Network Client Support for Systems Management Server

This article was previously published under Q121852

When using MS-DOS Network Client version 3.0, included with Windows NT Server, only inventory capabilities are supported due to a restriction in the NetBIOS interface on the client. This restriction precludes the use of the NetBIOS interface for Diagnostics and Help Desk features and should be corrected in the next release of the networking client.

Using the NWLink protocol with this client causes inventory to return all 0's for the network card ID. This is because the NWLink protocol does not have NetBIOS turned on by default, which is used to get the network card ID.

There are also restrictions on the use of the Package Command Manager and Program Group Controller due to a limited implementation of the WNet and LAN Man Networking application programming interface (API) when Windows NT is running with MS-DOS Network Client 3.0. Microsoft recommends using Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or LAN Manager 2.2 clients at a minimum when Systems Management Server client support is needed.