Martijn Tonies wrote:

> Hi Uwe,
>
> > > > If nslookup doesn't give you the right answer, then put the
> hostname,
> > > > ipaddr pair into your HOST-file.
> > >
> > > Nevertheless, I'm still a bit unsure :-)
> > >
> > > Take this:
> > > Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]
> > > (C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corp.
> > >
> > > C:\Documents and Settings\Martijn>nslookup iduna
> > > Server: ns-cache-1.ns.nl.demon.net
> > > Address: 194.159.73.136
> > >
> > > *** ns-cache-1.ns.nl.demon.net can't find iduna: Non-existent domain
> > >
> > > C:\Documents and Settings\Martijn>ping iduna
> > >
> > > Pinging iduna [192.168.2.5] with 32 bytes of data:
> > >
> > > Reply from 192.168.2.5: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=128
> > > Reply from 192.168.2.5: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
> > >
> > > Ping statistics for 192.168.2.5:
> > > Packets: Sent = 2, Received = 2, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
> > > Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
> > > Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 15ms, Average = 7ms
> > > Control-C
> > > ^C
> > > C:\Documents and Settings\Martijn>
> > >
> > > "iduna" (one of my servers) can be found by PING and
> > > runs Firebird. I can use the server name without problems.
> > >
> > > It doesn't do nslookup though.
> > >
> > > Ah well, it works fine here, so that's a start...
> > >
> > > Thanks for the explanation anyway.
> >
> > Martijn, now i would like to know also what's going on there.
> > I thought the Network Names in Windows and the DNS are two different
> things.
> > Maybe it's a WINS Server which is giving you the right IP-addr?
> > The reason i never stumped in this is that i learned the whole thing
> > under Unix like
> > systems, where you have to do it right in terms of 'there is nothing
> > which helps
> > you getting the ip for a hostname other then DNS or HOSTS'.
> > What if you stop your file sharing on this machine and the Wins server
> > isn't able to
> > give the right answer. Then you have to do it the right way (use DNS or
> > HOSTS).
>
> There's no WINS server in this network. There's a checkbox on the
> WINS tab of the TCP/IP settings though, that says "enable LMHOSTS
> lookup". And "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP". Perhaps those do the
> trick?
>
> With regards,
>
> Martijn Tonies
> Database Workbench - developer tool for InterBase, Firebird, MySQL &
> MS SQL
> Server.
> Upscene Productions
> http://www.upscene.com
>

Martijn,

it's not nessasarily a WINS server as in a network of 2 or 3 Windows
machines one of the
machines is acting as a masterbrowser for the windows shares. So this
one is similar to a WINS server.
But, if there is no file-, or printer- sharing on your machine iduna,
then you won't get an answer.
In this case, DNS or HOSTS is the only thing which can give you the
right IP.

Uwe