Testing NetBIOS Name Resolution

You can test NetBIOS name resolution using NetBIOS-based utilities. One typical test of name resolution is using the net view command, which enables you to view the share point names on a server. (Remember that a share point is a directory where client computers can connect with another computer to view or exchange files.) To perform this test, choose a computer that has one or more share points. At a command prompt, type

net view \\computername

where computername is the name of the computer you selected. If net view is capable of resolving the computer name to an IP address, you should see the names of share points listed in the first command and response.

You can also use the ubiquitous Ping utility to test NetBIOS name resolution. On most Windows systems, if NetBIOS name resolution is working properly, you should be able to ping a computer by its NetBIOS computer name. For instance, if a computer has the computer name Shirley, you should be able to type

ping Shirley

and receive a response.