Understanding NetBIOS

Whats is NetBIOS?

NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) was originally developed by IBM and Sytek as an Application Programming Interface (API) for client software to access LAN resources. Since its creation, NetBIOS has become the basis for many other networking applications. In its strictest sense, NetBIOS is an interface specification for acessing networking services.

NetBIOS, a layer of software developed to link a network operating system with specific hardware, was originally designed as THE network controller for IBM's Network LAN. NetBIOS has now been extended to allow programs written using the NetBIOS interface to operate on the IBM token ring architecture. NetBIOS has since been adopted as an industry standard and now, it is common to refer to NetBIOS-compatible LANs.

It offers network applications a set of "hooks" to carry out inter-application communication and data transfer. In a basic sense, NetBIOS allows applications to talk to the network. Its intention is to isolate application programs from any type of hardware dependancies. It also spares software developers the task of developing network error recovery and low level message addressing or routing. The use of the NetBIOS interface does alot of this work for them.

NetBIOS standardizes the interface between applications and a LANs operating capabilities. With this, it can be specified to which levels of the OSI model the application can write to, making the application transportable to other networks. In a NetBIOS LAN enviroment, computers are known on the system by a name. Each computer on the network has a permanent name that is programmed in various different ways. These names will be discussed in more detail below.

PC's on a NetBIOS LAN communicate either by establishing a session or by using NetBIOS datagram or broadcast methods. Sessions allow for a larger message to be sent and handle error detection and correction. The communication is on a one-to-one basis. Datagram and broadcast methods allow one computer to communicate with several other computers at the same time, but are limited in message size. There is no error detection or correction using these datagram or broadcast methods. However, datagram communication allows for communication without having to establish a session.

All communication in these enviroments are presented to NetBIOS in a format called Network Control Blocks (NCB). The allocation of these blocks in memory is dependant on the user program. These NCB's are divided into fields, these are reserved for input and output respectively.

NetBIOS is a very common protocol used in todays enviroments. NetBIOS is supported on Ethernet, TokenRing, and IBM PC Networks. In its original induction, it was defined as only an interface between the application and the network adapter. Since then, transport like functions have been added to NetBIOS, making it more functional over time.

In NetBIOS, connection (TCP) oriented and connectionless (UDP) communication are both supported. It supports both broadcasts and multicasting and supports three distinct services: Naming, Session, and Datagram.

NetBIOS Names

NetBIOS names are used to identify resources on a network. Applications use these names to start and end sessions. You can configure a single machine with multiple applications, each of which has a unique NetBIOS name. Each PC that supports an application also has a NetBIOS station name that is user defined or that NetBIOS derives by internal means.

NetBIOS can consist of up to 16 aplhanumeric characters. The combination of characters must be unique within the entire source routing network. Before a PC that uses NetBIOS can fully function on a network, that PC must register their NetBIOS name.

When a client becomes active, the client advertises their name. A client is considered to be registered when it can successfully advertise itself without any other client claiming it has the same name. The steps of the registration process is as follows:

1. Uppon boot up, the client broadcasts itself and its NetBIOS information anywhere from 6 to 10 to ensure every other client on the network receives the information.

2. If another client on the network already has the name, that NetBIOS client issues its own broadcast to indicate that the name is in use. The client who is trying to register the already in use name, stop all attempts to register that name.

3. If no other client on the network objects to the name registration, the client will finish the registration process.

There are two types of names in a NetBIOS enviroment: Unique and Group. A unique name must be unique across the network. A group name does not have to be unique and all processes that have a given group name belong to the group. Each NetBIOS node maintains a table of all names currently owned by that node.

The NetBIOS naming convention allows for 16 characters in a NetBIOS name. Microsoft, however, limits these names to 15 characters and uses the 16th character as a NetBIOS suffix. A NetBIOS suffix is used by Microsoft Networking software to indentify the functionality installed or the registered device or service.

[QuickNote: SMB and NBT (NetBIOS over TCP/IP work very closely together and both use ports 137, 138, 139. Port 137 is NetBIOS name UDP. Port 138 is NetBIOS datagram UDP. Port 139 is NetBIOS session TCP. For further information on NetBIOS, read the paper at the rhino9 website listed above]

The following is a table of NetBIOS suffixes currently used by Microsoft WindowsNT. These suffixes are displayed in hexadecimal format.

