I know from experience that enabling netbios over tcp in WINS tab on peer to
peer (workgroup) can start the networked machines talking to each other
again. But I also have seen workgroups that have netbios turned off and the
network still functions for sharing files. I'm curious to know how the
network could work with this function off?

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 03:39:02 -0800, dfx <dfx@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I know from experience that enabling netbios over tcp in WINS tab on peer to
>peer (workgroup) can start the networked machines talking to each other
>again. But I also have seen workgroups that have netbios turned off and the
>network still functions for sharing files. I'm curious to know how the
>network could work with this function off?

Is the setting "Off", or "Default"? In a large network, with an actual DHCP
server (not a NAT router acting as a DHCP server), the DHCP server will include
the setting to turn NetBIOS Over TCP/IP on or off.

And yes, you can have networking using Native SMB (Server Message Blocks), as
opposed to SMB over TCP/IP, if you only use DNS for name resolution. This is a
possibility in large office networks, but generally not used in small networks
without a dedicated DNS server.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315267

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 03:39:02 -0800, dfx <dfx@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I know from experience that enabling netbios over tcp in WINS tab on peer to
>peer (workgroup) can start the networked machines talking to each other
>again. But I also have seen workgroups that have netbios turned off and the
>network still functions for sharing files. I'm curious to know how the
>network could work with this function off?

Is the setting "Off", or "Default"? In a large network, with an actual DHCP
server (not a NAT router acting as a DHCP server), the DHCP server will include
the setting to turn NBT (NetBIOS Over TCP) on or off.

You can have networking using Direct-Hosted SMB (Server Message Blocks), as
opposed to SMB over NBT, if you only use DNS for name resolution. This is a
possibility in large office networks, but generally not used in small networks
without a dedicated DNS server.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315267

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.