How can a Domain have 2 domain names? Can anyone offer an explanation?

[Hand]

Group,

I've accepted a position with a small consulting company and I find
myself going to different customer sites on a daily basis.

There are two domains that I find somewhat confusing. The first one
is a NT 4.0 domain. When you join a system to the domain I'm using
Sterling but there is no DNS zone for this name. There is a zone for
aeccorporate.com (registered domain name I believe). How can this be?

The second one is similiar but different names and it's on a Windows
2000 domain.

How can the name translation work and why is this so? My searches
online have come up empty. There has to be a simple explanation.

Thanks,

Hand

 

[Frankster]

The single label name (sterling) is a Windows NETBIOS domain. Only the
internal Windwos LAN can recognize this. The other one is an IP domain. Two
different animals actually. Windows can get name resolution from either
(using NETBIOS or DNS, respectively). But externally, no one can get
NETBIOS resolution for your NETBIOS domain, only for your registered IP
domain.

-Frank

 

[Hand]

Frank,

Thanks so much. I've found a similiar explanation on a web site but
it wasn't clear enough to get a definite resolution.

I can finally get some sleep now.

Hand

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[Herb Martin]

Group,

I've accepted a position with a small consulting company and I find
myself going to different customer sites on a daily basis.

There are two domains that I find somewhat confusing. The first one
is a NT 4.0 domain. When you join a system to the domain I'm using
Sterling but there is no DNS zone for this name. There is a zone for
aeccorporate.com (registered domain name I believe). How can this be?

NetBIOS name and NetBIOS name resolution -- NetBIOS uses
broadcasts or WINS server in almost all modern cases.

The second one is similiar but different names and it's on a Windows
2000 domain.

Windows 2000+ domains SHOULD have a two+ label DNS name, e.g.,
domain.example.

But all such Win2000+ (i.e., Active Directory) domains will have a
corresponding NetBIOS name which will be a single label, e.g.,
"domain".

Although the NetBIOS name should (and will) generally be the same
as the "leftmost DNS name label" this is NOT technically necessary.

How can the name translation work and why is this so? My searches
online have come up empty. There has to be a simple explanation.

No name is translated. Domains have name using either or both of
DNS or NetBIOS.

Domains with both types of names may (generally) be resolved by
using either.

For some purposes, only one name is actually USEFUL though.