[OmniX]

I was just looking at the Directory Access application at /Applications/Utilities/Directory Access.app, which allows you to specify which network protocols should be active, and to configure certain options for each protocol.

Under SMB there are two options which allow you to set your WORKGROUP and specify a WINS server. I know what each of these are used for on a windows machine, but I'm wondering what does this information do for you (if you input it) on an OSX box?
WINS is used to lookup IP addresses from NetBIOS names, but AFAIK Finder networking doesn't support NetBIOS (only IP/DNS, as in smb://computer.company.com/share)---so what's the point of specifying a WINS server?

thanks for any ideas/info,
ox

[ginoledesma]

Umm... Mac OS X uses Samba, which in itself supports WINS (both as server and client). The same goes for Thursby's DAVE, if you have it installed. Specifying a value in the WINS Server field only helps if you have an actual WINS server that handles the registration and look-up/answer of NetBIOS names in a network. Starting with Windows 2000, WINS was actually pushed aside for DNS instead, though it still does retain support for the former.

I have a simple Windows/Mac setup at home -- just 1 computer running MS Windows XP and my Mac running Panther. I can just as easily connected to the PC using its Computer Name (NetBIOS name), whether usiing Samba or DAVE, both without the WINS setting. On our campus LAN, however, I switch to using a WINS server as it speeds up name resolution.

[OmniX]

i am on a large company network which has a WINS server. most machines are configured to use DNS, which is fine, but there are a few to which I need access which are not configured for DNS addressing and only NetBIOS.

ginoledesma--when you say you use a WINS server on campus for name resolution, do you mean entering NetBIOS names in the Connect To box in the Finder? (smb://netbios_name)
I was under the impression that Finder doesn't support NetBIOS. Even though I have specified our network WINS server in the Directory Access application, if i enter a NetBIOS name (as above) in the finder, I get an error that no such box can be found. I can however connect via IP address, but that leads me to wonder why DirAccess has you enter in a WINS server in the first place...

[ginoledesma]

Hi, OmniX

Yes. I am able to connect to any PC on the SMB network using their NetBIOS name. I simply go to "Connect To..." then type in smb://NetBIOS_NAME and that usually works for me. The only cases where this fails is when the WINS server fails to reply.

Mac OS X supports NetBIOS through Samba. Can you try and check if your Mac is able to communicate with your WINS server? The command-line tools that comes with your Mac can do that.

Consequently, there's an AppleScript program that can look-up NetBIOS names. Give it a try. My guess is that there may just be a time-out when looking up NetBIOS names to your WINS server.

[OmniX]

My mac can communicate with our wins server; indeed I can and have used nmblookup to retreive an IP address from a NetBIOS name.
I just don't see how you are able to do that automatically in the Finder.

I would note that that web page at MacOSXhints says:
"When pointing the Finder or Print Center at an SMB (Windows) file share or printer (see this hint), NetBIOS names don't seem to do the trick. Mac OS X wants DNS names or IP addresses."

--and that's why the fellow wrote an applescript to query nmblookup given a WINS server IP address.

[ginoledesma]

This is very odd... Hmm... I'm not sure if my having installed Thursby's DAVE before has anything to do with it, since I've already disabled it. I used DAVE quite extensively since 10.0.x, but ever since 10.3.3 came out, I've not used it anymore.