NetBEUI

NetBEUI

(NetBIOS Extended User Interface) Pronounced "net-boo-ee." The transport part of the original networking protocol for DOS and Windows PCs. NetBEUI is a non-routable protocol that was designed for a single LAN segment. It does not contain a network address for routing to different networks.

NetBEUI was originally named "NetBIOS," but because NetBIOS was not routable, the programming interface (API) to the protocol was later separated from the transport to allow NetBIOS applications to use routable protocols such as TCP/IP and SPX/IPX. See NetBIOS.

No More NetBEUI in XP!
Windows XP dropped formal support for NetBEUI. However, if required for legacy networks, the protocol is located in the \valueadd\msft\net\netbeui folder on the XP installation CD-ROM. To install it, copy the following two files and add the protocol (see Win Add protocol). If the destination \windows\inf folder on the hard disk is hidden, unhide it (see Win Unhide files and folders).

    Copy         To these hard disk folders 

    nbf.sys      c:\windows\system32\drivers
    netnbf.inf   c:\windows\inf (hidden folder)

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NetBEUI - NetBIOS Extended User Interface. The network transport protocol used by all of Microsoft's network systems and IBM's LAN Server based systems. NetBEUI is often confused with NetBIOS. NetBIOS is the applications programming interface and NetBEUI is the transport protocol.