How to add Macs to DNS server?

Sad05 · 02-14-2005, 11:28 AM

Our company has a Win2003 server that the Macs connect to. The Macs can all find/ping each other using their computer names. We're presuming the Macs can do this through Appletalk/Rendezvous. The company's PCs using our DNS server cannot resolve the Mac computer names to their IP addresses.

The Macs can resolve the PC names to their IPs addresses, which means the Macs can see and use the DNS server - but they aren't adding their information to the server for the PCs to use.

My MIS guy has challenged me to find a way to force the Macs to add their information to the DNS server for name resolution. We renew our IP leases every two weeks - so we can't just add our computer names and their IPs to the DNS because they'll change in two weeks.

I hope I've explained this well enough - can anyone help me resolve this issue? The end result is the PCs would like to be able to ping/find the Macs using their computer names. (joe's Mac = 10.0.1.112)

thanks!

davewalcott · 02-14-2005, 11:38 AM

1st of all: there's a huge difference between AppleTalk and RendezVous. What you're gunning for will only work if all client computers are using RendezVous for name resolution, which is unlikely (on the Windows side). Find that out first.

To do it using DNS, you'd need to write a script for the DHCP server that dynamically adds new DHCP-leased host names to the name server local zone file (have fun with that), which would be up to your IT guy to do.

yellow · 02-14-2005, 11:45 AM

It doubful that it's AppleTalk unless they are all on the same subnet. Most routers now-a-days don't pass AppleTalk outside of the subnet.

I suspect the IP addresses of the Macs aren't resolving to DNS named because your information isn't matching up. Assuming that these Macs are using DHCP to get their addresses, you NEED to ensure that your DHCP Client ID (Network Prefpane) and your Sharing Name (Sharing Prefpane) are the exact same. Since this will be a DNS entry, there should not be any spaces or punctuation in the names. It should simply be "joesmac" or something to that effect.

If you AREN'T using DHCP, then your MIS should be adding in the DNS entries by hand that match up to the static IPs.

schneb · 02-14-2005, 12:35 PM

I know very little about networking issues, but wouldn't the following work?

smb//DOMAIN;username@servername/partition

Of course, the DOMAIN,username, servername and shared partition names have to be provided.

Wouldn't this work no matter what the IP is changed to?

yellow · 02-14-2005, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneb


	Wouldn't this work no matter what the IP is changed to?

No, if the name doesn't resolve in DNS, then "servername" won't work.

schneb · 02-14-2005, 01:01 PM

I thought the DNS was a number. If the name remains a constant, how could it be changed?

yellow · 02-14-2005, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneb


	I thought the DNS was a number. If the name remains a constant, how could it be changed?

DNS means Domain Name Service. DNS is the name (memerable) equivalent to the numerical IP address. In DHCP, the numerical IP might change, but the DNS entry should remain constant. In the original poster's post, they cannot get their Macs to resolve in DNS, meaning there is no DNS entry that will function.

schneb · 02-14-2005, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellow


	DNS means Domain Name Service. DNS is the name (memerable) equivalent to the numerical IP address. In DHCP, the numerical IP might change, but the DNS entry should remain constant. In the original poster's post, they cannot get their Macs to resolve in DNS, meaning there is no DNS entry that will function.

Oy, still going over my head. But I'm working on it.

yellow · 02-14-2005, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneb


	Oy, still going over my head. But I'm working on it.

Lemme see if I can help..

DNS is the name replacement for the numerical address. It was developed to make remembering an (numerical) IP address easier. For example:

"apple.com" is significantly easier to remember then "17.254.3.183".

In some network environments using DHCP to assign numerical IPs, proper DNS entries are crucial for finding remote machines each and every time. While I have a Mac laptop, in Building A with the IP address 100.200.100.200, it's DNS entry is named "yellow-mac" in the domain "macosxhints.com". When I take my laptop to Building B, I get a new numerical IP address (because they have a different router there, and a different DHCP server dispensing IP addresses) 250.150.250.150, but people can still get to my laptop via "yellow-mac.macosxhints.com" because the DNS entry is automatically recreated and re-pointed at my new numerical IP address.

Sad05 · 02-14-2005, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellow


	Assuming that these Macs are using DHCP to get their addresses, you NEED to ensure that your DHCP Client ID (Network Prefpane) and your Sharing Name (Sharing Prefpane) are the exact same. Since this will be a DNS entry, there should not be any spaces or punctuation in the names. It should simply be "joesmac" or something to that effect.