Name                   Number         Type           Usage

==========================================================================

[computername] 00             U              Workstation Service

[computername] 01             U              Messenger Service

[\\_MSBROWSE_] 01             G              Master Browser

[computername] 03             U              Messenger Service

[computername] 06             U              RAS Server Service

[computername] 1F             U              NetDDE Service

[computername] 20             U              File Server Service

[computername] 21             U              RAS Client Service

[computername] 22             U              Exchange Interchange

[computername] 23             U              Exchange Store

[computername] 24             U              Exchange Directory

[computername] 30             U              Modem Sharing Server Service

[computername] 31             U              Modem Sharing Client Service

[computername] 43             U              SMS Client Remote Control

[computername] 44             U              SMS Admin Remote Control Tool

[computername] 45             U              SMS Client Remote Chat

[computername] 46             U              SMS Client Remote Transfer

[computername] 4C             U              DEC Pathworks TCPIP Service

[computername] 52             U              DEC Pathworks TCPIP Service

[computername] 87             U              Exchange MTA

[computername] 6A             U              Exchange IMC

[computername] BE             U              Network Monitor Agent

[computername] BF             U              Network Monitor Apps

[username]             03             U              Messenger Service

[domain]               00             G              Domain Name

[domain]               1B             U              Domain Master Browser

[domain]               1C             G              Domain Controllers

[domain]               1D             U              Master Browser

[domain]               1E             G              Browser Service Elections

[Net~Services] 1C             G              Internet Information Server

[S~Computer_name]00            U              Internet Information Server

[computername] [2B]           U              Lotus Notes Server

IRISMULTICAST  [2F]           G              Lotus Notes

IRISNAMESERVER [33]           G              Lotus Notes

Forte_$ND800ZA [20]           U              DCA Irmalan Gateway Service

Unique (U): The name may have only one IP address assigned to it. On a network device, multiple occurences of a single name may appear to be registered, but the suffix will be unique, making the entire name unique.

Group (G): A normal group; the single name may exist with many IP addresses.

Multihomed (M): The name is unique, but due to multiple network interfaces on the same computer, this configuration is necessary to permit the registration. Maximum number of addresses is 25.

Internet Group (I): This is a special configuration of the group name used to manage WinNT domain names.

Domain Name (D): New in NT 4.0

For a quick and dirty look at a servers registered NetBIOS names and services, issue the following NBTSTAT command:

nbtstat -A [ipaddress]

NetBIOS Sessions

The NetBIOS session service provides a connection-oriented, reliable, full-duplex message service to a user process. NetBIOS requires one process to be the client and the other to be the server. NetBIOS session establishment requires a preordained cooperation between the two stations. One application must have issued a Listen command when another application issues a Call command. The Listen command references a name in its NetBIOS name table (or WINS server), and also the remote name an application must use to qualify as a session partner. If the receiver (listener) is not already listening, the Call will be unsuccessful. If the call is successful, each application receives notification of session establishment with the session-id. The Send and Receive commands the transfer data. At the end of a session, either application can issue a Hang-Up command. There is no real flow control for the session service because it is assumed a LAN is fast enough to carry the required traffic.

NetBIOS Datagrams

Datagrams can be sent to a specific name, sent to all members of a group, or broadcast to the entire LAN. As with other datagram services, the NetBIOS datagrams are connectionless and unreliable. The Send_Datagram command requires the caller to specify the name of the destination. If the destination is a group name, then every member of the group receives the datagram. The caller of the Receive_Datagram command must specify the local name for which it wants to receive datagrams. The Receive_Datagram command also returns the name of the sender, in addition to the actual datagram data. If NetBIOS receives a datagram, but there are no Receive_Datagram commands pending, then the datagram is discarded.

The Send_Broadcast_Datagram command sends the message to every NetBIOS system on the local network. When a broadcast datagram is received by a NetBIOS node, every process that has issued a Receive_Broadcast_Datagram command receives the datagram. If none of these commands are outstanding when the broadcast datagram is received, the datagram is discarded.

NetBIOS enables an application to establish a session with another device and lets the network redirector and transaction protocols pass a request to and from another machine. NetBIOS does not actually manipulate the data. The NetBIOS specification defines an interface to the network protocol used to reach those services, not the protocol itself. Historically, has been paired with a network protocol called NetBEUI (network extended user interface). The association of the interface and the protocol has sometimes caused confusion, but the two are different.

