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Windows Internet Name Service

In Windows XP Professional, the primary means for client computers to locate

and communicate with other computers on a TCP/IP network is by using DNS.

However, clients using previous versions of Windows, such as computers

running Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, also use

NetBIOS names for network communication. As a result, these clients require a

method of resolving NetBIOS names to IP addresses.

WINS provides a distributed database for registering dynamie mappings of

NetBIOS names that are used on a network. WINS maps NetBIOS names to IP

addresses and enables NetBIOS names to be used across routers. A WINS server is not required for a network madę up completely of

computers running Windows XP Professional, but if there are applications or

servers using NetBIOS names, WINS is required for name resolution.