ISA Server 2004 Configuration Guide 31
Introduction
The Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) enables machines to resolve NetBIOS names of
hosts on remote networks. Machines configured as WINS clients register their names with the
WINS server. WINS clients are also able to send name queries to a WINS server to resolve
the names to IP addresses. Windows clients can send a broadcast to the local network to
resolve NetBIOS names, but when hosts are located on remote networks (networks that are
on different network segments or NetBIOS broadcast domains), the broadcasts for name
resolutions fail. The only solution is a WINS server.
The WINS server is especially important for VPN clients. The VPN clients are not directly
connected to the internal network, and they are not able to use broadcasts to resolve internal
network NetBIOS names. (An exception is when you use Windows Server 2003 and enable
the NetBIOS proxy, which provides very limited NetBIOS broadcast support.) VPN clients
depend on a WINS server to resolve NetBIOS names and to obtain information required to
populate the browse list that appears in the My Network Places applet.
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to automatically assign IP
addressing information to DHCP clients. The DHCP server should be configured on an
internal network server and not on the firewall itself. When you configure the DHCP server on
the internal network, the ISA Server 2004 firewall can automatically obtain IP addresses from
the DHCP server and dynamically assign VPN clients to a special “VPN Clients Network.”
Access controls and routing relationships can be configured between the VPN Clients
network and any other network defined on the ISA Server 2004 firewall machine.
In the ISA Server 2004 Configuration Guide document, we will go over the procedures
required to install the Microsoft WINS and DHCP services. We will then configure a DHCP
scope with DHCP scope options.
We will discuss the following procedures in this document:
• Installing the WINS service
• Configuring a DHCP scope