Network protocols always provide at least one method for locating and connecting to a particular service on a network. This is usually accomplished by converting a node or service name to a network address (name resolution). NetBIOS service names must be resolved to an IP address before connections can be established with TCP/IP. Most NetBIOS implementations for TCP/IP accomplish name address resolution by using either broadcast or LMHOSTS files. In a Microsoft enviroment, you would probably also use a NetBIOS Namer Server known as WINS.

NetBEUI Explained

NetBEUI is an enhanced version of the NetBIOS protocol used by network operating systems. It formalizes the transport frame that was never standardized in NetBIOS and adds additional functions. The transport layer driver frequently used by Microsofts LAN Manager. NetBEUI implements the OSI LLC2 protocol. NetBEUI is the original PC networking protocol and interface designed by IBM for the LanManger Server. This protocol was later adopted by Microsoft for their networking products. It specifies the way that higher level software sends and receives messages over the NetBIOS frame protocol. This protocol runs over the standard 802.2 data-link protocol layer.

NetBIOS Scopes

A NetBIOS Scope ID provides an extended naming service for the NetBIOS over TCP/IP (Known as NBT) module. The primary purpose of a NetBIOS scope ID is to isolate NetBIOS traffic on a single network to only those nodes with the same NetBIOS scope ID. The NetBIOS scope ID is a character string that is appended to the NetBIOS name. The NetBIOS scope ID on two hosts must match, or the two hosts will not be able to communicate. The NetBIOS Scope ID also allows computers to use the same computer namee as they have different scope IDs. The Scope ID becomes a part of the NetBIOS name, making the name unique.

Checklist for Effective Resume Writing

A resume is also known as CV or curriculum vitae. Resume is an influential and credible summary of an individual’s employment qualifications. There is no standard format for a resume. It gives an idea to the reader that how you can be an asset to their organization. A resume should be:

- Neat

- Have factual and relevant information

- Self describing

- Clearly indicate why you are best suited for this job

- Up to date

Resumes should be written not for yourself but for the reader. A good resume must be properly planned, drafted and finally revised. Regard your resume as work in progress and give it a polish every couple of months. You never know when you will be asked for it. Your resume needs to recap and capture the spirit of our competency/what’s best about you.

Resumes are of two types:

1. Chronological Resume- These resume gives a quick brief up of what the candidate has done in a timeline-beginning with the latest events and moving back in reverse chronology. It stresses upon the degrees, job headings and the dates. Such a resume demonstrates steady development/movement to the current time.
2. Skills Resume- These resume stresses upon the skills and competencies possessed and used by the candidate, rather than the job and the date in which those skills have been used. It is generally prepared when the candidate frequently changes his job or when his education and experience do not harmonize/match with the position for which the candidate is applying.

Do’s and Don’ts in your Resume

1. Shouldn’t be too long. It should not exceed two pages generally.
2. CV should be true and factual.
3. The first page should contain enough personal details for a recruitment consultant or potential employer to contact you easily.
4. Choose a format that highlights key skills, key competencies, key achievements or key attributes.
5. Your employment background should begin with your current job and work backwards.
6. List all relevant qualifications.
7. Do not include negative or irrelevant information.
8. Include details of training or skills development events attended.
9. Include personal details.
10. Use a very good quality paper.
11. Do not use a type size less than 11pt.
12. Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial should be used.
13. CV should be carefully typed. No spelling errors should be there.
14. Use bulleted paragraphs. This will save space and make the CV more effective.
15. Emphasize achievements that are recent, and are most relevant for the position for which the candidate is applying.
16. Items in resume must be concise and parallel.
17. While submitting a resume, it must be accompanied with a cover letter to make the readers aware of what is being send, and how can it be beneficial to the readers.
18. Include references if possible in a resume. If giving references, use three to five. Include atleast one lecturer, and at least one employer.
19. To stress upon the key points in a resume, put them in appropriate headings, list them vertically, and provide details.

