What is Network Basic Input Output System (NETBIOS)? What is its function with regard to communication in a Local Area Network (LAN)? What does NetBIOS extend User Interface do? What is its role in the context of a LAN? How are the two terms different in what they do? Given that both help in communication which one is better and why?
NetBIOS or Network Basic Input/Output System is a program that lets applications on other computers to communicate inside a local area network or LAN. NetBIOS was originally created by IBM for their early PC network and was later adopted by Microsoft and since then it has become a de facto industry standard.
It is used in token ring networks and in Ethernet and is also included as part of NetBEUI or NetBIOS Extended User Interface in current Microsoft Windows operating systems. It doesn’t support a routing mechanism that’s why applications communicating on a wide area network or WAN have to utilize another “transport mechanism” like TCP or Transmission Control Protocol.
NetBIOS relieves the application from learning the network details as well as error recovery. The request made by a NetBIOS is in the form of an NCB or Network Control Block which indicates the message location and the name of a location.
