Benefits of Using WINS

WINS servers offer the following benefits for your internetwork:

• Dynamic database maintenance to support computer name registration and name resolution. Although WINS provides dynamic name services, it offers a NetBIOS namespace, making it much more flexible than the Domain Name System (DNS) for name resolution.
• Centralized management of the computer name database and the database replication policies, alleviating the need for managing LMHOSTS files.
• Dramatic reduction of IP broadcast traffic in Microsoft internetworks, while allowing client computers to easily locate remote systems across local or wide area networks.
• The ability for clients on a Windows NT Server network (including Windows NT, Windows for Workgroups, and LAN Manager 2.x) to browse domains on the far side of a router without a local domain controller being present on the other side of the router.
• A scalable design, making it a good choice for name resolution for medium to very large internetworks.

Note WINS client software is part of the Microsoft TCP/IP-32 for Windows for Workgroups and the Microsoft Network Client 2.0 software that is included on the Windows NT Server compact disc. For information about installing these clients, see the Windows NT Server Installation Guide.