Automatically Changing the Node Type of a Windows NT Workstation

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0

SUMMARY

In network installations, where IP addresses are assigned statically (DHCP is not used), it is often desirable to change the NetBIOS name resolution node type of a computer. This is time consuming when large numbers of computers are involved because an administrator must edit the registry of each computer where the node type is to be changed.

This article describes one possible method of automating the change.

MORE INFORMATION

1. Create the following two-line text file and save it in ANSI (Windows) or DOS text format. It will not work if saved as a Unicode file.
   

   
      \Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters
      NodeType = REG_DWORD 0x00000004
   
      NOTE: Use 0x00000008 for hybrid node or h-node
            Use 0x00000004 for mixed node or m-node
            Use 0x00000002 for point-to-point WINS or p-node
            Use 0x00000001 for broadcast node or b-node 

   
   For additional information with descriptions of the various settings for this key, please see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:




ARTICLE-ID: Q160177
TITLE : Default Node Type For Microsoft Clients

ARTICLE-ID: Q120642
TITLE : TCP/IP & NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows NT

2. Save the file as M-NODE.INI (change the first letter for node types other than mixed).



3. Copy this file and the file Regini.exe from the Windows NT "Resource Kit" to either a floppy drive or a network share.



4. The following command, executed at a workstation from the path where Regini.exe and M-NODE.INI are stored, will change the node type to mixed. Changing to other node types is done in the same fashion.




REGINI M-NODE.INI

5. This could be automated further by enclosing it in a batch file, or a logon script:




@ECHO OFF
REM NODE.BAT
IF /I "%1" == "h" REGINI H-NODE.INI & GOTO END
IF /I "%1" == "m" REGINI M-NODE.INI & GOTO END
IF /I "%1" == "p" REGINI P-NODE.INI & GOTO END
IF /I "%1" == "b" REGINI B-NODE.INI & GOTO END
ECHO USAGE: NODE X where X is the desired node type (H, M, P, OR B).
:END

Additional query words: prodnt DHCP registry REGINI how to

Keywords          : kbenv kbnetwork NTSrvWkst 
Version           : 4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: February 16, 1999