Linux Computer Names not found

[Craig White]

On Wed, 2006-09-06 at 09:35 -0700, Dazed_75 wrote:
> 
> 
> On 9/6/06, Mike <stuff at dustsmoke.com> wrote:
>         Dazed_75 wrote:
>         > Whether I look at the DHCP Clients Table on my Linksys
>         WRT54G, a
>         > Network Neighborhood window in XP, a nbtstat -c or net view
>         command
>         > result in a command window, or a servers list in Ubuntu I
>         only see 
>         > names for my Windows boxes and my TiVo unit.  The Linux
>         boxes show up
>         > in the DHCP client list of course but sans any name at
>         all.  I can
>         > ping the windows boxes by name from another windows box but
>         not from 
>         > Linux.
>         >
>         > 1) What makes the router recognize the box names for clients
>         other
>         > than Linux?  Can something in Linux be configured so the
>         router knows
>         > their names?
>         >
>         > 2) I am guessing that the windows ping command gets box
>         names from 
>         > something other than DNS or the HOSTS file.  Anyone know
>         what?  Or if
>         > Linux is using that ability (via Samba?) to find the Windows
>         Network
>         > boxes?  Could that facility be used to make the Linux box
>         names known 
>         > to Windows boxes?
>         
>         As for getting the name to show up on a dhcp server, (e.g. the
>         linksys)
>         if your using the dhcp3 client on linux you just need to add
>         something like
>         send host-name "computername"; 
>         to your /etc/dhclient.conf or /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf
>         
>         
> This did fix the name showing for the DHCP Client list on the router.
> For Ubuntu 6.06 it was in /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf as you said.  I
> find it difficult to believe this in not standard behaviour for a DHCP
> client.  I also find it very ugly that one would have to manually edit
> that file for each machine in the local net.  Problem solved but there
> has to be a better way.  Thanks Mike! 
----
typical cheap routers have lousy dhcp features

Windows is not known for stealth or a quiet presence. Netbios is a noisy
protocol that creates a lot of traffic on a subnet (which is why netbios
doesn't get routed). Good for discovery on a home lan I would suppose.

Network admins get a lot of mileage using ISC's bind & dhcpd which work
together nicely.

Craig