Adding Computer to Domain using NETBIOS name.

When trying to add a computer to the domain Win xp or Win 7 clients using just the Netbios name for the domain we get "An Active DIrectory Domain Controller (AD DC) for the domain "Domain" could not be contacted.  But if we use the FQDN (domain.local) it works fine.  My environment is below.

I have a Windows 2003 Forest/domain level Domain.  I am running a mixure of Win 2003 and Windows 2008 domain controllers.  We are not using WINS.  THe DHCP scope is hading out the DNS suffix domain.local.

To use the netbios name for the domain to add a computer do you need WINS? 

Thanks,

Steve 

Steve