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What will happen if...? (WINS Server)

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4 replies

by wrw

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What will happen to client PC's, my job, if I delete a WINS server based on a NIC that is connected to DSL/ISP?

I'm running MS Small business server v4.5 with NT v4.0. I'm running DHCP, WINS, Proxy. I have two NIC's installed. One is for the internal network. It is configured in WINS as a server. The second NIC is configured for the Internet service which is accessed through proxy server. I found that it is a WINS server. If I delete the Internet connected WINS server, will WINS operate correctly on the NIC used internally?

TIA,
Bill

4 replies

by joseph moore

WINS is not "recommended" to run on a multihomed computer (a computer with 2 or more NICs installed). WINS answers name requests on both network cards. That is how it works.
"Microsoft does not recommend that the WINS service run on a computer withtwo or more network cards (multihomed) on disjoint networks."
Please read Technet article Q247194 about this:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q247194
(please remove any spaces)

My only thought is you can try and block TCP ports 137-139 from inbound connections into the Internet NIC on your server. I am not totally certain if these are the ports that WINS listens on, but they might be.
Basically, disable the server from listening on the ports that WINS useson that adapter. Then, if someone outside your office tries to use your server as a WINS server, the inbound name request would fail.
If you have a firewall, that would take care of it.

by shmaltz

As answer one pointed out it is not recommended by Microsoft. However in your case that it is running fine, just deleting it might and might not make problems. In theory it shouldn't make any problems, since you are just telling Windows to stop binging to the other NIC. However considiring the fact that Windows will have to reconfigure it's Networing stacks you might run into problems since it's a multihomed computer. My suggestion, Since you are running Proxy, and works fine, I don't see any need to change the configuration on this server.

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