8.6 Networking Protocols and the OSI Model
8.6.5 NetBEUI
NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI) is a protocol used primarily on small Windows NT networks. It was used earlier as the default networking protocol in Windows 3.11 (Windows for Workgroups) and LAN Manager. NetBEUI has a very small overhead, but cannot be routed or used by routers to talk to each other on a large network. NetBEUI is a simple protocol that lacks many of the features that enable protocol suites such as TCP/IP to be used on networks of almost any size.

Although NetBEUI cannot be used in building large networks or connecting several networks together, it is suitable for small peer-to-peer networks. It can be used in conjunction with another routable protocol such as TCP/IP. This gives the network administrator the advantages of the high performance of NetBEUI within the local network and the capability to communicate beyond the LAN over TCP/IP.