network name resolution with airport extreme

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network name resolution with airport extreme

New to Airport Extreme, so pardon the question is simple for experts. I have a new Airport Extreme setup in DHCP/NAT as a router plugged directly into my Comcast gateway. I see that the AE sets itself as the inside network DNS server, however, you cannot ping any devices that have connected to it and received their DHCP settings from it via name. Thus my question, how do you traverse your internal network with an AE giving out ip settings as the DHCP server, I have tried to ping known device names with address from AE at ping XXX.local or just ping XXX, no reply, unknown host?

Thanks,

LB

Airport Extreme-OTHER, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), null

Posted on Feb 12, 2016 7:08 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 12, 2016 7:39 PM in response to kcebyrral

You are trying to run a router behind a router......which results in a Double NAT error on the network. Not recommended.

AirPort Utility.....Apple's configuration software.......should have warned you about this and suggested a correct setting to fix things.

As you have found out, Double NAT can cause all kinds of issues starting with communication problems between devices on the network, slow browsing, no browsing at times, and the list goes on.

Life would be tons simpler if you ran the AirPort in Bridge Mode, where it belongs. Then, you will have only one router....the Comcast gateway calling the DHCP and NAT shots.....and the AirPort will pass through those settings to connected devices.

If you really do want the AirPort to provide DHCP and NAT services, then you might want to check with Comcast to see if the gateway could possibly be configured to operate as a simple bridge mode modem.......not a router.

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Answer 2

kcebyrral Author

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Feb 12, 2016 8:18 PM in response to Bob Timmons

No, the Comcast Gateway is in True Bridge mode, not routing, it does not do DHCP or NAT, just passthrough with public IP showing on AE WAN page. I do not have a Double NAT situation, all green lights in Airport Utility and trace route to google.com shows AE ip address then first hop on the Internet. My question is about the DNS server in AE, any way to get around inside the network without having to have IP for each machine noted or memorized since there does not seem to be any true DNS server function on the AE that I can find or make work?

LB

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Answer 3

Feb 12, 2016 8:30 PM in response to kcebyrral

Devices will show the default LAN IP address of the AirPort router.....which is 10.0.1.1 unless you have changed the range......as the DNS server.

All that is telling you is that devices are using the same DNS server as the one that the AirPort router receives from the ISP. You could manually configure devices to use the actual ISP DNS server numbers if you want, but that's a lot of work to accomplish the same thing that is already occurring.

Apple routers are very simple basic devices for mom and pop, so you won't find a lot of sophistication or flexibility on the AirPorts.

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