3.1.3 Initialization

The rules for initialization are specified in [RFC1002] and [HYBRID]. However, they are ambiguous as to how an end node chooses a node type.  This document clarifies the rules as follows.

The NetBIOS Node Type (see [RFC1001] section 10 and [HYBRID]) SHOULD be administratively configurable and be set to H by default if there is an NBNS specified (either administratively or via DHCP); otherwise, it MUST be set to B by default.

If DHCP is in use and a NetBIOS over TCP/IP Node Type Option (see [RFC2132] section 8.7) is provided by the DHCP server, an end node MUST set its Node Type to the value indicated in the option. If this DHCP option is obtained over multiple interfaces, then the end node MUST choose one of them in any implementation-specific<7> way.

ReadLMHostsFile SHOULD be set from an implementation-specific store for its value.<8>

If ReadLMHostsFile is TRUE and if the LMHOSTS file exists, the LMHOSTS file MUST be read at NetBIOS initialization, and any entries marked with #PRE, MUST be loaded into the Local Name Table (see section 3.1.8). Before attempting to open an LMHOSTS file from the location specified by LMHostsFileLocation, the lmhost_include timer MUST be initialized to 6 seconds.

The NBT system MAY read the centralized LMHOSTS file before a user logs on to the computer as part of NBT initialization.<9><10>