Nbtstat is a utility used in networks that use NetBIOS communicating over TCP/IP and this is usually present in the Windows platform. This utility is built into the Windows operating system and offers information about other devices on the network, for example:
- Device name
- Device IP address
- Workgroup
- Logged users
The nbtstat command can be used to query the local machine or to send queries to a remote device, referenced by name or IP. Some of the command options include the following:
- nbtstat –n: lists local NetBIOS names
- nbtstat –a <name>: lists remote NetBIOS names, based on the name of the particular machine
- nbtstat –A <ip>: lists remote NetBIOS names, based on the IP of the particular machine.
If you issue the simple nbtstat command in a Windows console, it will list all the available options and functionalities, as can be seen in the screenshot below:
Figure 23.19 – Windows nbtstat Command Output