Accessing computers on a private network by name
I have this problem after OpenDNS setup, i can’t ‘browse’ computer on a private network by name, following a recommendation from OpenDNS, simple tweak in /etc/hosts file.
What is /etc/hosts file?
This is a way for hostnames to map to IP addresses. Operating system will attempt to resolve domain names to IP addresses by first accessing a local file called the “hosts” file, which is simply a database of IP-to-hostname mappings for hosts we know about—such as hosts on our local network—with the /etc/hosts file. /etc/hosts allows you to build a table in which each entry lists an IP address, its most common (or “official”) hostname, and any aliases (additional names that map to the same IP address), separated by spaces or tabs. This table is consulted before any DNS queries are made, so /etc/hosts acts both as a backup to DNS (if it’s not available) and an override (if it’s not serving correct information). DNS is queried only if the domain name that you are looking for is not listed in this file.
format
ip_address official_hostname alias1 alias2
example
192.168.x.x nineteenlabs.com nineteenlabs
When I fix this, also resolve a ftp error. Now, my ftp can use domain name
John Roberts added these words on Oct 01 2007 at 9:11 amAnother option, with a free OpenDNS account, is to add such private names to the Typo Exceptions list. Described here in the context of VPNs, but same solution applies for private network names.
http://www.opendns.com/support/article/164
Thanks,
John Roberts
OpenDNS
ps - /etc/hosts works, too, but may not be easy/obvious for all.