Home domain not working DNS error

[jshamash]

I am having an interesting problem on my Amahi installation:
- New install
- DHCP disabled (using router)

* When I type 'hda' in my windows-based browser, I find the Amahi server
* When I type 'hda' in my linux based browser I get "server cannot be found" (DNS error)
* I can access the Amahi control panel from my linux machine when I use its IP address
* I can install applications, but cannot run them- I get a server cannot be found message (DNS error)- this is true for both Windows and Linux machines

Can you help?
Thanks

[cpg]

in order to use the apps by name, you have to use your HDA for DNS.
or make aliases in your clients or your router, or whoever serves your DNS.

[jshamash]

Thanks, that's what I figured intuitively, until I realized that two different Windows machines were able to find "hda" in the browser window.
In the meantime, my hardware has failed, so I will retry when I get a more reliable machine.
Thanks again!

[jshamash]

Greetings
I checked and the DNS service is active on the computer that I'm using for Amahi.

I searched the forums and could not find anything relating to this problem I am having. Can you help with the following:

- Typing HDA in windows (windows explorer) returns the web page to login to the Amahi home server
- None of the installed apps work, I get the error "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"
- Typing HDA in a linux browser window returns a google search for HDA, and will not connect to the Amahi server
- Typing the IP address of the HDA in a linux browser window returns the web page to login to the Amahi home server, but
- None of the installed apps work, I get the error "Page not found"
- Typing \\hda\books in Windows takes me to a credentials pop-up and ultimately to the shared folder for books, plus it lets me copy and delete files to that folder
- Typing \\hda\books in Linux takes me to a google search

- Let's say that my home domain is "exam.com". Typing any url using "exam.com" returns a "cannot display webpage" error

I would like to understand why Windows returns the login page while Linux does not. Could this be a firewall issue?
How can I find out which device on my network is supplying the DNS servce (Amahi has DNS turned on, but DHCP has been turned off)
I would be prepared to re-install the Amahi home server or to reset all of its settings to the initial default. Can you point me to instructions?

Any help or guidance would be most appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[jshamash]

After fiddling with this for a while, I resolved the issue. For any noobs like me, here is the answer:
Check the dns settings on your network properties. In my case, it was set for an IP address outside my network. When I changed this to match my Amahi Server's IP address, it worked just fine.
This is easier and automatic when Amahi is handling the DHCP, but there are reasons why I do no want to bypass the DHCP setting on my router.

[cpg]

I see. Can you share the reasons?

You can PM if you want. We want to make it easy, including some of the more advanced setups out there.

[jerryzak]

While I am not sure what the other user's actual reasons are... let me share one that made me ponder for a minute.

In the past some more sophisticated (Internet sharing) routers would allow you (or even force by default) to have separate subnets for wired and wireless connections. I have a Sonicwall appliance hanging on my wall that would do that. You would then establish rules for the communications between the two.

I have heard that such setup is becoming more prevalent with newer N wireless routers. Also, from what I've heard some will let you do a little separate subnet (perhaps via use of vlans) that is meant for ad-hoc connectivity of your house guests. I would imagine that it is best to issue such setups separate ranges of private IP addresses.

In any case... I am abandoning Sonicwall for Linksys with DD-WRT firmware so that is a lesser issue for me at this point.