Re: The RPC server is unavailable.

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: joe (msdn_at_community.nospam)
Date: 03/27/05 

Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 08:48:03 -0500

Thanks for your reply!

Since this machine was running Windows 2003 Server, I can eliminate
points 1-3 as potential reasons why login was failing without NetBIOS.

I have an external trust with an NT domain (point 4), but I was trying
to login to the AD domain. Should that have been an issue?

Points 5-7 also don't apply since this machine is not running cluster
server or Exchange and there were no specific computer logon restrictions.

To me, a Win2k3 server shouldn't need NetBIOS when communicating with an
AD DC running Win2k3. I understand that NetBIOS is there for legacy
stuff, but unless the login process hasn't been updated in Win2k3, I
would think the legacy stuff is supported but not required.

Has anyone seen any Microsoft documentation about why this service
(TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper) is required for logon from a Win2k3 server or
other current client like XP? Would my login have worked if the server
was configured to use a WINS server instead of starting this service?

Todd J Heron wrote:
> "joe" <msdn@community.nospam> wrote in message
> news:uJ2KyskMFHA.1436@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>
>>There is a firewall but since a DC is sitting in the same site and since
>>there is also a VPN between the sites, this should not be an issue.
>
>
>>The problem was that the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper service was not running.
>>Started it up and everything is working now. Anyone know why this is
>>required when Microsoft says everything AD requires DNS and WINS/NetBIOS
>>are things of the past?
>
>
> Some reasons why NetBIOS may still be needed on an AD domain:
>
> 1) Legacy clients such as Win9x & WinNT require NetBIOS resolution to find
> resources in a Microsoft Windows network
> 2) Legacy applications requiring NetBIOS resolution
> 3) 'My Network Places' browsing (formerly known as 'Network Neighborhood')
>
> Points 4-7 below and the following comment courtesy of Herb Martin (frequent
> contributor to these groups):
>
> 4) External trusts with NT domains
> 5) Cluster service issues
> 6) Exchange server issues sometimes
> 7) NetBIOS is required to restrict a user to using a specific "computer" or
> "set of computers."
>
> We still have both types of names (NetBIOS and DNS) because Microsoft
> networks grew up on NetBIOS names, while the Internet grew up on DNS names.
>

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