Networking between XP and 2K requires Netbeui?

DeadSeaSquirrels

Senior member
Jul 30, 2001
515
0
0
Is it required to use the Netbeui protocol to share between an XP machine and a 2k machine?

I could swear to god that my girlfriend's laptop (running XP) was working on the network just fine, and then all of a sudden it stopped working. I have no idea why. Now i am going to see if I can install Netbeui on her computer and I installed it on mine as well.

I can't imagine that that is the case, especially if microsoft doesn't even provide you with that protocol for XP normally. HOw do they expect people to file share with XP?
 

Yo2

Golden Member
Jun 12, 2001
1,456
0
0
The brief answer is NO. You may need to enable Netbios "over TCP/IP" under TCP/IP to make the machines visible, but other than TCP/IP you do not need any other protocols betweeen 2K and XP unless you want to rake havoc....

Yo
 

Spoooon

Lifer
Mar 3, 2000
11,563
203
106
I was not able to get my Win2k and XP Pro machines to see each other until after I installed NetBeui. I enabled NetBIOS over TCP/IP and all that other good stuff to no avail. Once I installed NetBeui, the two computers were able to see each other on the network.
 

gunrunnerjohn

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2002
1,360
0
0
Originally posted by: Isezumi00
please dont install NetBEUI...youll think it helps but it really only hurts.
Please explain why you think this is true. No wives' tales, but actual technical facts.
 

gunrunnerjohn

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2002
1,360
0
0
Originally posted by: DeadSeaSquirrels
Is it required to use the Netbeui protocol to share between an XP machine and a 2k machine? I could swear to god that my girlfriend's laptop (running XP) was working on the network just fine, and then all of a sudden it stopped working. I have no idea why. Now i am going to see if I can install Netbeui on her computer and I installed it on mine as well. I can't imagine that that is the case, especially if microsoft doesn't even provide you with that protocol for XP normally. HOw do they expect people to file share with XP?
While you're supposed to be able to get workgroup LAN browsing running with just NETBIOS over TCP/IP, in practice it doesn't always work that way. If you tinker with the computer browser settings, you can usually get them talking, but installing NETBEUI is a whole lot easier, and solves the problem almost every time. The problem is due to the fragile nature of the Microsoft browser scheme, if you check your event logs you'll probably see a bunch of failed browser elections. :)

 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
29,553
430
126
NetBEUI Does Not do any harm to small Networks.

It makes Life Easier (especially for New to Network), and it offers few flexible settings that are not possible with TCP/IP only. E.g. separating LAN sharing from Internet traffic.

However ?Bad Mouthing? NetBEUI is one of the common ?Net clichés? used by ?Mucho Nets? to show off.
 

StraightPipe

Golden Member
Feb 5, 2003
1,676
0
71
jack, that first line must be a typo, but can be a little confusing.

I could really use your help on my gigabit networking post.

also, anyone who is pro netbeui, please explain why. I've read about it on EZlan.net and a few other places that reccomend it, but what is the reason? if you have a setup that works is it worth the hassle of changing it on all your computers? does it give performance gain?

(I'm not saying netbeui is bad, it that old saying:music: "if it's not broke dont fix it" :music:
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
install netbeui and save yourself a lot of headaches.

Yes it is a bad evil protocol for large networks for but a small net or workgroup it does exactly what it was designed to do.
 

StraightPipe

Golden Member
Feb 5, 2003
1,676
0
71
Originally posted by: spidey07
install netbeui and save yourself a lot of headaches.

Yes it is a bad evil protocol for large networks for but a small net or workgroup it does exactly what it was designed to do.

please explain...WHY?
 

stash

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2000
5,468
0
0
Netbeui is an extremely simple protocol. There isnt much to configure with Netbeui, since it relies on broadcasts to communicate with other computers. On a small network, the overhead from broadcast traffic is still much smaller than overhead created by TCP/IP.

So for very small, flat networks, netbeui can be a good choice. Now, I can tell you that the original poster had something misconfigured if file sharing over TCP/IP wasnt working, but worked when netbeui was installed.

Someone asked if there would be a benefit of installing netbeui if your setup is already working with TCP/IP. In short, no. Its usually best to limit things to one protocol if possible. But if you decided that you didnt need all the functionality that comes in the large TCP/IP suite, netbeui would certainly do the job in certain situations.
 

StraightPipe

Golden Member
Feb 5, 2003
1,676
0
71
thanks for the explanation, i really aprreciate it.


I've been having difficulties gettign my gigabit network to coexist with my 100mb. if you've got a clue, check it out here
 

gunrunnerjohn

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2002
1,360
0
0
The reason I tend to use NETBEUI is that the fragile computer browsing kludge that Microsoft dreamed up for their networking frequently gets confused and stops allowing reliable network browsing. Breaking it can be as simple as booting the machines in a different order! Since NETBEUI regularly broadcasts it's name, it plugs this gap in the browsing scheme.

The other reason I use it is that it works. :D
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
The reason I tend to use NETBEUI is that the fragile computer browsing kludge that Microsoft dreamed up for their networking frequently gets confused and stops allowing reliable network browsing. Breaking it can be as simple as booting the machines in a different order! Since NETBEUI regularly broadcasts it's name, it plugs this gap in the browsing scheme.

The other reason I use it is that it works. :D

ding, ding, ding!

