SOLVED: Initial domain name and default hostname?

[mcinroy]

Hello,

I am not experiencing any problems on this topic, but I am wondering whether my current settings are correct.

My home domain is listed as something.net in the Control Panel. However, nslookup something.net doesn't resolve to my server, it points to the actual something.net on the internet.
When I go through the Interactive Network Troubleshooter (which is a *great* idea, by the way), I am told nslookup hda should point at my amahi server... but it doesn't.
Per the Troubleshooter, here is my info:
fpaste --sysinfo
(output from all commands...)

Is something wrong here?

Question #2: Is the out-of-the-box hostname supposed to be localhost.localdomain? I would like it to be something... more specific. What are the implications of changing the hostname? Is there a suggested way to accomplish that? or is it discouraged?

I tried to find discussion of questions like these, but couldn't find anything definitive. Apologies if this has already been discussed and answered.
Any help is much appreciated.

[bigfoot65]

However, nslookup something.net doesn't resolve to my server, it points to the actual something.net on the internet.
[root@localhost ~]# nslookup hda
Server: 208.67.222.222
Address: 208.67.222.222#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: hda.net
Address: 74.220.199.8

Are you using your HDA as the DHCP and DNS server in your network? If so, then the nslookup command should return the IP address of your network. Only one DHCP server can be running on your network.
This indicates your ISP provider which tells me something is not setup correctly. Also the non-authoritative answer should be ignored. It will not point to the correct domain unless you have purchased a domain and have it setup for this server.

Question #2: Is the out-of-the-box hostname supposed to be localhost.localdomain? I would like it to be something... more specific. What are the implications of changing the hostname? Is there a suggested way to accomplish that? or is it discouraged?

There are many tutorials on the internet for changing the hostname, such as:
http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions ... -fedora-21
It's not necessary as all your clients will know the server as hda.

EDIT: This might work better.
http://www.server-world.info/en/note?os ... p=hostname

[mcinroy]

Are you using your HDA as the DHCP and DNS server in your network?

Yes, for both DHCP and DNS.

If so, then the nslookup command should return the IP address of your network. Only one DHCP server can be running on your network.
This indicates your ISP provider which tells me something is not setup correctly. Also the non-authoritative answer should be ignored. It will not point to the correct domain unless you have purchased a domain and have it setup for this server.

Hmm. Ok, thanks for the info.

Very odd... just tried this again this morning

Code: Select all

[root@localhost ~]# nslookup hda Server: 10.172.149.10 Address: 10.172.149.10#53 Name: hda.home.net Address: 10.172.149.10

And I was able to verify everything else in the Troubleshooter steps. Odd. I'll have to keep an eye on that... does seem to indicate something not quite right in the setup. Thanks for your feedback!

There are many tutorials on the internet for changing the hostname...<snip/>

Excellent, thanks! I'll take a look at those.
Thanks again!

[mcinroy]

This might work better.
http://www.server-world.info/en/note?os ... p=hostname

Yep! That worked like a charm. Thank you.

[bigfoot65]

No problem.

Happy to assist.

[mcinroy]

However, nslookup something.net doesn't resolve to my server, it points to the actual something.net on the internet.
[root@localhost ~]# nslookup hda
Server: 208.67.222.222
Address: 208.67.222.222#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: hda.net
Address: 74.220.199.8

Are you using your HDA as the DHCP and DNS server in your network? If so, then the nslookup command should return the IP address of your network. Only one DHCP server can be running on your network.
This indicates your ISP provider which tells me something is not setup correctly. Also the non-authoritative answer should be ignored. It will not point to the correct domain unless you have purchased a domain and have it setup for this server.

Hi, sorry to revisit this...
I'm having the same (original) issue this morning...

Just wanted to ask for clarification on something you said...

This indicates your ISP provider which tells me something is not setup correctly.

Did you mean the nameserver IPs indicate my ISP?
I think that ip (208.67.222.222) is an OpenDNS server, isn't it? Which is what Amahi is using (default) for DNS forwarding?

Code: Select all

[root@localhost ~]# cat /etc/resolv.conf # Generated by NetworkManager search home.net nameserver 208.67.222.222 nameserver 208.67.220.220

So, is that result (resolv.conf) expected? or no?

EDIT: Or are you suggesting that DNS is not the problem, that I should be looking at my DHCP configuration?

[bigfoot65]

You are correct, my mistake. Those are the OpenDNS IP Addresses. The Server should reflect your HDA IP though. Mine does anyway.

Did you verify that all the DNS and DHCP is off on your router?

[mcinroy]

Did you verify that all the DNS and DHCP is off on your router?

Well, I was pretty sure that I had.
Just double-checked. DHCP was off. DNS/WINS server settings were empty. Tickety-boo.
However... under the WAN settings, there is a "Connect to DNS Server automatically" setting that:

Allows the router to get the DNS IP address from the ISP automatically.

That was set to "yes".

If I set that to "no" I have to specify at least one server address.

Should I specify the ip of the Amahi server? (If so, is that inefficient? to pass DNS responsibilities from router to Amahi, then from Amahi to the configured DNS provider?)
Or must I replicate the Amahi DNS provider configuration in the router config?

[bigfoot65]

You can leave that setting as Yes and allow it to get the DNS from the ISP.

The key is that your clients get it's DHCP and DNS from the HDA. Recommend you check that for clients.

If that is the case, then we must look at other settings. I have seen where a complete recycle of the network helps too. That would involve shutting everything down, then power up the modem, router, HDA, followed by the clients.

[mcinroy]

The key is that your clients get it's DHCP and DNS from the HDA.

Not disputing this... but doesn't it seem like the problem is more than just with the clients? i.e. if I am *on* the server, shouldn't "nslookup hda" return consistent results?

Recommend you check that for clients.

If that is the case, then we must look at other settings. I have seen where a complete recycle of the network helps too. That would involve shutting everything down, then power up the modem, router, HDA, followed by the clients.

Ok, that's a good suggestion. I'll give that a try (might be a couple of days). Thanks!