Windows 2000 Administration in a Nutshell

Name

WINS

Synopsis

Stands for Windows Internet Name Service and is used to support NetBIOS name resolution for downlevel Windows clients.

Description

In a mixed-mode network where you still have some Windows NT servers or workstations, you may need to implement WINS on one or more Windows 2000 servers in your network. WINS enables downlevel (pre-Windows 2000) Windows computers to resolve NetBIOS names into IP addresses without the need of using broadcasts.

Tip

Some legacy/downlevel applications may rely on NETBIOS and would still require WINS even if legacy or downlevel systems no longer exist on the network.

For information on how to configure WINS servers, see WINS .

How WINS Works

WINS centralizes the registration of computer and domain NetBIOS names into a central WINS database on one or more WINS servers on your network. When NetBIOS computers start up, they register their name and IP address with the WINS servers. NetBIOS clients can then contact the WINS servers to resolve the registered computer’s NetBIOS name into its IP address to establish network communications with it.

WINS Requirements

To implement WINS on your network, you need to meet the following requirements:

WINS server requirements

A Windows 2000 Server computer with a static IP address and with the Windows Internet Name Service installed. A single WINS server can support up to about 5,000 WINS clients. Networks that require WINS should have at least two WINS servers for fault tolerance in case one becomes unavailable. ...