Network setup with router/dhcp/dsl

[tvalley]

I have a 4 port router connected to my dsl modem with 2 Win2000 macines on it. They are both set for DHCP and the router has a static IP from my ISP. I have now added a 3rd box with Mandrake 7.0 on it. I have internet access on the Linux box through the router. I can ping all 3 machines from each other using IP's, but I cannot see the Linux box from either Win2000 box or the Win2000 boxes from the linux box. Seems like a nameserver problem to me, but I have no ides what to do since I'm VERY new at Linux. What is the best way to go here? My intention is to ude the Linux box (with Apache) as a web & ftp server through the DSL.

Thanks in advance! Alan

[Stuka]

For the Drake box, you'll need to edit your hosts file - IIRC, it's /etc/hosts. Just add lines like: 192.168.xxx.xxx Win1
to the file, with the appropriate addys and names. Probably a similar solution in W2K, but I'm not 100% sure.

[tvalley]

Thanks for the reply!
I can do that, but what will happen if I reboot one of the windows machines & the dhcp from the router assigns it a different ip? Will I have to be continually updating the file on the Linux box? Can'y I use some type of DNS?
Thanks...
Alan

[Iceman]

What kind and model number of router?

If your router can also act as a dhcp server you'll need to configure it to do so, and that should get you on track to solving the problem.

[Stuka]

I believe that bind is a DNS server that comes w/Red Hat (and possibly Drake, too). Don't know a thing about it, but I'm sure you can look in this forum and find plenty....and of course there's always documentation w/the program, but again, I don't know how clear it is.