The nbstat command is specific to the Windows operating system and is used for troubleshooting NetBIOS name resolution.

NetBIOS stands for Network Basic Input/Output System, is a legacy networking protocol used primarily in Microsoft Windows operating systems and some other older systems for local area network (LAN) communication. It was originally developed by IBM in the 1980s and later adopted by Microsoft.

In Linux, the equivalent command for troubleshooting network issues and name resolution is nslookup, which stands for Name Server Lookup. It serves as a network administration tool used to query the Domain Name System (DNS) for obtaining domain name-to-IP address mappings or other specific DNS records, making it valuable for troubleshooting DNS-related issues.

Syntax for nslookup command

$ nslookup [option] [hosts]

Installation

It’s important to clarify that the command “nbstat” does not exist on Linux systems. This command is specific to Windows systems. The purpose of this article is to offer a Linux-friendly alternative, which is ‘nslookup,’ as there is no direct equivalent to “nbstat” in the Linux environment.

On Red Hat Linux/CentOS, you can use the dnf command:

$ sudo dnf install bind-utils

On Debian and its derivatives, including Ubuntu, you can install nslookup by using the apt command:

$ sudo apt install dnsutils

For ArchLinux, the command for installing nslookup is:

$ sudo pacman -Sy dnsutils

To verify that nslookup is successfully installed, run the following command:

$ nslookup google.com

You will get an output like this:

nslookup google.com

The command above is used to find the IP address associated with a given domain name.

Nslookup Options

Basic Commands

1. Reverse DNS Lookup: You can perform a reverse DNS lookup by supplying the IP address as input to the nslookup command.

nslookup 142.250.194.206

2. Query different types of DNS records: nslookup allows you to specify the type of DNS record you want to retrieve. For example, you can query for MX (Mail Exchanger) records, TXT records, or any other supported DNS record type.

nslookup -type=mx google.com

Conclusion

The nslookup command serves as a robust utility for interacting with DNS servers, enabling users to retrieve details pertaining to both domain names and IP addresses. This tool is frequently employed by network administrators and system engineers to diagnose DNS-related problems, acquire insights into DNS setups, and assess the performance and responsiveness of DNS servers. Proficiency in comprehending the command’s syntax, available options, and practical examples empowers individuals to efficiently troubleshoot DNS dilemmas and access essential data regarding domains and IP addresses.For a more comprehensive understanding, please consult this article: /archive/nslookup-command-in-linux-with-examples/