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Topic starter 01/08/2025 9:45 pm
📡 Microsoft NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) is a legacy networking protocol and API that allows applications on different computers to communicate over a local area network (LAN). It was originally developed in the 1980s and has been used extensively in Windows environments for name resolution and file sharing.
🧠 What NetBIOS Does
- Name resolution: Maps computer names to IP addresses on a LAN
- Session management: Establishes and maintains communication sessions between devices
- Data transfer: Sends and receives messages (datagrams) between applications
🛠️ Key Components
| Component | Role in NetBIOS |
|---|---|
| NetBIOS Name Service | Resolves names to IP addresses |
| Datagram Service | Sends connectionless messages |
| Session Service | Manages reliable, point-to-point sessions |
🌐 NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NBT)
- Allows NetBIOS to run over modern TCP/IP networks
- Used when DNS isn’t available or in legacy setups
- Can be enabled or disabled in Windows network settings
⚠️ Security & Modern Usage
- Outdated: Rarely used in modern networks due to security risks like spoofing and broadcast storms
- Replaced by DNS and mDNS: Microsoft is phasing out NetBIOS in favor of more secure protocols
- Still enabled by default on some systems for compatibility
🧪 Real-World Example
In older Windows networks, a user might access a shared folder using a computer name like \\OFFICE-PC. NetBIOS would resolve that name to an IP address and establish a session for file sharing.
