WINS Overview

Recall that NetBIOS names are used to identify computers on Microsoft networks and that you may configure TCP/IP on a network interface with the IP address of WINS servers (up to 12) to reduce NetBIOS broadcasts on the network. By default, Windows computers attempt to contact a WINS server before broadcasting a NetBIOS name resolution request on the network; this is known as the h-node type of NetBIOS name resolution. NOTE: If your clients use DHCP, you may use the 044 option to configure a list of WINS servers and the 046 option to configure the node type. As well, each WINS client registers its NetBIOS name with its WINS server at each boot time. WINS records are valid for 6 days by default, but WINS clients attempt to renew their information with a WINS server at 50% of this time (3 days by default). .

Configuring WINS
WINS servers are relatively easy to configure since you do not need to create NetBIOS records (the clients automatically register their NetBIOS information). To configure a WINS server, you may perform the following steps: Step 1: Install WINS Service (your computer must have a static IP) using the Add/Remove Windows Components tab of Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Make the WINS server a client of itself (in the properties of the network interface) Create static WINS entries for non-Windows computers (i.e. UNIX) on the network (OPTIONAL) using the WINS utility (Start Programs Administrative Tools WINS). To do this, simply right-click the Active Registrations folder and choose New Static Mapping and enter the appropriate NetBIOS name and IP address.

Step 2: Step 3:

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Step 4:

Configure replication between WINS servers such that they share their NetBIOS name entries for name resolution (OPTIONAL). Simply right-click the Replication Partners folder in the WINS utility, select New Replication Partner and specify the IP address of another WINS server on the network.

NOTE: WINS Servers detect each other by default due to Automatic Partner Discovery, which multicasts WINS information on the 224.0.1.24 address By default, replication occurs in both directions between WINS servers (called Push/Pull replication), however you may configure your WINS server to pull changes from the other WINS server at a certain time (midnight by default) or push changes in your WINS database to other WINS servers when a certain number of changes have been made (by default, each change is replicated immediately).

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You may then configure replication parameters by viewing the properties of replication Partner objects in the Replication Partner folder and selecting the Advanced tab:

Step 5:

Ensure that all clients are configured with the IP address of a WINS server (in the properties of the network interface) either statically or via DHCP option 044.

NOTE: Recall that you may use the nbtstat RR command on clients to refresh their information on the WINS server.

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Configuring a WINS Proxy Agent

If you have non-Windows clients on your network that use NetBIOS names to locate resources on the network (i.e. Macintosh clients), those clients will not be able to use WINS servers for name resolution and will hence broadcast NetBIOS name queries on the network. To reduce these broadcasts, you may enable the WINS Proxy Agent on a Windows computer that is close to these non-Windows clients. A WINS Proxy Agent will interpret the NetBIOS broadcast and forward the request to a WINS server on behalf of the non-Windows client. Over time, this will reduce the amount of NetBIOS broadcasts on the network. To enable the WINS Proxy agent on a Windows 2008 computer, simply edit the registry using the regedit program and set the value of EnableProxy to 1 in the subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Para meters.

Troubleshooting WINS
The WINS database is stored in the %windir%\system32\wins\wins.mdb file. Because entries in the WINS database may change over time, you may compact the WINS database to improve WINS performance. To do this, simply stop the WINS service and run the following commands at a command prompt: cd %windir%\system32\wins jetpack wins.mdb tmpfile You may also back up the WINS database to an alternate location using the General tab of your WINS server properties in the WINS utility. If your WINS database becomes corrupted, you may copy this backup copy of the database to the %windir%\system32\wins directory and rename it wins.mdb. NOTE: The WINS service logs information to the Event Viewer NOTE: Often, stopping and starting the WINS service will fix WINS problems.

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NOTE: The System Monitor also has counters specific to the WINS service that may be used to identify WINS problems.

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