Which networking protocol do modern operating systems like Windows 10 utilize instead of NetBIOS?

Modern operating systems like Windows 10 utilize Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) in place of NetBIOS for network communication and service discovery. FQDNs provide a complete domain name that uniquely identifies a device on the internet or within a local network, which allows for easier management and identification of resources compared to the older NetBIOS naming system.

Using FQDNs, systems can address and locate services without relying on the less sophisticated mechanisms of NetBIOS, which was limited in functionality and faced issues with scalability and security in modern networking environments. This transition aligns with the broader shift in networking protocols to more advanced and standardized approaches that facilitate better interconnectivity and interoperability among devices across various networks.

In contrast, IP Addressing, static routing, and DHCP serve different purposes in networking. IP addressing facilitates communication between devices by assigning unique numerical identifiers, static routing involves predefined paths for data transmission, and DHCP automates the assignment of IP addresses to devices on a network. None of these directly take the place of the naming and resource discovery functions that FQDNs provide.