Main Page>Table of contents>Overview of NetBIOS-over-TCP/IP>Networ Driver>
At the top of the heap rests the network driver. Just as Windows has video "drivers" that tell the operating environment about specific features that your video adapter offers, it also has drivers that inform it about the network operating systems in use on the PC. These drivers provide a browsable interface to the network, generally through File Manager and Print Manager.
Windows for Workgroups' native network driver is an adaptation of the LAN Manager Windows client driver from Windows 3.1. It provides a browsable interface to servers based on Microsoft's LAN Manager. This includes Windows for Workgrous, Windows NT, Windows 95, Digital PathWorks, SAMBA, and several other products.
The network driver itself only provides an interface to the network resources. It does not provide any protocol or service functions.
Note: The network driver is not to be confused with the network adapter driver. The network adapter driver is generally DOS-based, and is part of the user's ODI or NDIS installation, providing an interface between the low-level protocols and the network adapter itself. The network driver, on the other hand, provides an interface between Windows and the network operating system.