How can I solve my network's name resolution problem?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
J

Jack Rodenhi

Honorable
Jun 1, 2013
7
0
10,510
I have a small office with usually around 5 to 10 computers running Windows XP and one new one running 64 bit Windows 7. We use a workgroup rather than a domain and we don't have a local name server. Sometime in the last year we started having a problem with with accessing a Firebird database on the network. We probably didn't notice immediately because we don't use that database over the network frequently. When I started a network monitor on my computer, I discovered that the log in attempt was creating traffic that was addressed to servers outside my network, maybe a name server, . When I run PING from my computer to the database server computer, it also goes to that same address, I checked WHOIS for the address and it is apparently owned by Rackspace and located in San Antonio, 1200 miles away.

I'm wondering if my problem originated when we put a new router in our network. We upgraded our router from a 10/100 to a 100/1000 bit speed. The new router is a Cisco RVS4000. I have seen some traffic on the internet indicating that, because it is an NAT router, it may be causing problems with resolving names in the NetBIOS over TCP/IP system. One helpful writer suggested I try putting my domain name into the Primary DNS Suffix box on each of the computers on my network. I haven't tried this because I would rather not have my local activities getting routed through a server somewhere in Texas.

Should I get a different router? If so, what's a good candidate if I want it to be a wired router?

Thanks

Jack
 
Solution
S
No. This has nothing to do with the router. It is a DNS issue. You don't have a local DNS, so the computers look to an external dns and find a match to something else out on the internet(a different router won't help this).

create a static IP for the DB server only. Then you make the change to the hosts file on each client computer(they don't all need static IP's) . Servers should always have a static IP so you'll always know where they are.
Sort by date Sort by votes
J

Jack Rodenhi

Honorable
Jun 1, 2013
7
0
10,510

Are you saying to make entries in the HOSTS file on each computer? And then configure the router to choose static IP addresses for each computer? I have not done that because it seems a little like an override and would require ongoing maintenance. I hoped for a more automatic solution and also I hoped maybe to understand the issue better. Did my choosing this more expensive router (~$225) cause a problem that might fix itself if I got a cheaper home/small office router (~$80)?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

ss202sl

Glorious
May 23, 2012
8,431
35
44,190
No. This has nothing to do with the router. It is a DNS issue. You don't have a local DNS, so the computers look to an external dns and find a match to something else out on the internet(a different router won't help this).

create a static IP for the DB server only. Then you make the change to the hosts file on each client computer(they don't all need static IP's) . Servers should always have a static IP so you'll always know where they are.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
J

Jack Rodenhi

Honorable
Jun 1, 2013
7
0
10,510
I have to say that this does seem like a good solution to accessing the server. Over the last six months I have been working on this problem off and on, trying to understand what was failing. I will just make this fix and move on.

Just for my understanding, do you have any ideas on why the NetBIOS over TCP/IP - :BROADCAST - Browse Master system doesn't do what it is advertised to do? Is it just an awful kluge or is there something else I should study?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
J

Jack Rodenhi

Honorable
Jun 1, 2013
7
0
10,510
[/quotemsg]



Then, I will need to find out why it finds a bogus computer. I will start a new thread.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
J

Jack Rodenhi

Honorable
Jun 1, 2013
7
0
10,510

OK. Wait. What does that mean? You mean that I should block access to the DNS server?
I think I understand. There is a computer out there responding to my ping. I should go to the IP Based ACL and list that computer as Denied as a destination. I just did that. Now when I ping the computer on my network, I just get a timeout. I think I'm back to not understanding.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
J

Jack Rodenhi

Honorable
Jun 1, 2013
7
0
10,510

Hmm. I see. You want to rule out foul play, huh? Oops. Maybe I have been watching too many Inspector Morse shows. OK. So I checked within Internet Explorer in LAN Settings and there is no check under Proxy Server. Also, the Windows menu link I used to start Internet Explorer shows a tool tip of "Location: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer".

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom