NetBT Supports One IP Address per NIC (131641)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups
- Microsoft TCP/IP-32
This article was previously published under Q131641
By design, NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) supports only one IP address per
network card adapter (NIC).
It is possible to configure TCP/IP to have multiple IP addresses on a
single NIC, but NetBT will only support the first address configured.
This limitation is most apparent in an environment using Windows Internet
Name Service (WINS). A computer configured with several IP Addresses on a
single NIC will register its NetBIOS name with the WINS server as unique
and list only one IP Address. Therefore, if a client queries that NetBIOS
name it receives only one address in response to the query.
If you must have a computer that registers multiple IP Addresses, you need
to use multiple NICs. Each NIC should have its own unique IP Address
so the computer can register with WINS as multihomed. The NetBIOS name
will then reference each of the IP Addresses, and when that NetBIOS name
is queried by a client, the WINS server will return all of the registered
addresses in response to the query.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 5/7/2003 |
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| Keywords: | kbNetBIOS kbnetwork KB131641 |
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