Job Interview - Meaning, Tips for Interviewee & Interviewer

An interview means a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the candidate/candidates so as to obtain desired information from him/them. It can also be defined as a way of exchanging meanings between individuals by using a common set of symbols. Interviews generally need a preparation. Job interviews seem frightening, even if the individual is well prepared. Interviews have a definite structure. Clear communication should take place during an interview. All interviews have a definite purpose familiar to the interviewer and the candidate/interviewee.

Tips for the Interviewee

1. The interviewee should be dressed formally, and not casually. Have a pleasing appearance as the candidate’s personality is a significant part of the communication.
2. Always carry an extra CV, a notepad to write on, a pen, and all essential things required in an interview.
3. Practice, practice and practice in advance. Prepare and rehearse for the unexpected also.
4. Research a lot about the organization for which you are being interviewed.
5. As soon as the interview gets over, pen down the name of the interviewer, your strengths and weaknesses, answers to questions raised by you during the interview and the feedback of the interviewer.
6. Be punctual. Try reaching before time for the job interview.
7. Do not indulge in a fight or argument with the interviewer.
8. Answer the questions specifically, truly and undoubtedly.
9. Be courteous and sophisticated during an interview.
10. Just “be yourself”. Do not boast about yourself. The interviewer is smart enough to judge the candidate’s intelligence and aptness for the job.
11. Do not make negative statements or comments about your past employer.
12. Your body language should be positive during the interview, i.e., maintain an eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer, sit in well balanced and confident posture, do not lean on the table, do not yawn, smile when appropriate, etc.

Tips for the Interviewer

1. The interviewer should be an active listener. He should not interrupt unnecessarily.
2. The interviewer should be considerate enough. Even if the interviewer does not agree with the interviewee, he must respect the latter’s feelings.
3. The interviewer should be friendly and understanding. He should begin the interview in a friendly manner, some friendly conversation and then show concern in family background, hobbies, etc. This will make the interviewee more relaxed and comfortable.
4. The interviewer should restrain to the time allotted. He shouldn’t indulge in arguments unnecessarily. He should try to be precise.
5. The interviewer must be thoroughly prepared for the questions that are likely to be asked. He should be a good planner.
6. The interviewer must focus attention on the interviewee. He should use positive gestures when conducting the interview.
7. Encourage/invite questions from the interviewee. Ensure that the interviewee clarifies the question he has. When selected a candidate should not feel he was not told about a certain aspect of the job.
8. Avoid distraction in the interview area. Ensure that there is no or minimal distraction where the interview is being conducted. A phone ringing all the time in the background can distract the interviewer and interviewee.

Business Negotiations

Negotiations can be called as a way of resolving disputes. It is considered as being synonymous to settlement, agreement, and collaboration and bargaining. It takes place almost in all spheres of life -be it is business, personal circumstances (married life, parenting, etc.), legal procedures, government matters, etc. Negotiation can be defined as a channel of communication intended to reconcile differences between parties and to settle conflict jointly. The parties aim at achieving a win-win position

Business Negotiations requires a lot of homework, such as asking what is the need of negotiation, who all are involved, what are their view points, what are your aims, what is expected from negotiation, etc.

Negotiation involves minimum of two parties. The aim of negotiation is understood by both parties. The parties are willing to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome. The outcome is acceptable to both parties.

There are certain dos and don’ts in case of negotiations:

• Do not discuss too many issues, emphasize on the prior issues.
• Be honest and straightforward. Don’t get carried away by rumors.
• Never give deadlines; it might lead to delays in deals.
• Keep away personal differences. Just focus your arguments on facts.
• Keep on giving recaps during the negotiation process.
• Avoid being rigid .Listen to the other parties view point if valid.
• Give testimonials for your argument. Support your argument with facts.
• Don’t make demands which can’t be accepted at all.
• Don’t let emotions overwhelm you.
• Be optimistic. Don’t fear losing. There are opportunities in other transactions also.

Tips for Conducting Interviews

Whether it is a job interview or a follow-up interview with selected respondents who filled a survey questionnaire, it is essential that right questions are asked. However, asking a right question is just not it... There is more to conducting effective interviews.

Read on to know how an interview conversation can be made effective...