Although using just IP is "supposed" to work just fine and many times does I've done countless packet traces of microsoft networking/browsing and seen the computer literally not do what it is supposed to do. Meaning even though it has received a browse list from the master browser it won't listen. Its just one of those things with microsoft networking that can get very finicky. WINs servers will take care of browser problems but they aren't really needed for a home LAN - hence why netbeui is kind of a "set it and forget it" protocol that works really well.
 

Isezumi00

Member
Oct 5, 2003
32
0
0
because its chatty as all hell, and the encapsulation method is weak and easy to spoof...which makes it especially troublesome when you take an un-routable protocol and surf it on top of a routable protocol (like TCP/IP).

Better ?
 

gunrunnerjohn

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2002
1,360
0
0
Originally posted by: Isezumi00
because its chatty as all hell, and the encapsulation method is weak and easy to spoof...which makes it especially troublesome when you take an un-routable protocol and surf it on top of a routable protocol (like TCP/IP). Better ?
With 8 machines and two print servers on, the NETBEUI broadcasts, were 25 messages in a minute on my network, big whoop!
rolleye.gif
Now, explain how the unroutable protocol escapes from the router in the first place. NETBEUI is not an issue in your local LAN unless it's large enough for the traffic to be an issue, and that's 100's of machines. Somehow, I think the 25 messages will get lost in the tens of thousands that a busy LAN could have in that same 60 seconds.

Care to try for a better reason?
 

DamageInc

Senior member
May 26, 2001
931
0
0
NetBEUI is a Godsend for me. At work, we have about 10 computers, a mix of 98 and XP Pro, and a Windows 2000 Advanced Server machine. We had a problem where the 98 computers could not access shares of two of the XP Pro computers. Whenever you would try to access the computer through network neighborhood, you'd get the error: "The Logon Server cannot be found." This was a huge headache, until I installed the NetBEUI protocol on everyone's machine. Now we all can see and access each others' computers.
 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
29,553
430
126
NetBEUI was developed by IBM for its LAN Manager product and has been adopted by Microsoft for its Windows NT, LAN Manager, and Windows for Workgroups products.

NetBEUI = NetBIOS Extended User Interface

Extended is Good it is like a Protocol on Viagra. :heart::light::D:beer::music:
 

Isezumi00

Member
Oct 5, 2003
32
0
0
Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Originally posted by: Isezumi00
because its chatty as all hell, and the encapsulation method is weak and easy to spoof...which makes it especially troublesome when you take an un-routable protocol and surf it on top of a routable protocol (like TCP/IP). Better ?
With 8 machines and two print servers on, the NETBEUI broadcasts, were 25 messages in a minute on my network, big whoop!
rolleye.gif
Now, explain how the unroutable protocol escapes from the router in the first place. NETBEUI is not an issue in your local LAN unless it's large enough for the traffic to be an issue, and that's 100's of machines. Somehow, I think the 25 messages will get lost in the tens of thousands that a busy LAN could have in that same 60 seconds.

Care to try for a better reason?

Sloppy ACL implementation coupled with poor comprehension of program port and protocol traffic.

Care to tell me why my opinion is subject to your approval??
 

gunrunnerjohn

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2002
1,360
0
0
Originally posted by: Isezumi00
Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Originally posted by: Isezumi00 because its chatty as all hell, and the encapsulation method is weak and easy to spoof...which makes it especially troublesome when you take an un-routable protocol and surf it on top of a routable protocol (like TCP/IP). Better ?
With 8 machines and two print servers on, the NETBEUI broadcasts, were 25 messages in a minute on my network, big whoop!
rolleye.gif
Now, explain how the unroutable protocol escapes from the router in the first place. NETBEUI is not an issue in your local LAN unless it's large enough for the traffic to be an issue, and that's 100's of machines. Somehow, I think the 25 messages will get lost in the tens of thousands that a busy LAN could have in that same 60 seconds. Care to try for a better reason?
Sloppy ACL implementation coupled with poor comprehension of program port and protocol traffic. Care to tell me why my opinion is subject to your approval??


I'm not "approving" your opinion, just posting a different opinion. If you don't like your proclamations to be questioned, don?t post them in a public forum.
rolleye.gif


It?s my opinion that your opinion doesn?t hold water in the environment we?re working. NETBEUI solves problems for a ton of people that are not solved by other means.

I?ll admit, for LANs with a local DNS and/or WINS server, NETBEUI is probably not necessary, since name resolution is properly handled if everything is setup properly. OTOH, for a workgroup LAN with neither a WINS or DNS server, NETBEUI frequently is the easiest and most efficient way to solve the computer browsing issue.

And that?s my opinion, you're free to disagree. :)
 

zodder

Diamond Member
Mar 20, 2000
9,543
1
0
www.jpcompservices.com
Originally posted by: DamageInc
NetBEUI is a Godsend for me. At work, we have about 10 computers, a mix of 98 and XP Pro, and a Windows 2000 Advanced Server machine. We had a problem where the 98 computers could not access shares of two of the XP Pro computers. Whenever you would try to access the computer through network neighborhood, you'd get the error: "The Logon Server cannot be found." This was a huge headache, until I installed the NetBEUI protocol on everyone's machine. Now we all can see and access each others' computers.
Exact same thing here, too. I have about 75 machines (mix of everything from 95 to XP) and without NETBEUI, I'd be screwed.