> I'm surprised that it looks like I'm stuck at this point, I thought that > there would be some piece of linux magic that can allow this box to > resolve the IP address from name in this common enough scenario > (smallish network with simple dhcp router that is NOT a dns server).
How do you propose this to work? You're asking the impossible. You have two options: 1) Do the name resolution (host name to IP address translation) centrally. Obviously on a box which is always on. Obviously this box will have to run a DNS server, so the rest of the LAN can ask this box for the answer. Additionally, you would like to link the dhcp server with the dns server, so that when the dhcp server dishes out an IP number, the DNS server knows about it and can return appropriate replies. I doubt 1) is possible with the average adsl modem; these have a dhcp server but no name server, let alone a link between them. Variously firewalls have options which purport to do this job, a $50 PC would be needed. 2) I guess most people find it easier to make up some static IPs for each box on the LAN (just how many do you have?), and append the same lines of IP number/host name to each box's /etc/hosts. Volker -- Volker Kuhlmann is list0570 with the domain in header http://volker.dnsalias.net/ Please do not CC list postings to me.
