Name resolution methods and order in Windows

Resolution order for Socket Apps: (ping, browser, ftp, email)

1. Hostname (the name of the local machine)

2. DNS Cache (previously retrieved values from DNS, stored for as long as the
DNS server tells the client to hold them)

3. Hosts File (Local text file with simple hostname to IP resolution or fully
qualified domain name (FQDN) to IP resolution)

4. DNS (Centralized name server based on domain suffixes to provide context

for a hostname, with the ability to query other DNS servers for names it does
not hold locally)

FAILOVER to NETBIOS Application Resolution (see below)

5. NB Cache

6. WINS

7. Broadcasting

8. LMHOSTS

Resolution order for NETBIOS Apps: (network neighborhood, net use, net
view, unc paths)

1. NB Cache (previously retrieved values from WINS, stored for 10 minutes, plus
entries from the LMHOSTS file marked with #PRE for “preload into cache”)

2. WINS (Centralized name server with a simple database of NETBIOS names to

IP addresses)

3. Broadcasting (Yell loudly onto the network to see if any local computers have
the name you are trying to reach. Clients, if running NETBIOS, will respond
with their IP address)

4. LMHOSTS (Local text file with simple NETBIOS name to IP resolution, plus the
ability to preload entries (#PRE) or reference domain controllers
(#DOM:domainname) for legacy (NT4.0 or Windows 9x) clients)
FAILOVER to Socket Application Resolution (See Above)

5. Hostname

6. DNS Cache

7. Hosts File

8. DNS