Share via

MAP: Use Windows Networking Protocols

  • Article

Use Windows Networking Protocols

This method uses the WIN32 LAN Manager Application Programming Interfaces (API) to query the Computer Browser service for computers in workgroups and Windows NT 4.0–based domains. If the computers on the network are not joined to an Active Directory domain, use only the Windows networking protocols option to find computers.

If the Windows Networking Protocols page of the wizard does not provide a list of workgroups, Windows NT 4.0 domains, or AD DS domain NetBIOS names, ensure that the Computer Browser and Server services are running on the computer performing inventory. For help, see Troubleshooting the Microsoft Computer Browser Service.

This discovery method has the following characteristics:

  • Scope – It identifies the computers on a network that are running Microsoft operating systems. If your organization has multiple LAN segments, you must run the wizard on each LAN segment to find all workgroups.
  • Process – The computer browser broadcasts a message on the network to which most Windows-based computers will respond, which identifies the computers running on the network. For each computer on the network that supports WMI, the WMI collector gathers detailed hardware and software inventory from each identified computer.
  • Limitations – There are no limits to the number of WMI clients that can be scanned. However, WMI inventory collects a lot of information on each client, and inventory of a large number of WMI clients takes additional time.