[KLUG Members] Re: IP Routing and other issues... -- not "routing," but "name resolution"

[Bryan J. Smith]

Quoting Tahnesha Pinckney <tep@hanify.com>:
> Hi there,
> I'm somewhat of a newbie with 6 computers on my network at home.  I
> have three Linux machines, one running Mandrake 8.0 PowerPack, one
> running Red Hat 7.3 Professional, and one running Suse 7.0
> Professional.
>  Two of the other machines are running Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and
> one is running Windows 2000 Professional.  The problem I'm having is,
> I
> cannot ping any of the linux machines from any Windows machine (the
> reverse occurs as well), AND the linux machines cannot ping each other.

Via "Name"?  Or "IP Address"?

Most Linux distros do not support dynamic "NetBIOS Name Resolution" (aka
"Windows Networking Browse Lists") by default.  I.e., UNIX/Linux systems don't
listen to the network for systems to shout out their names.  Windows/Novell are
"security-hole-by-default" in that regard.

[ I call this "me too" networking as lots of AOL-like systems say, "me too, I'm
here"! ]

You should setup DNS (or even Dynamic DNS if you need "dynamic") on your network
instead.

The "quick fix" is to create "hosts" files in "/etc/hosts" on the UNIX/Linux
systems, and in "c:\windows\system\etc\" (depending on the Windows version) with
lines like the following:
   IP.Add.re.ss    Fully.Qualified.Domain.Name ShortName1 ShortName2

> I read on this list that another member was having the same problem,
> with linux and Win 98 shares.  However, the solution pertained to
> manipulating the routing table.  But, I don't want to do this unless I
> REALLY know what I'm doing.  Can anyone refer me to some insightful
> reading regarding IP routing?  

"Routing?"  Just sounds like "Name Resolution," not routing.

Again, UNIX/Linux UDP/TCP services don't participate in Microsoft NetBIOS or
Novell (God I forgot their "resource broadcast" packet acronym) by default.  And
you don't want them to either.

You want them to use a directory service for name resolution like DNS, be it via
regular DNS, Dynamic DNS, OpenLDAP, ActiveDirectory or NDS.

> I realize that you all have lives, so any info you could provide to a
> struggling Systems Admin would be greatly appreciated!
> Thanks so much!

It's just something you're used to seeing in Windows.  You give the system an IP
Address and a Name, then you plop it down on your network.  The Windows system
then tells everyone on the network who it is via NetBIOS/NetBEUI, NetBIOS/IPX or
NetBIOS/IP (among other protocols, depending on what you configure).  NetBIOS
resolution is nice for small, home networks, but a PITA on larger corporate
networks. 

UNIX/Linux has _never_ likened itself to such horrendous network security and
performance considerations.

-- 
Bryan J. Smith, E.I.               Contact Info:  http://thebs.org
[ http://thebs.org/files/resume/BryanJonSmith_certifications.pdf ]
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