Ubuntu not resolving local names

[rsmathers8]

I have been casually using Unix for about 20 years, but I've never really done anything beyond basic user things unless I had instructions/help.

I've set up an Ubuntu 10.04 system and it works great except for one thing. It doesn't resolve local names.

I can ping or access other systems by IP Address and I can resolve internet names with no problems, but it won't recognize any of the other systems on my home network.

The system is set up for dhcp and everything is defaulted from the installation. There is no DNS suffix or domain set up on my router.

I'm sure this is a basic issue, but I just can't figure out what is wrong. Based on my googling, resolv.conf and interfaces look fine. Can anyone offer suggestions?

Thanks,

Rick

[Segfault]

Simplest solution is not to use DHCP on your LAN and add other nodes to /etc/hosts file. Next simplest is to use DHCP but let server assign IP addresses by MAC addresses and use /etc/hosts.

[rsmathers8]

Segfault,

I will keep that in mind as a work around, but I'm hoping to understand what is causing the problem and learn something.

Rick

[Segfault]

Well, I wouldn't call it problem. It is normal behavior.

[rsmathers8]

Oh.

I would have thought the DNS Server on the router would provide name service for the local hosts. Sorry, I know just enough about networking to be dangerous...

How do Windows systems provide name recognition and can I easily configure Linux to do the same thing?

Rick

[Irithori]

Well, I wouldn't call it problem. It is normal behavior.

No dns server -> no dns resolution.

If that ubuntu 10.04 box is the only machine you operate, then Segfault´s advice of using /etc/hosts is good enough.

If you need the dns names network wide, then you need a dns server.
Your router may have such a functionality.
Some run "dnsmasq", which is a very basic name server.

[Segfault]

I didn't know home routers can have DNS servers, I was thinking caching is best they can do. Thanks for correction.

[coopstah13]

Windows uses what is called netbios

Wikipedia has a very good writeup of what it is

[rsmathers8]

I checked and Local DNS is not supported by my Router. I will user Segfault's suggestion of configuring DHCP to assign IPs based on MAC Address and setting up hosts files for the Lunix systems I'm playing with.

Thanks for the info everyone!