How can I perform an Nslookup request against a WINS server?

A. The Nslookup tool is great for performing name resolution against DNS servers, but there's no simple WINS equivalent that's part of the OS. Microsoft has released NBLookup, which allows name resolution requests against a WINS server. You can download the tool at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;830578. The site also has detailed instructions for using the tool. Execute the file, accept the license agreement, and select a location to extract it to. Don't modify your "path" (which is a list of folders in which the OS will automatically look for files when you type a command) to include the NBLookup location or copy NBLookup to a directory already in the path of the OS (e.g., C:windows).

You can use NBLookup the same way you use Nslookup--by passing a hostname, as the following example shows:

nblookup thanosRecursion is onQuerying WINS Server: 192.168.1.10NetBIOS Name: thanosSuffix: 20Name returned: THANOSRecord type: UniqueIP Address: 192.168.1.57

More complex options are possible. For example, you can check WINS for domain controller (DC) records for a domain by using the /x switch and passing the "1c" record type, as in the following command and output:

nblookup /x 1c savilltechRecursion is onQuerying WINS Server: 192.168.1.10NetBIOS Name: savilltechSuffix: 1cName returned: SAVILLTECHRecord type: GroupIP Address: 192.168.1.10

As with Nslookup, if you execute NBLookup with no parameters, you're taken into the NBLookup shell, where you can execute a variety of commands.