DNS service on Windows SOHO LAN ? 1

[itsme213]

Small SOHO LAN
- Windows XP Home
- Windows 2000 (laptop, often travelling)
- Windows 98
- DLink router/DHCP server/NAT to cable modem
- Dlink assigned dynamic IP's to the LAN machines
- LinkSys WAP (wireless access point)

Can I set up DNS service so the machines see each other by name in Windows Explorer, using "//machine_name", and with VNC. The DLink cannot act as a dynamic DNS server.

I am astonished how little information I could google on setting up a basic network on which naming works. Currently I have NetBEUI turned on, so I get some names working (only partial, VNC does not see names, and the WAP will apparently not propagate NetBEUI so I can't see wireless nodes by name.

HELP !! (and thanks in advance)

 

[rwullems]

problem is that you need some kind of server operating system to run the dns. Not one of your machines is a server OS.
That will be the first problem to solve.

If you want to use computernames on your SOHO network to acces shares without netbeui stuff, the other possibility besides DNS is to install a WINS server. Microsoft wants to get rit of WINS, but it is still available in Windows 2000 or 2003 server. In that case instead of dns names you will be using netbios namens (like \\server\shareA).

If you deside to set up a windows 2000/2003 server, best thing is to turn of the DHCP on your router and let the windows server take care of everything link DNS,DHCP,WINS.
regards,
Robert

 

[GlenJohnson]

Good call rwullems. Here's a star. One thing I'd add. XP Home is notorious for causing networking problems. XP Pro is much more stable for a network. Good luck.

Glen A. Johnson
"Fall seven times, stand up eight."
Proverb

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884

 

[TKSlayer]

Ok...best way to do it...linux.


I mean, unless you want to pay out the yin yang for a server OS. I've got a SOHO here running slackware 9.1...front end with iptables firewall...behind it I have a win XP home machine...a Win XP Pro....a Windows Media box...and a wireless access point for my laptop which has 98SE. Boo Yah to running and networking it all with linux and samba. I share one printer through CUPS and even have a shares drive on the monster 250GB drive on the linux machine. I haven't rebooted it in about 4 months...stability rocks. To administer it...I use webmin and It's simple cuz I can do it from any webbrowser. Course, this is all just my opinion. Everyone has one of those.

 

[hAkron]

You could setup a HOSTS file on each computer with the IP and Name of each computer. This doesn't work well in an enviornment where the IP's change frequently, but its cheaper than a dedicated DNS or WINS server

 

[GlenJohnson]

Actually, since there is no server, I would use an lmhosts file to take the place of wins since there are pre w2k machines. You'll need something to act as netbios name resolution. Good luck.

Glen A. Johnson
"Give the laziest man the hardest job and he'll find the easiest way to do it."

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884