Which protocol assists in resolving Windows computer names to TCP/IP addresses?

The correct answer is WINS, which stands for Windows Internet Name Service. WINS is a name resolution service provided by Microsoft that maps Windows computer names (also known as NetBIOS names) to their respective TCP/IP addresses. This service is particularly useful in a Windows networking environment where many devices may be using names rather than IP addresses to communicate.

When a Windows computer needs to communicate with another device over the network, it often attempts to resolve the hostname to its IP address. In networks that use WINS, the system queries the WINS server to obtain the appropriate TCP/IP address associated with that NetBIOS name. This functionality is critical for ensuring seamless communication across devices in a Windows network.

Other protocols listed, such as DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), are primarily responsible for dynamically assigning IP addresses to devices on a network rather than resolving names. ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is mainly used for error handling and sending status messages, while FTP (File Transfer Protocol) serves to transfer files between a client and server. Therefore, these protocols serve different functions and do not assist in resolving Windows computer names to IP addresses like WINS does.