[ILUG] Network issue

[Conor Wynne]

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 18:26:01 +0100, David Jamison  
<david.jamison1 at ntlworld.com> wrote:

> NSLOOKUP on Windows gives the NTL server cache2.ntli.net

So you have no internal DNS server then. Just DNS clients pointing to NTL  
for www
name resolution. Servers on the internet have no way of knowing your  
internal
machines - which is a good thing.

All you need to do is forward ports 80 & 443 to the linux box.
Apache just needs to point to NTL's _DNS_ servers (not the proxy -  
although they may be the same)

You do not _need_ internal name resolution for such a small LAN (HAN). It
would be better to use hostfiles instead.

Simply add static IP's and hostnames to both windows & linux boxes.
Otherwise windows will either broadcast or use netbios - not that you  
would even notice this.

Its only when you have tons of clients and possibly servers that you  
really need to
configure DNS - broadcast storms are a bad thing.

There are other valid reasons though - some apps _require_ DNS to be fully  
functional
- both forward and reverse must function, others just look for forward  
lookup info.
- None of this is relevant to your setup.

> running Windows 2k Professional so am I correct in saying that the DNS  
> server options are only available in the Server edition?

Correct, DNS _server_ is only available from MS in server editions.
DNS client is included in everything.

> This would seem to be the case per any inforamtion I can find on Google.  
> AM I also correct in saying that I could set the Fedora box up to be a  
> DNS server in other word can ANY host on the netwrok serve as the DNS  
> server as long as the two toher pcs are config'ed accordingly?

Correct, see here for a howto:
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_45_2470.shtm

> I changed resolv.conf on the Linux box to point to the the windows box  
> and hey presto everything is back - computers back up to speed and  
> connecting tothe internet!!

Do you have InTarWeb connection sharing enabled on windows?

> But is this the "right" way to do this???????

No, not exactly, its likely all you have to do is give linux the same
DNS & default route as the windows box and it will work.
I'm assuming you have multiple ethernet ports on your router
- not linux going to win to internet (crossover cable scenario)

Regards
Conor.