Problem with local network

[Chris Jones]

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Les Mikesell wrote:

> On Fri, 2006-01-13 at 14:58, Chris Jones wrote:
>
>>>>>> I have a networking problem which is puzzling me. I am
>>>>>> clearly missing something. Several of my servers apps are
>>>>>> failing because they are unable to resolve any of the
>>>>>> local hostnames. I have checked /etc/hosts,
>>>>>> /ete/resolv.conf and both are as they should be, yet I am
>>>>>> unable to ping any of my LAN connected PC's by name. I
>>>>>> can ping them by their IP addressess, but not by name.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What else should I look for?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> What's in /etc/nsswitch.conf?
>>>>>
>>>>> $ grep hosts /etc/nsswitch.conf
>>>>>
>>>>> Paul.
>>>>>
>>>> I get the following from that:- [root at bilbo ~]# grep hosts
>>>> /etc/nsswitch.conf #hosts: db files nisplus nis dns hosts:
>>>> files dns
>>>
>>>
>>> Who is providing dns and are the names in there? What does 'dig
>>> host.your_domain' say?
>>>
>> DNS is provided by a caching-only nameserver on bilbo and the
>> only names I can see in the named.conf file are for localhost and
>> localdomain. The output from the dig command is:- [root at bilbo
>> ~]# dig bilbo.stow-jones.local
>>
>> ; <<>> DiG 9.3.1 <<>> bilbo.stow-jones.local ;; global options:
>> printcmd ;; Got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status:
>> NXDOMAIN, id: 59692 ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0,
>> AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
>>
>> ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;bilbo.stow-jones.local. IN
>> A
>>
>> ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: . 10729 IN SOA
>> A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. NSTLD.VERISIGN-GRS.COM. 2006011300 1800 900
>> 604800 86400
>>
>> ;; Query time: 57 msec ;; SERVER: 212.23.3.100#53(212.23.3.100)
>> ;; WHEN: Fri Jan 13 20:50:09 2006 ;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 115
>>
>> [root at bilbo ~]#
>
>
> Let's start back at the beginning, then. Why do you expect any DNS
> server to know the names of your local boxes? If they are public
> machines they should in a real domain with a real DNS server. If
> not, and you want local dns to work you should add your own local
> zone file with the names instead of just using the
> caching-nameserver setup.
>
Les

This was working up until just before Christmas without any special
DNS configuration. Never having gone into DNS, I would appreciate some
guidance on what configuration changes I should make here, or where to
go for a dummy's guide to what changes are needed to implement DNS on
my home network of 2 desktops and a laptop.

- --
Chris Jones
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
Before Xerox, five carbons were the maximum extension of anybody's ego.
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