NetBIOS

Sytek Inc developed NetBIOS in 1983 as an API (a specification proposed for using it as an interface to communicate by software parts) for software contact over IBM PC LAN networking technology. The Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS) was at first introduced by IBM (a company, which is running IT consultation and computer technology business to access LAN resources. Since its creation, NetBIOS has developed as a starting point for a lot of other networking applications including International Business Machines, for example: Sytek (API). This Basic Input/Output system serves as an interface specifications to access the networking services.

NetBIOS, as a specific software layer is developed to connect a network’s operating system with a specific hardware.LAN. NetBIOS improved form is allowed certain programs written with the NetBIOS crossing point to work on the token ring structural design, offered by IBM. NetBIOS provides to the network relevance “hooks” set to perform inter-application messaging and data transferring. In basic sense, NetBIOS can let applications to talk to networks. NetBIOS regulate the crossing point between network applications and LANs operating capabilities for the purpose to detach an application program from hardware reliance.

Computers within a NetBIOS LAN are known by a name because every computer that is active inside network has its own permanent name involuntary. These names are utilized in identifying the network resources. Application programs utilize them for starting and as well closing sessions Computer systems in such LAN environment made communication by starting a session but this task is also done with the use of NetBIOS datagram and even using broadcast methods. Sessions let a large message in data form to be sent over the network. These are also performed the duty of error detection and after that correcting them. Such communication is performed on one-to-one basis. But methods as datagram and broadcast let one system to message in a limited message size to many other computers over the NetBIOS network, simultaneously, and without starting any session. Another limitation of datagram and broadcast methods is that no error detection or correction is possible if going to use them.

Commonly used NetBIOS is supported Ethernet, TokenRing, in addition to IBM Networks. It also support: connection oriented communication as TCP and as well connectionless communication like UDP. It can uphold broadcasts and multicasting methods. Three services as: Naming, Datagram, and Session are supported by NetBIOS as well.

The NetBIOS suffix (NetBIOS End Character or endchar) can be NetBIOS name’s 16th character and the purpose of such character use is to specify the record or service type for the registered name record. The number of record types is limited to 255. However, in actual use the number of commonly used NetBIOS Suffixes can be substantially smaller. The most common NetBIOS Suffixes (in hexadecimal format) are mentioned below and these are at this time used by Microsoft WindowsNT.

  • <computername>00UWorkstation Service
  • <computername>06URAS Server Service
  • <computername>22UExchange Interchange

ASCII value of NetBIOS names 16th character can be described as:

  • 00:      Workstation Service
  • 20:      File Service/Host Record)

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