[expert] DNS problems on 9.0

[Jim C]

For project reasons I've installed a DNS server on my gateway/router using techniques that worked on the previous version of Mandrake. Specifically I'ld been following the instructions in O'Reilly's book on DNS & BIND. Now that I've installed Mandrake 9.0 on the server my cleints can no longer ping the server using it's name. I've tried it with and without shorewall and currently have msec removed from the system to eliminate the added complexity of troubleshooting it as well. The cleints are getting the DHCP info just fine as per this info from one of the cleints (Note: This is an XP client but the problem is identical on a Linux client):

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : spartack
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : microverse.net
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : microverse.net

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : microverse.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810X Family PCI Fast
Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : [Blacked out for security reasons]
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.252
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 22, 2002 7:59:45 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 22, 2002 1:59:45 PM


C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>
C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>ping enigma
Ping request could not find host enigma. Please check the name and try again.

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>

The DHCP config was generated by the wizard and the named.conf also and are pretty standard in this regards... so why don't I have DNS? It is mandatory on this small home network because it is a pilot cluster project albiet a simplified one designed to abstract a more complex one.

Oddly enough, Mandrake 9.0's Internet Connection Shareing is working just fine and although my cleints cannot ping the DNS server by name, I can still write you this email through a web browser on an XP client.

Is it possible that my DNS queries are being highjacked by Internet Connection Shareing and tossed out onto my ISPs network? This would be bad.

Answer: No. See below.

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>ping spartack

Pinging spartack.microverse.net [192.168.1.253] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.253: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.253: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.253: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.253: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.253:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>ping enigma
Ping request could not find host enigma. Please check the name and try again.

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>

So the problem is that I cannot ping the server but I can indeed reach the clients. I'm thinking that the wizard is not properly setting up the *.db file.

Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? 
Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com