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Windows 2000 does not honor HOSTS file?
Greetings,
I am having a tricky problem, perhaps you can help me. I am running a small network with 20 hosts. There is no domain controller, and not even a DNS server. Neither is a DHCP server. All clients use static IP addresses, and all name resolving is done through the HOSTS file on each client. At user logon the HOSTS file is copied from a network share to the %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\
This solution is easy to administrate, and only needs a very small administrative effort. And it's working fine, save one exception... clients running Windows 2000. The operating system doesn't seem to read the hosts file there. It's working fine for Windows XP clients, but doesn't work with Windows 2000.
Does anyone know what could be the problem? I have attached a snippet of the hosts file below.
The network configuration for the clients is as follows:
IP: 192.168.3.X
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
DNS1: My ISP's 1st DNS
DNS2: My ISP's 2nd DNS
As said, the configuration is the same for WIndows XP and Windows 2000 clients.
If I enter ping server in Windows XP, I get:
Ping SERVER [192.168.3.1] with 32 bytes of data: (...)
If I do the same with Windows 2000 I get:
Unknown host server.
If anyone could point me into the right direction that would be appreciated!
I am having a tricky problem, perhaps you can help me. I am running a small network with 20 hosts. There is no domain controller, and not even a DNS server. Neither is a DHCP server. All clients use static IP addresses, and all name resolving is done through the HOSTS file on each client. At user logon the HOSTS file is copied from a network share to the %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\
This solution is easy to administrate, and only needs a very small administrative effort. And it's working fine, save one exception... clients running Windows 2000. The operating system doesn't seem to read the hosts file there. It's working fine for Windows XP clients, but doesn't work with Windows 2000.
Does anyone know what could be the problem? I have attached a snippet of the hosts file below.
The network configuration for the clients is as follows:
IP: 192.168.3.X
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
DNS1: My ISP's 1st DNS
DNS2: My ISP's 2nd DNS
As said, the configuration is the same for WIndows XP and Windows 2000 clients.
If I enter ping server in Windows XP, I get:
Ping SERVER [192.168.3.1] with 32 bytes of data: (...)
If I do the same with Windows 2000 I get:
Unknown host server.
If anyone could point me into the right direction that would be appreciated!
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# Last Update: 11/17/08
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192.168.3.1 SERVER
192.168.3.3 GATEWAY
192.168.3.4 STORAGE
192.168.3.5 PRTSRV
ASKER
I just edit a text file and have even less administrative effort. It's easier than setting up a DNS server in my opinion. Plus, setting up a DNS server with Linux using bind or bind9 is tedious and requires time I don't have. Using a DNS server with WIndows might be easier, but I need to buy Windows Server for that, or spend time digging up some freeware solution.
Either way is more complicated than just editing a text file on a network share using notepad.
Either way is more complicated than just editing a text file on a network share using notepad.
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1. What happens when you enter
ping -a 192.168.3.1
2. Have you tried to flush the dns (ipconfig / flushdns)?
3. Open your TCP/IP properties, select the DNS tab and make sure there are no DNS suffixes.
ping -a 192.168.3.1
2. Have you tried to flush the dns (ipconfig / flushdns)?
3. Open your TCP/IP properties, select the DNS tab and make sure there are no DNS suffixes.
Does not sound like it to me ! If you use an internal DNS server then admin effort is ZERO.