How does WINS work?

John Savill

August 8, 2000

1 Min Read
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A. Once your machine is configured to point at a WINS server (and maybe a second backup WINS server);

  1. Upon startup, registers your NetBIOS name with WINS. This dynamic update means that you will ALWAYS get the name/IP mapping that is current.
    If there is already a machine out there with the same name, a request is sent to it by WINS. If it doesn't respond, you get the OK. If it is out there and alive, you get a negative name acknowledgment.

  2. Need to talk with machine XXX? Send a NetBIOS name query to the WINS server. (no broadcasts! no LMHOSTS!)

  3. If WINS finds a match, it will respond with the correct TCP/IP address of the target machine.

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