1. Avoid distraction in the meeting area: Make sure that there is no or minimal distraction where the interview is being conducted. A phone ringing all the time in the background can distract the interviewer and interviewee
2. Make the candidate comfortable: The candidates are usually nervous especially if it is their first interview. Ask them some ice breaker questions to make them comfortable.
3. Racial / Sexual Bias - A BIG NO: Do not discriminate between the potential candidates on basis of race, color, religion, gender. The only basis for selection should be merit + required qualification. Be fair.
4. Invite questions: make sure the candidate asks / clarifies the questions he has. When selected a candidate should not feel he was not told about a certain aspect of the job.
5. Make Notes: A candidate's resume might not cover all the details and there could be a lot of other details which could come up while conducting an interview. Make sure notes are taken during the interview.
6. Interview Approach: The interview could be a mix of formal and informal and could have a blend of open and close ended questions. An extreme of either formal or informal could be disastrous.
7. Interview Questions: Few areas to ask questions on could be behaviors, values, knowledge, background or demographics.
8. Company Policy & Procedures: Brief the candidate about company’s values, policies, and required procedures. A candidate if selected should not have problem in imbibing the culture.

Finally, make sure the candidate is involved in the interview and it is not just one way.

Tips for new employees in an organization

Being in a new job brings in lot of apprehensions, anxiety, and do’s and don’ts. Here is what should be done after getting a new job...

1. What is it that your supervisor expects: Always be clear of your supervisor’s expectations. Whether your supervisor is detail oriented or does he like to see only the big picture, it is relevant to know if your supervisor wants you to send him documents for validation before you send them out. Keep in mind that your supervisor has been in this job more than you have and he knows what pleases the customers. Take tips from him whether to send a detailed report to a particular customer or a snapshot in bullet points.
2. Follow the company brand guidelines: Each company has their own brand guidelines which detail out their logo, font size and color, letter head format, etc. Be sure to follow the guidelines to the core. Always use the standard auto signatures and avoid using smiley or cartoon characters.
3. Identify your mentor: Try and look for a mentor who is experienced in his role. He or she need not be from the same department or function; however, his experience will help gain some positive tips on how to communicate within the organization.
4. Ask for feedback: It is very essential that feedback is asked for. As a new resource you might not get it right the first time, however, to ensure it happens right the next time, ask for feedback. Be cautious – ask for feedback from people who know about the subject. Also, be specific while requesting for feedback. For instance, “Did I explain the objectives clearly?”
5. Learn about the organization structure & culture: Get to know more about the hierarchy and the organization structure. Every organization has its culture and it is necessary that a new job holder imbibes the new culture.
6. Find out about the “Turn around Time” [TAT]: It will be a good idea to find out what is the protocol around the turnaround time while responding to e-mails or any other form of communication. Follow the protocol always.

Use of Body Language in communication

Did you know that while in India or America a "fantastic" or an "ok" sign is demonstrated by forming a circle with your thumb and forefinger, in Tunisia the same symbol means "I will kill you" and in Japan it means "money"?

Kinesics or study of body language must be understood by all. Whether it is an interview or a presentation, one must be aware of how to use body language effectively.

Read on to understand more about various non verbal components of communication...

1. Eye Contact: Always maintain eye contact with your audience. However, a person must ensure that he / she should not fix his gaze at one person for more than 5 seconds. Too much fluttering of eyes could indicate lack of confidence. Staring at a person could be daunting and hence is not such a good idea.
2. Hand Shake: While shaking hands especially in a professional environment, the hand shake should be firm and not loose. An iron handshake [very strong handshake] can indicate that a person is trying to dominate.
3. Crossing your Arms: Crossing your arms could imply that a person is not open to new ideas / opinion especially in case of giving a presentation. However, in a one-on-one interview if the interviewer has his / her arms crossed, the candidate could do the same.
4. Sitting Posture: Leaning on a chair is not a good idea. One must sit upright though in a relaxed position. Sitting back in your chair implies lack of interest or rejection.
5. Gesture: Gesture refers to a type of non verbal communication which uses a part of the body with or without verbal communication. Gestures include facial expressions, nods [which is a sign of approval in most cultures], head bobbling / shaking.
6. Facial Expression: The face is a best reflection of what a person feels. More often than not it is easy to recognize if a person is happy, sad, anxious, irritated, or excited. It is very important that in a professional scenario a person must control his / her facial expressions. For e.g. If a presenter gets a feel that his presentation is not going on very well, he / she should not show the sign of losing of hope and instead try for a greater involvement from the participants.