Windows RDC client question

[jhuntsman]

Hello, I just got a new G5 and have a question about the RDC client that Microsoft gives away.

I successfully used the RDC to connect to my old Windows workstation that I use for work, but whenever I try to connect using the Windows computer name, it fails. I have to use the IP address of the computer in order to connect.

Now, the problem lies in the fact that the computers are all using DHCP on the network and it is likely the IP address could change each day or so.

Is there a way to just type in the computer name in the RDC and have it connect like in the Windows version? I have enabled Windows file sharing and I can browse the other Windows computers and network shares in the Finder, just doesn't seem to want to lookup the network name properly in the RDC.

Any help appreciated,

Jeff

 

[tomf87]

You are referring to Dynamic DNS (DDNS). You will need a DNS server that supports DDNS. Windows 2000/2003 DNS supports this and the DHCP server can be configured to update the DDNS server upon lease.

 

[jhuntsman]

No, actually, looking up NetBIOS names as supported through nmblookup (part of Samba). I have worked quite a bit with Samba on Linux, but I am a little afraid to tinker with it in OSX.

For example, I can easily type
nmblookup MYCOMPUTERNAME and be returned the IP Address. So, being that almost everything in Microsoftland uses the computer name, I am puzzled why RDC doesn't perform the lookup when I enter the computer name to open the remote desktop on. Maybe it's just a shortsighting on Microsoft, but I'm hoping that I just need to change a setting or two somewhere.

Jeff

 

[realityisterror]

if you have a router: many routers have a feature to assign a specific ip address to a specific MAC address. i use that so that my iMac is always 192.168.0.137 and my xp system is 192.168.0.101 by default. don't ask...

®éå1

 

[tomf87]

Originally posted by jhuntsman
No, actually, looking up NetBIOS names as supported through nmblookup (part of Samba). I have worked quite a bit with Samba on Linux, but I am a little afraid to tinker with it in OSX.

For example, I can easily type
nmblookup MYCOMPUTERNAME and be returned the IP Address. So, being that almost everything in Microsoftland uses the computer name, I am puzzled why RDC doesn't perform the lookup when I enter the computer name to open the remote desktop on. Maybe it's just a shortsighting on Microsoft, but I'm hoping that I just need to change a setting or two somewhere.

Jeff

Here's why it is DNS and not WINS/NetBIOS related:

17:21:33.901597 10.16.1.22.50498 > 10.16.5.212.53: 5666+ A? server.domain.com. (42)
17:21:33.904956 10.16.5.212.53 > 10.16.1.22.50498: 5666* 1/0/0 A[|domain]

The first line from the network dump shows me (10.16.1.22) performing a DNS lookup (port 53) on a nameserver (10.16.5.212)

I cannot test on a network without DNS running, so the results may vary. This test was done on a network with WINS and DNS services available.

 

[Flynnstone]

what is the purpose of a WINS server?
Can you get by without one?

 

[tomf87]

Originally posted by Flynnstone
what is the purpose of a WINS server?
Can you get by without one?

Similar to DNS, WINS resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses. You can get by without one on one subnet, but when you start crossing into other subnets, you run into issues.

WINS is a legacy service from the NT days. I'll be glad to see it go away, if it ever does (hopefully).