NetBIOS

An applications programming interface (API) which activates network operations on IBM PC compatibles running under Microsoft's DOS. It is a set of network commands that the application program issues in order to transmit and receive data to another host on the network. The commands are interpreted by a network control program or network operating system that is NetBIOS compatible. See NetBOLLIX.

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NetBIOS

The original networking protocol for DOS and Windows PCs. NetBIOS packets did not contain a network address and were not easily routable between networks. As a result, the interface to NetBIOS and the transport part of NetBIOS were later separated so that NetBIOS applications could use routable protocols such as TCP/IP and SPX/IPX. The programming interface (API) retained the NetBIOS name, while the transport protocol was renamed NetBEUI (pronounced "net-boo-ee").

Name Resolution
Today, NetBIOS is used to support legacy NetBIOS applications but is also widely used for NetBIOS name resolution. Since NetBIOS was the first major standard for PC networks, computers were named according to the NetBIOS format, which identifies a machine by a unique 15-character name. NetBIOS machines periodically broadcast their names over the network so that Network Neighborhood or My Network Places can catalog them.

Datagram and Session Modes
NetBIOS is generally defined as a session layer protocol in the protocol stack, supporting two modes: a fast Datagram mode that does not guarantee delivery and a Session mode that establishes a connection and guarantees delivery. See NetBIOS over TCP/IP, WINS and LMHOSTS file.

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References in periodicals archive

Discovered Open Ports Transmission Ports Protocol Purpose 80 TCP Web traffic 135, 137, TCP/UDP NETBIOS (Network Basic 139 Input/Output) protocol.

Risk assessment of a power plant: evaluating the security of a supervisory control and data acquisition system

Furthermore, NetBIOS provides Name Support to the application programs as well, so that a network node can be addressed--individually by a 16-byte unique name or as a group by a 16-byte group name.

Client-server computing: time shared computing

Says Lim, "We reiterated to users that we do not condone NetBIOS usage, and we have enforced a policy to control it."

Bandwidth control answers SOS: a close examination of poor performance results in a cure. (Testing and Diagnostics)

LANguard Network Scanner intelligently scans a network for weak points and supplies complete NETBIOS information for each machine, including a list of shares.

LANguard Network Scanner upgraded. (Network Products)

There are only so many ways to recon a network: a port scan, a NetBIOS probe, et cetera.

Counterespionage for networks: now network managers can use hackers' own reconnaissance activities against them. (The Bottom Line)

It is a compact yet extremely fast and complete emulator for DOS and OS/2 that runs on SPX Novell-compatible networks as well as on networks compatible with IBM'S NETBIOS. Work on NET3270 began in 1988, and the product was put into full production on campus in 1989.

Network-to-mainframe connectivity

(NTS, Sunnyvale, Calif.), consolidates DHCP, Dynamic DNS, and WINS/NBNS (NetBIOS Name Service) services in a single, scalable, remotely manageable network device.

Fast, automated IP address changes