The DHCP client ID has nothing in it's field - should I place the Mac's name there?

yellow · 02-14-2005, 02:38 PM

Yes.. provided the Mac's "name" isn't something like "Tom Thompson's Mac". There should no spaces or punctuation in the DHCP client ID, and therefore, the sharing name either. Change the Sharing name if need be.

There are no guarnatees that this will magically make these machines appear in DNS, but I can tell you that in my environemnt, the DHS servers are Win2K and Solaris boxes, and this is how you make the Macs appear properly in DNS.

Sad05 · 02-14-2005, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellow


	Yes.. provided the Mac's "name" isn't something like "Tom Thompson's Mac". There should no spaces or punctuation in the DHCP client ID, and therefore, the sharing name either. Change the Sharing name if need be.

Fantastic! Worked like a charm. Thanks!

I knew it had to be something simple ... something overlooked ... that's what it was.

intrntmn · 02-14-2005, 02:41 PM

I think you need to bind your macs to the windows server. It will hand out the ip addresses and DNS resolutions for each of the macs. All you have to do then is make sure the DNS info is correct in the windows server. Once the mac boots and gets info from the domain server, all should be good.

yellow · 02-14-2005, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by intrntmn


	I think you need to bind your macs to the windows server.

Only if you're using AD.

02-14-2005, 11:28 AM	#1
Sad05 Triple-A Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: orange county, ca Posts: 109	How to add Macs to DNS server? Our company has a Win2003 server that the Macs connect to. The Macs can all find/ping each other using their computer names. We're presuming the Macs can do this through Appletalk/Rendezvous. The company's PCs using our DNS server cannot resolve the Mac computer names to their IP addresses. The Macs can resolve the PC names to their IPs addresses, which means the Macs can see and use the DNS server - but they aren't adding their information to the server for the PCs to use. My MIS guy has challenged me to find a way to force the Macs to add their information to the DNS server for name resolution. We renew our IP leases every two weeks - so we can't just add our computer names and their IPs to the DNS because they'll change in two weeks. I hope I've explained this well enough - can anyone help me resolve this issue? The end result is the PCs would like to be able to ping/find the Macs using their computer names. (joe's Mac = 10.0.1.112) thanks!

02-14-2005, 11:38 AM	#2
davewalcott Triple-A Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA Posts: 227	1st of all: there's a huge difference between AppleTalk and RendezVous. What you're gunning for will only work if all client computers are using RendezVous for name resolution, which is unlikely (on the Windows side). Find that out first. To do it using DNS, you'd need to write a script for the DHCP server that dynamically adds new DHCP-leased host names to the name server local zone file (have fun with that), which would be up to your IT guy to do. __________________ dave walcott walcott consulting

02-14-2005, 12:35 PM	#4
schneb MVP Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 2,300	I know very little about networking issues, but wouldn't the following work? smb//DOMAIN;username@servername/partition Of course, the DOMAIN,username, servername and shared partition names have to be provided. Wouldn't this work no matter what the IP is changed to? __________________ Tour Israel and Jordan via CD-ROM

02-14-2005, 01:01 PM	#6
schneb MVP Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 2,300	I thought the DNS was a number. If the name remains a constant, how could it be changed? __________________ Tour Israel and Jordan via CD-ROM

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02-14-2005, 11:45 AM	#3
yellow Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 10,677	It doubful that it's AppleTalk unless they are all on the same subnet. Most routers now-a-days don't pass AppleTalk outside of the subnet. I suspect the IP addresses of the Macs aren't resolving to DNS named because your information isn't matching up. Assuming that these Macs are using DHCP to get their addresses, you NEED to ensure that your DHCP Client ID (Network Prefpane) and your Sharing Name (Sharing Prefpane) are the exact same. Since this will be a DNS entry, there should not be any spaces or punctuation in the names. It should simply be "joesmac" or something to that effect. If you AREN'T using DHCP, then your MIS should be adding in the DNS entries by hand that match up to the static IPs.

02-14-2005, 02:38 PM	#11
yellow Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 10,677	Yes.. provided the Mac's "name" isn't something like "Tom Thompson's Mac". There should no spaces or punctuation in the DHCP client ID, and therefore, the sharing name either. Change the Sharing name if need be. There are no guarnatees that this will magically make these machines appear in DNS, but I can tell you that in my environemnt, the DHS servers are Win2K and Solaris boxes, and this is how you make the Macs appear properly in DNS.

02-14-2005, 02:41 PM	#13
intrntmn Triple-A Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 119	I think you need to bind your macs to the windows server. It will hand out the ip addresses and DNS resolutions for each of the macs. All you have to do then is make sure the DNS info is correct in the windows server. Once the mac boots and gets info from the domain server, all should be good.