Microsoft KB Archive/102178

NetBEUI 3.0 Used in Windows NT is NBF

Article ID: Q102178

= SUMMARY =

NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) version 3.0 used in Microsoft Windows NT is not a true NetBEUI. Instead, it is a frame protocol known as NBF (NetBIOS Frame).

= MORE INFORMATION =

NBF can be considered to be a successor of NetBEUI. It retains compatibility with the existing LAN Manager and local area network Server implementations of NetBEUI. The continued support for NetBIOS is provided through an additional driver and dynamic data library (DLL).

NBF is both enhanced and optimized as compared to the earlier versions of NetBEUI. It conforms to transport driver interface (TDI) which is used by the server and redirector processes to communicate with transport protocol. Using NBF and TDI has the following advantages:


 * Unlimited Sessions - NBF with TDI eliminates the 254 session limit to a server on one network card. TDI does not have this limitation.
 * Better Performance - NBF is completely self tuning and provides much better performance over relatively slower links and smaller local area networks. Note also that NBF is still a nonroutable protocol not suitable for a wide area network (WAN). However, it is the fastest protocol of all protocols in Windows NT for a local area network segment.

Additional reference words: 1.00 1.10 biue buie

KBCategory: KBSubCategry: prot