Logon Validation Fails Using Domain Name Server (DNS)

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you use Domain Name System (DNS) as your primary name server, domain validation fails. You receive an informational dialog box stating that no domain controller could be found in the domain to validate your user account.

CAUSE

Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 does not recognize any names other than the 0 x 20 name for DNS name resolution requests. A Microsoft Windows NT client using DNS is not able to find a domain controller since the 0 x 1c Internet group name is required for domain validation.

RESOLUTION

Netbt.sys was modified to parse the NetBIOS Node Status response for the NetBIOS name requested, rather than just the 0 x 20 name.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K

MORE INFORMATION

In a DNS-only environment, Microsoft Windows NT sends a NetBIOS Node Status request to the IP address returned by the DNS server. When the client receives the NetBIOS Node Status response back, it parses all the registered NetBIOS names in the response to determine if the requested NetBIOS name is registered on the remote computer. If the requested name is registered on the remote computer, it adds the name and IP address to the remote hash table. Windows NT version 4.0 only looks for the 0 x 20 name in the NetBIOS Node Status response.