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Topic starter 16/08/2025 8:04 pm
Let’s dive into nbtstat, a powerful but often overlooked Windows command-line tool used for diagnosing NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
🧠 What Is nbtstat?
nbtstat stands for NetBIOS over TCP/IP Statistics. It’s a diagnostic tool that helps troubleshoot NetBIOS name resolution issues on Windows networks.
NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) is an older networking protocol used for communication between computers on a local network. Even though modern networks rely more on DNS, NetBIOS is still used in many Windows environments—especially for file and printer sharing.
🧪 What Does It Do?
nbtstat displays:
- NetBIOS name tables for local or remote computers
- NetBIOS sessions currently active
- Cache of NetBIOS names
- Statistics about NetBIOS over TCP/IP
📋 Syntax Overview
nbtstat [options]
Here are some common options:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
nbtstat -n |
Shows NetBIOS names registered on the local machine |
nbtstat -c |
Displays the NetBIOS name cache (names resolved recently) |
nbtstat -R |
Purges the name cache and reloads entries from the LMHosts file |
nbtstat -r |
Shows name resolution statistics and usage of broadcast vs. LMHosts |
nbtstat -S |
Lists current NetBIOS sessions (who you’re connected to) |
nbtstat -s |
Same as -S but resolves names instead of showing IP addresses |
nbtstat -A <IP> |
Displays the remote machine’s name table using its IP address |
nbtstat -a <Name> |
Displays the remote machine’s name table using its NetBIOS name |
🛠️ Example Use Cases
- Troubleshooting name resolution when a computer can’t be found on the network
- Checking active connections between computers
- Verifying NetBIOS name registration
- Clearing and refreshing name cache to fix stale entries
⚠️ Things to Know
- It’s mostly useful in older or mixed Windows environments.
- Modern networks rely more on DNS, but NetBIOS is still used for local file sharing.
- If you’re using IPv6 or newer protocols,
nbtstatmay not be relevant.
