OS X: Can't Resolve Windows Machine Names

Question

I'm running a mixed environment at home and at work. My server machines are Win Vista, and I have a Unibody Macbook Pro running 10.5.7

On my mac, I can ping some home windows by name (If I use the full name such as stallion-main.local), but other machines, I can't.

My machines get dynamic ips from DHCP, so I can't edit the hosts file on the mac, or rather I want to avoid that solution.

It's a PITB when I try to RDP from my mac into my windows machine; as I have to log into my router to determine the ip address of windows machines that I can't resolve their name.

I'm not sure why some names resolve, while others do not.

Help me obi-wan-serverfault, you're my only hope.

Solution 1

Why not install Bonjour onto the Windows machines?

Solution 2

On the Mac turn on Windows file-sharing. That will then activate Samba on the Mac, and lets it query NetBIOS names directly. It seems to configure WINS correctly, automatically, although irritatingly hidden. With the sharing on, most Windows operations seems to work easier.

In 10.5 it's under Sys Prefs -> Sharing -> File Sharing -> Options <10.5 it's Sys Prefs -> Sharing -> Windows File Sharing

Solution 3

I have noticed a similar problem with .local domains under ubuntu - perhaps the same trick will work on a mac?

This is what I did:

• Edit /etc/nsswitch.conf
• change the order of the hosts: line so that dns comes before any mdns4 entries

• my line ends up being like:

  hosts: files dns mdns4_minimal mdns4

Solution 4

Windows name-resolution problems like this tend to be the result of the machines not being in the same workgroup. If all of your machines are in the same workgroup they should be able to browse and talk to each other. Without control of your local DNS environment, this is probably the easiest way to make it work.

Solution 5

Perhaps as a viable workaround: DHCP can be configured to always give the same IP to a host when it connects. "The same host" is defined by the MAC address. Even most routers have a setting that allows you to do this. This will save you the pain of trying to figure out the IP address.

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Comments

[LongZheng]

Remember to access with <server>.local and not just the server name itself.

[HaveAGuess]

This says it doesnt work on both Ethernet and Wifi ppanyukov.github.io/2011/08/17/hostname-resolve.html