AddGroupNameResponse Frame from WinNT May Cause WFWG to Hang

ID: Q156750

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0
Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11

SYMPTOMS

Windows for Workgroups 3.11 computers running the NetBEUI protocol may stop responding during initialization. NetBIOS applications using AddGroupName may also fail.

CAUSE

This may be caused if the workgroup name for the Windows for Workgroups system is used as the computer name by another Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 computer also running the NetBEUI protocol. If the name is in use, the computer running Windows for Workgroups should produce an error message (error 6117).

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.51 and 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

A NetBIOS application may register a group name using the AddGroupName command. NetBEUI then sends an AddGroupName Multicast frame on the network. If the name is already registered as a unique name by Windows NT 3.51 (or 4.0), the Windows NT computer sends an AddNameResponse frame. The Data2 field of the AddNameResponse frame indicates whether the name is registered by the Windows NT computer as a GroupName or UniqueName. The Windows NT computer was incorrectly setting this field to indicate that it had registered the name as a GroupName. More than one computer can register a NetBIOS name as a group name. However, a NetBIOS name cannot be registered as both a group name and a unique name. If the Data2 of the AddNameResponse frame from Windows NT was set correctly to UniqueName, then Windows for Workgroups would have presented the error to the user because the name was already in use.


18 109.128 COMPAQ50E3CC MKWFW NETBIOS Add Name Response (0x0D)
..
NETBIOS: Add Name Response (0x0D)
    NETBIOS: Length = 44 (0x002C)
    NETBIOS: Signature = 0xEFFF
    NETBIOS: Command = Add Name Response (0x0D)
    NETBIOS: Data1 = 0x00
    NETBIOS: Data2 = 0x0001 <<<<*******should be 0*******
    NETBIOS: Transmit Correlator = 0x0002
    NETBIOS: Destination Name = BEETLE         <00>
    NETBIOS: SMB Name Type = Workstation (00)
    NETBIOS: Node address = 202020202000

Additional query words: nameconflict name in conflict

Keywords :
Version : 3.11 3.51 4.00
Platform :
Issue type :