NetBIOS and NetBEUI

NetBIOS - This is also called the "Computer Name" in Windows. It is essentially a name resolution system which allows the computer to be found by name from another machine on the same network. To test this follow these steps in Windows XP. You'll need access to another computer on the network.

1. Right-click My Computer
2. Select Properties
3. Click the Change button next to the text that says "To rename this computer or join a domain click change"
4. Either make note of the computer name or rename your computer
5. Log-on to a different machine
6. Click the Start button and select Run
7. Type \\computer name (replace the text computer name with your computer's name)
8. You should get a new window which should show any shared folders that exist on the first computer

More information on NetBIOS here.

NetBEUI - NetBEUI or NetBIOS Extended User Interface to give it its full name is a transport protocol used in the early days of Windows networking. It is not a scalable protocol this is due to the fact that it will only work on the local network segment, it is an unrouted protocol. NetBEUI has been superceded by the TCP/IP networking protocol. Read more information on NetBEUI here.