Ping name lookup fails

[bob jones <bobj eskimo com>]

Thanks to whomever answers.

This problem was spawned by my efforts to use PLIP. Jan Carlson advised
me that maybe I could take an easier route, using ethernet cards, and
that's no doubt correct, and where I will end up. Thank you Jan.

Still, I wonder what I am missing here, so I will ask another question.

The situation:
RHL 5.1 on a PC named HQ attempting to connect (PLIP) to a PC named DELL
running RHL 4.2 (I know it's old-old, but I love it).

The commands below are in a script on the HQ:

#!/bin/sh
/sbin/modprobe -r lp
/sbin/modprobe  plip
/sbin/ifconfig plip1 HQ pointopoint DELL up
/sbin/route add DELL dev plip1

Similar commands are in a script on the DELL, and of course both PC's
have scripts to "down" the connection.

The connection sets up seemingly ok. No complaints. The
kernel-loaded-modules and the interfaces and the routes seem ok. I can
ping and telnet from HQ to DELL using the DELL numeric address, but NOT
using the name "DELL". I can ping, telnet, and ftp from the DELL to the
HQ using the name "HQ". I can't ftp from the HQ to the DELL either way;
that connection is refused by the DELL, which does not have the file
/usr/sbin/ftpd and complains about that. This file is not on the RHL4.2
CD. I stole it from the HQ and put it on the DELL but that didn't help.

I think the ftp (HQ->DELL) problem is on the DELL. I think the name
lookup problem is on the HQ.

The /etc/hosts file is properly set up with both addresses on both PC's:

192.168.1  HQ
192.168.2  DELL

Is this a name-lookup problem on the HQ, or something deeper? What is
likely what I have done wrong and don't understand? I think I have all
the packages installed, but it would help if someone would list them for
me. Are they:?

   bind, bindutils, net-tools, nfs-server

Thanks again. Sorry to pose such a messy question, with such inadequate
understanding of its elements.

bob jones  (bobj eskimo com)