you can't browse Network Neighborhood/My Network Places, but you can connect to file and print shares by using UNC to map the networking resources, you have a name resolution issue. Your may need to setup WINS server or enable NetBIOS over tcp/ip,

Name Resolutions Summary

Symptoms: Event viewer may show Event ID 4320, Event ID: 4319. You may get system error 52 and a duplicate name has been detected on the TCP network.

Failed to access NetBT driver -- NetBT may not be loaded

Can ping ip and computer name but can't see it on My Network Places

Symptoms: if you can ping ip and computer name but can't see it on My Network Places even you have correct DNS and WINS settings. Or you have enabled NetBIOS over TCP/IP in a peer to peer workgroup network. Or when you may get NetBIOS name resolution failure message.

Resolutions: 1. If you have the ICF running, disable it. 2. Install netbeui or IPX protocol.