DOCUMENT:Q194203  10-AUG-2001  [crossnet]
TITLE   :ASCII and Hex Representation of NetBIOS Names
PRODUCT :Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT Networking Issues
PROD/VER:Windows:95,98;WinNT:4.0
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
 - Microsoft Windows 98 
 - Microsoft Windows 95 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

NetBIOS names are 16 bytes long, but they are mapped to a 32-byte wide string of
alphabet (A,B...O,P) using a reversible, half-ASCII, biased encoding.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The algorithm used to encode NetBIOS names is as follows:

Each half-octet of the NetBIOS name is encoded into 1 byte of the 32-byte field.
The first half-octet is encoded into the first byte, the second half- octet into
the second byte, and so on. Each 4-bit, half-octet of the NetBIOS name is
treated as an 8-bit, right-adjusted, zero-filled binary number. This number is
added to the value of the ASCII character 'A' (hexadecimal 41). The resulting
8-bit number is stored in the appropriate byte.

This encoding results in a NetBIOS name being represented as a sequence of 32
ASCII, upper-case characters from the set {A,B,C...N,O,P}. The NetBIOS scope
identifier is a valid domain name (without a leading dot).

An ASCII dot (2E hexadecimal) and the scope identifier are appended to the
encoded form of the NetBIOS name, the result forming a valid domain name.

For example, the NetBIOS name "THE NETBIOS NAME" in the NetBIOS scope
"SCOPE.ID.COM" would be represented at level one by the ASCII character string:

   FEEIEFCAEOEFFEECEJEPFDCAEOEBENEF.SCOPE.ID.COM

The following is a list of characters and their corresponding encoded ASCII and
hex values:

   Character   ASCII Code    Hex Code
   ----------------------------------

   A            EB            45 42
   B            EC            45 43
   C            ED            45 44
   D            EE            45 45
   E            EF            45 46
   F            EG            45 47
   G            EH            45 48
   H            EI            45 49
   I            EJ            45 4A
   J            EK            45 4B
   K            EL            45 4C
   L            EM            45 4D
   M            EN            45 4E
   N            EO            45 4F
   O            EP            45 50
   P            FA            46 41
   Q            FB            46 42
   R            FC            46 43
   S            FD            46 44
   T            FE            46 45
   U            FF            46 46
   V            FG            46 47
   W            FH            46 48
   X            FI            46 49
   Y            FJ            46 4A
   Z            FK            46 4B

   0            DA            44 41
   1            DB            44 42
   2            DC            44 43
   3            DD            44 44
   4            DE            44 45
   5            DF            44 46
   6            DG            44 47
   7            DH            44 48
   8            DI            44 49
   9            DJ            44 4A

   <space>      CA            43 41
   !            CB            43 42
   "            CC            43 43
   #            CD            43 44
   $            CE            43 45
   %            CF            43 46
   &            CG            43 47
   '            CH            43 48
   (            CI            43 49
   )            CJ            43 4A
   *            CK            43 4B
   +            CL            43 4C
   ,(comma)     CM            43 4D
   -(hyphen)    CN            43 4E
   .(period)    CO            43 4F
   =            DN            44 4E
   :(colon)     DK            44 4B
   ;(semicolon) DL            44 4C
   @            EA            45 41
   ^            FO            46 4F
   _(underscore)FP            46 50
   {            HL            48 4C
   }            HN            48 4E
   ~            HO            48 4F

NOTE: The above mapping list can be useful while reading network traces because
information is sent on the wire in the above encoded format.

REFERENCES
==========

For more information, see RFC 1001.

Additional query words: kbDSupport NetBIOS Name Character Encoded Hex ASCII

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWin95search kbWin98search kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin98
Version           : Windows:95,98;WinNT:4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.  MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS
ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  IN NO
EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF
MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.