Appendix: Comparison of NetBIOS protocols in IBM PC Network

The NetBIOS interface was developed by Sytec Inc. for IBM in 1983 and operated over proprietary Sytec protocols on IBM's PC Network which is broadband local area network.

The original protocols have been superseded by the implementation over IEEE 802.2 networks; the packet structures for the IBM PC network are given here for reference.

Name Claim / Cancel Name Response
< - 1 Octet (8 bits) -> < - 1 Octet (8 bits) ->
Start Deliminator = 0x7E Start Deliminator = 0x7E
Destination Address 6 octets Destination Address 6 octets
Source Address 6 octets Source Address 6 octets
Length 2 octets Length 2 octets
Value 0x5000 Value 0x4000
Claim 0x10 Cancel 0xA0 Value 0x30
No Packets to accept N No Packets to accept N
Connection id 2 octets Connection id 2 octets
Value 0x02 Undefined
Value 0x02 Undefined
Undefined Reason NAK
Undefined Undefined
Value 0x04 Value 0x04
Value 0x00 Value 0x00
Undefined 4 octets Undefined 4 octets
Value 0x10 Value 10h
Value XXh Value XXh
Value 0x00 Value 0x00
Value 0x00 Value 0x00
ASCII Dest name 16 octets ASCII Dest name 16 octets
Prev net con id Dest node conn id
Prev net con id Dest node conn id
Retransmit count CRC 4 octets
Retransmit count
Source node con id
Source node con id
Dest id 6 octets EOF 0x7E
Source id 6 octets
Prev node id 6 octets
CRC 4 octets
EOF 0x7E

 

Name Query Session Request Session Accept Session Acknowledgement
< - 1 Octet (8 bits) -> < - 1 Octet (8 bits) -> <- 1 Octet (8 bits) -> < - 1 Octet (8 bits) -> < - 1 Octet (8 bits) ->
Start Deliminator = 0x7E Start Deliminator = 0x7E Start Deliminator = 0x7E Start Deliminator = 0x7E Start Deliminator = 0x7E
Destination Address 6 octets Destination Address 6 octets Destination Address 6 octets Destination Address 6 octets Destination Address 6 octets
Source Address 6 octets Source Address 6 octets Source Address 6 octets Source Address 6 octets Source Address 6 octets
Length 2 octets Length 2 octets Length 2 octets Length 2 octets Length 2 octets
Value 0x5000 Value 0x0040 Value 0x0040 Value 0x4000 Value 0x4000
Value 0x10 0x00 - 0x07 No Poll 0x80 -0x0F Send return packet 0x00 - 0x07 No Poll 0x80 -0x0F Send return packet 0x00 - 0x07 No Poll 0x80 -0x0F Send return packet 0x40 - 0x47 No Poll 0x48 -0x4F Send return packet
No Packets to accept 0?h No Packets to accept 0?h No Packets to accept 0?h No Packets to accept 0?h No Packets to accept N
Connection id 2 octets Connection id 2 octets Connection id 2 octets Connection id 2 octets Connection id 2 octets
Value 0x02 Ses Seq No Ses Seq No Ses Seq No Ses Seq No
Value 0x02 ACK Seq No ACK Seq No ACK Seq No ACK Seq No
Undefined Value 0x00 Value 0x00 0x80-0xF0 End message Undefined
Undefined Value 0x01 Value 0x02 DATA N octets Dest Node Con
Value 0x10 Response packet size Response packet size Dest Node Con
Value 0x00 Response packet size Response packet size CRC 4 octets
Undefined Value 0x00 Dest node conn id
Undefined Value 0x00 Dest node conn id
Undefined Value 0x10 CRC 4 octets
Undefined Value 0x10 EOF 0x7E
Value 0x10 ASCII Source name
Value 0xXX ASCII Source name
Value 0xXX ASCII Source name EOF 7Eh
Value 0x10 ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name Dest node con id
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name CRC 4 octets
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Source name EOF 0x7E
ASCII Dest name ASCII Dest name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Dest name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Dest name
ASCII Dest name ASCII Dest name
Prev net con id ASCII Dest name
Prev net con id ASCII Dest name
Retransmit count ASCII Dest name
Retransmit count ASCII Dest name
Source node con id ASCII Dest name
Source node con id ASCII Dest name
Dest id ASCII Dest name
Dest id ASCII Dest name
Dest id ASCII Dest name
Dest id ASCII Dest name
Dest id ASCII Dest name
Dest id ASCII Dest name
Source id Dest node conn id
Source id CRC
Source id CRC
Source id CRC
Source id CRC
Source id EOF 0x7E
Prev node id
Prev node id
Prev node id
Prev node id
Prev node id
Prev node id
CRC
CRC
CRC
CRC
EOF 0x7E

 

Datagram
< - 1 Octet (8 bits) ->
Start Deliminator = 0x7E
Destination Address 6 octets
Source Address 6 octets
Length 2 octets
Value 0x5100
Value 0x100
No Packets to accept 0x01
Value of 0x1010
Value 0x00
Value 0x00
ASCII Source name 16 octets
ASCII Dest name 16 octets
Data variable
Data N octets
Retransmit count 2 octets
Source node connect id 2 octets
Dest id 6 octets
Source id 6 octets
Prev node id 6 octets
CRC 4 octets
EOF 0x7E