Our domain is all 2000 and XP workstations with 2000 adv server domain controllers and member servers. We run only TCP/IP with Netbios over IP enabled at the workstations and file and print sharing turned on as well. Only the servers share files, no shares on the workstations. Does Win2k still rely on NetBIOS heavily or is that mainly NT4 territory? I was reading on how to setup a Samba server and they heavily recommend setting up a WINS server, was wondering if its the same story with win2k. I am noticing a large number of NetBIOS broadcasts on the network...I am asumming WINS would cut those down. What other benefits would I gain from installing WINS? We just instaled SQL server and are bringing in exchange soon if that matters. Thanks in advance.
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Do we still need WINS?
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Unlike DNS, WINS resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses rather than host names to IP addresses. Both NetBIOS names and host names serve the same goal, which is to identify a device or entity within a namespace.
As Microsoft released information about Windows 2000, before and during its beta test period, the company proclaimed that the new operating system would allow you to trash your WINS environment and move to a 100-percent DNS environment.
Microsoft has realized that WINS is here to stay for a while. As a result, the WINS service is available in all versions of Windows 2000 server, many applications such as the Terminal Services Client won't work without it, and the DNS Server service depends on it. Don't believe the hype. NetBIOS is still a very important component in Windows 2000.
To completely understand the need for WINS, you need to learn about the evolution of NetBIOS.
As Microsoft released information about Windows 2000, before and during its beta test period, the company proclaimed that the new operating system would allow you to trash your WINS environment and move to a 100-percent DNS environment.
Microsoft has realized that WINS is here to stay for a while. As a result, the WINS service is available in all versions of Windows 2000 server, many applications such as the Terminal Services Client won't work without it, and the DNS Server service depends on it. Don't believe the hype. NetBIOS is still a very important component in Windows 2000.
To completely understand the need for WINS, you need to learn about the evolution of NetBIOS.
I would not use WINS, unless you have non-win2k machines. WINS is on its way out. This question is both a simple one and a complex one! To run a WINS-less network, you should have all the machines be Windows 2000 computers. Specifically, you should not have any downlevel Windows operating systems on the network. This is because the downlevel clients are dependent on NetBIOS for important domain related activities such as log on authentication and service location.
You must also be sure not to have any NetBIOS dependent services running on the machines on your network, whether the host operating systems are Windows 2000 or not. If you have machines that run programs and services that are dependent on NetBIOS name resolution, then your best bet is to keep a WINS Server on the network.
You could run without a WINS Server in these situations, because downlevel Windows operating systems are able to use DNS to resolve NetBIOS names. However, there are some difficulties associated with this:
The downlevel operating systems are not able to register themselves dynamically with DNS like the Windows 2000 computers are able.
Name resolution may become unacceptably slow. Remember the NetBIOS name resolution sequence:
NetBIOS Remote Name Cache
WINS
Broadcast
LMHOSTS
HOSTS
DNS
As you can see, DNS lookups are performed last, after other methods are employed. Also, in any reasonably sized network, using static files such as HOSTS or LMHOSTS becomes an administrative straitjacket.
You could solve the first problem by using DHCP to dynamically register the names of the downlevel clients in the DNS Server, and you could help with the second problem by making the downlevel systems b-node clients, so that they don't spend time looking for a WINS Server.
However, your best bet is to wait until you have all Windows 2000 computers on your network, and that you have also eliminated all NetBIOS dependent application on your network. At that point, you can decommission your WINS Server, and then disable the NetBIOS interface on all your network clients. When you do that, really good things happen, like the Browser Service no longer functions!
You must also be sure not to have any NetBIOS dependent services running on the machines on your network, whether the host operating systems are Windows 2000 or not. If you have machines that run programs and services that are dependent on NetBIOS name resolution, then your best bet is to keep a WINS Server on the network.
You could run without a WINS Server in these situations, because downlevel Windows operating systems are able to use DNS to resolve NetBIOS names. However, there are some difficulties associated with this:
The downlevel operating systems are not able to register themselves dynamically with DNS like the Windows 2000 computers are able.
Name resolution may become unacceptably slow. Remember the NetBIOS name resolution sequence:
NetBIOS Remote Name Cache
WINS
Broadcast
LMHOSTS
HOSTS
DNS
As you can see, DNS lookups are performed last, after other methods are employed. Also, in any reasonably sized network, using static files such as HOSTS or LMHOSTS becomes an administrative straitjacket.
You could solve the first problem by using DHCP to dynamically register the names of the downlevel clients in the DNS Server, and you could help with the second problem by making the downlevel systems b-node clients, so that they don't spend time looking for a WINS Server.
However, your best bet is to wait until you have all Windows 2000 computers on your network, and that you have also eliminated all NetBIOS dependent application on your network. At that point, you can decommission your WINS Server, and then disable the NetBIOS interface on all your network clients. When you do that, really good things happen, like the Browser Service no longer functions!
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"However, your best bet is to wait until you have all Windows 2000 computers on your network, and that you have also eliminated all NetBIOS dependent application on your network. At that point, you can decommission your WINS Server, and then disable the NetBIOS interface on all your network clients. When you do that, really good things happen, like the Browser Service no longer functions!"
This is the problem...we need that browsing service on because of our Anti-virus and backup softwares use netbios names to locate workstations. I found out the hard way that disabling netbios over tcp/ip and disabling file and print sharing also "disables" network neighborhood.
Seems to me that NetBIOS can function using broadcasts...bringing in a WINS server would probably speed name resolution and eliminate most of the broadcasts.
Another thing..I was reading up on this subject and I remember seeing that having Exchange clients requires netbios. Any comments...thanks again.
This is the problem...we need that browsing service on because of our Anti-virus and backup softwares use netbios names to locate workstations. I found out the hard way that disabling netbios over tcp/ip and disabling file and print sharing also "disables" network neighborhood.
Seems to me that NetBIOS can function using broadcasts...bringing in a WINS server would probably speed name resolution and eliminate most of the broadcasts.
Another thing..I was reading up on this subject and I remember seeing that having Exchange clients requires netbios. Any comments...thanks again.
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