How do I enable local hostnames?

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Level 1

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How do I enable local hostnames?

My earlier routers all permitted connecting to their DHCP clients by their local hostnames (computername.local and, at some time, computername.local.lan).
Using AirPort Extreme in Time Machine this doesn't work anymore and I have to use the clients' IPs (yuck!).
The client ID column in AirPort's DHCP client list, which, I think, refers to the same feature, is also empty.
Do I have to configure AirPort to act as an DNS server for this to work? And if yes, where is this setting, as I don't seem to be able to find it.
Thanks!

G4 Cube, MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.2), Time Capsule

Posted on Apr 3, 2008 3:31 AM

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Answer 1

dchao99

Level 4

2,092 points

Apr 3, 2008 3:43 AM in response to sebwin

On an Apple network, you don't use DNS to resolve hostnames. Apple use Bonjour and Multicast DNS. You don't have to use IP addresses, just use the local Bonjour domain ".local" will work.

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Answer 2

sebwin Author

Level 1

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Apr 3, 2008 4:59 AM in response to dchao99

Well, it's probably thanks to Bonjour that networking worked so smoothly with my earlier routers.
But the fact is it doesn't anymore.
It's actually not that the .local urls don't work at all, but highly unreliably.
Here is how it is:
From my machine (10.5.2) I can flawlessly access my machine's web server, and establish an AFP connection with Time Machine or another Mac using the .local url. But when accessing the other Mac's Webserver it takes about 1 minute to resolve the url (and sometimes it fails completely).
Also from the other Mac (10.4.11), using the .local url, I cannot connect to my machine through AFP, neither the machine's own web server. But I can access my machine's web server.
Thirdly, with my old router I could use my PC's "Computer Name" to access it with Remote Desktop Connection. Now that host name cannot be resolved (though I can establish an smb/cifs connection using the computer name). And from the PC I can't access either Mac's web server through the .local url, as I used to be able.
As you can see, not exactly smooth… 😟

Message was edited by: sebwin

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