Re: How to tell which protocol (NetBUI or TCP/IP) each Network Neighborhood connection is using

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From: Steve Winograd [MVP] (winograd_at_pobox.com)
Date: 07/29/04 

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 13:13:04 -0600

In article <ueavMyYdEHA.3928@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl>, "*** Kistler"
<dickkist@nospam-hotmail.com> wrote:
>Steve Winograd [MVP] wrote:
>> In article <uSQUEADdEHA.3896@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>, "*** Kistler"
>> <dickkist@Remove-hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> Geez, if I wanted to make my life simple(and didn't need internet
>>> access) NetBEUI would be the ticket.
>>>
>>> Perhaps you can explain why Microsoft doesn't support it any more.
>>> It would be an ideal second protocol for home users, if they
>>> wanted to access the internet and also use a second protocol for
>>> file and printer sharing.
>>
>> NetBEUI is available on the Windows XP CD-ROM. Please see this
>> Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
>>
>> How to install NetBEUI on Windows XP
>> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=301041
>
>Yes, I know this. I have installed NetBEUI on my XP machine to
>make it easier to communicate with Windows 95.
>
>>
>> It's an "unsupported" protocol, which means that Microsoft hasn't
>> tested it extensively and won't give technical help with NetBEUI
>> problems.
>
>I understand this, but I haven't seen a believable reason for the decision.
>There must be millions of systems that use NetBEUI.
>
>>
>> As I understand it, Microsoft wanted to drop NetBEUI completely, but
>> they were convinced to include it on the CD for compatibility with old
>> networks that use NetBEUI.
>>
>> Why would they want to drop it? Probably because the Internet uses
>> TCP/IP and most XP computers are connected to the Internet.
>
>So Microsoft decided to drop it to make it easy on themselves, not for
>the millions of users that use NetBEUI. I see that once upon a time,
>there were many protocols offered standard with Windows. Now there
>are only 2-TCP/IP and NWLink(and NetBEUI if you have to have it).
>
>I understand that you can do everything with TCP/IP. I also understand
>that the only thing standing between my computer and the internet is
>the quality of the firewall in my router and maybe the quality of the
>firewall
>on my pc. My experience is that more layers are better.
>>
>> I don't think that a second protocol is "ideal" under any
>> circumstances. Windows networking works best with a single protocol,
>> and using more than one can cause network browsing problems. Windows
>> XP has a built-in Internet Connection Firewall, so there's no need to
>> use a protocol other than TCP/IP for file and printer sharing.
>
>I understand that in computer software, as in everything else, simpler is
>better.
>
>However, you do increase your security somewhat if you use a different
>protocol for file and printer sharing than for communications with the
>internet.
>In addition, if the protocol is not routable, like NetBEUI is, you get a
>little more
>security. In fact, some sites recommend this as the only way to go, and that
>using a single protocol for both internet connection and file/printer
>sharing
>is crazy. It seems to me that the network browsing problem could be
>worked(so far, I haven't observed it).
>
>I just would like a straight answer from Microsoft about why they
>don't support NetBEUI. I could handle it. Even if they said something
>like "We stopped supporting NetBEUI because a. It's something we
>used during the MSDOS era and we are flushing anything that we
>can that we used back then. b. If you use an unroutable protocol
>on your network, it will make it difficult for our "trusted computer"
>system to work. or c. We couldn't see how NetBEUI could make
>us any bucks, since the number of NetBEUI users is dropping. If
>we could get rid of NWLink, we'd dump it too." I guess I could live
>with it.
>
>*** Kistler

I can't speak for Microsoft, ***. If you want an answer from them,
you'll have to ask them.

NetBEUI was the default protocol in Windows 95. TCP/IP has been the
default protocol in every version of Windows since Windows 98.
Nothing in Windows networking has ever required NetBEUI. Even in
Windows 95, you can install TCP/IP and remove NetBEUI.

I think that a home broadband router gives all the security that's
needed, because:

1. The LAN computers have private IP addresses that aren't accessible
from the Internet.

2. The router's WAN interface has an accessible public IP address, but
the router has no access to shared resources on the LAN computers.

I think that a properly configured software firewall gives all the
security that's needed.

If I wanted multiple levels of security, I'd use both a broadband
router and a software firewall, but I wouldn't add another protocol.

Can we agree to disagree? :-) 

-- 
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)
Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see.  I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm
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