My server is having trouble with DNS. It can ping the internet by IP, and when I ping by name, it makes an attempt and echos the IP, but cannot ping. My /etc/resolv.conf file contains only "nameserver 192.168.2.1" which is the address of the wireless router.

Am I doing something wrong?

[Update]

I finally found the DNS servers for AT&T. When I put them in resolv.conf, everything seems to work fine. Thanks for the suggestions.

Your router isn't picking up the DNS server from your ISP. Try rebooting your router first.

If it's not picking up the IP address, why does it display it when it attempts to ping?

That's a very good question, Rand.

However, is there any particular reason that you're using the router as the DNS, and not the IP of the ISP's DNS? IS DHCP still enabled on the router in spite of having hard-coded IPs for your machines? What are the DNS settings on the laptop and desktop PCs?

However, is there any particular reason that you're using the router as the DNS, and not the IP of the ISP's DNS?

Yes, because I don't know the ISP's DNS (it's AT&T DSL).

IS DHCP still enabled on the router in spite of having hard-coded IPs for your machines?

The IPs on the machines aren't hard coded. I was simply reporting their assignment by the router.

What are the DNS settings on the laptop and desktop PCs?

They're set to have the DNS assigned automatically. I'm not sure how to do that in Linux as a client. I hoped that using the gateway as the nameserver would work.

I'm still flummoxed by the fact that it resolves and repeats the IP address from the domain name, will ping the IP address, but will not ping the domain.

On one of the PCs, go to a command prompt and type "ipconfig /all". With DHCP, it should report back the IPs of the DNS at your ISP.

In the GUI, it's set up through System Settings -> Network, DNS tab. In the command line, in the resolve.conf file, replace the 192.168.2.1 with the DNS IP that you find in your PC config.

Should look something like "nameserver 166.33.193.132"

I wish I could edit my posts...

The second para. above should say, "Back on your Linux box, In the GUI..."

And the last para. should read, "When you're done, the file should contain a line that should look something..."

Not quite sure of the details of your setup, but if you're using your ISP for DNS, then resolv.conf should list two or three of their servers. This is supposed to be acquired when the DHCP lease is negotiated.

That's why you can ping IP addresses but not domain names. You don't need DNS service if you already know the IP address where the packets are going.

A reboot might fix it. On a few occasions, my DHCP client (on Linux) has timed out when my ISP took too long to respond. Result: my resolv.conf contained only the address of my router. You can, I believe, tweak DHCP clients to increase the amount of time they allot for a lease negotiation, if that really is the issue.

Oh, and it's coming back with IPs for some names because they're probably resident in the router's memory from another machine on the network accessing them recently.

Technically, you COULD set up your own DNS locally, and there are bunches of articles on how to do so. But if you have your ISP's DNS available and it's a reliable server on their end, there's not really any need to do so.

Yup, what billg said, too.

What's the world coming to when the solution to a problem in Linux is the same as in Windoze (namely, "reboot and see if it works")?

;-)

On one of the PCs, go to a command prompt and type "ipconfig /all". With DHCP, it should report back the IPs of the DNS at your ISP.

Been there, done that. No IPs for the DNS.

And I don't have a GUI on the linux box (X is broken--that's a whole other story). I just use vi.

No IPs for the DNS on any machine? That's not a good sign...

I'd try power cycling the router as billg suggested and then rebooting the PCs and the server.

Or, instead of rebooting the PCs, do an ipconfig /release, and an ipconfig /renew.

Obviously you have a connection to the ISP, or you wouldn't be posting right now, but it sounds like the ISP isn't playing nice with your router, or your router isn't playing nice with its DHCP settings.

And I have tried rebooting...

The inconvenient alternative at this point (short of ditching the AirLink and getting a LinkSys) would be to wipe the memory on the router and re-configure it fron scratch.

Did this issue and the previous one start when you went from .1.* to .2.*?

I'm not trying to be a critical ass, just trying to help and get an idea of the timeframe/course of events...

I've tried rebooting everything. I do not know, nor have I ever known, the DNS IPs for AT&T. Googling leads me to some pages that indicate they're reluctant to let their customers know what they are.

This is almost getting to be enough of a pain to think about switching providers.

Did this issue and the previous one start when you went from .1.* to .2.*?

No. It's a long story, but the short one is that I've never tried getting this server to work with this router until today.

Previously, before the move, I was using another dedicated Debian linux box as a firewall/router, on a different ISP (Earthlink) to which I knew the DNS IPs, so I could put them into resolv.conf. The Debian box is broken (having trouble mounting root for some reason), and I haven't had time to fix it, but even if it were running, and I were using it instead of the Airlink, I'd still have the same problem, since I don't know the nameserver addresses.

Oh, and the reason for the "2" is that in California, I had set up the wireless behind the Debian firewall, which was a "1," (and I'd like to do that again, when I fix the Debian).

It still seems to come down to the fact that I don't have the namserver addresses.

I'm using the same router; it's either running a caching DNS or simply proxying through. if you're using the default DHCP config on the router, it makes sense (well, it makes sense to me) that you only have one DNS entry on your clients. that being said, I seem to remember that your ISP provided info should be visible on the "status" tab in the router's web interface (or on one of the subtabs of the status page(I've had similar problems in the past, mostly related to the _terrible_ service we're getting through mediaworks. not recommended at all)).

what results does nslookup give you for reverse lookups?

It must've been Hilary Clinton's fault.

Next time, just try stuffing the IP address of any DNS server you do know into /etc/resolv.conf. You don't have to use your own ISP's nameserver, it's just usually the easiest thing to do.

And maybe stop with the rebooting. You should be able to restart your network with something like "/etc/rc.d/init.d/network restart." But I don't think you need to anyway, since the resolver reads the configuration file whenever it gets a request.

/sbin/ifconfig is not going to tell you your DNS resolution configuration, but only the IP address assigned to your interface(s).

And maybe leave the router alone, too. I can't see it having any resolver agents -- when would it ever deal with names instead of IP addresses? It sounds like there's some confusion here between the gateway and the nameserver.

I'm sorry but we do not fully support unix based network configuration's. Perhaps your network administrator or the provider of your wireless access point would be able to support you with this issue. :P

Congrats on finding the addresses for your ISP's nameservers. Mine refuses to tell anyone what they are for "security" reasons, even though the addresses are clearly visible to anyone, on any OS, who knows where to look.

Of course, at my ISP, knowing what a nameserver does seems to get you promoted to a Tier 3 supervisory slot.

"Free" nameservers exist. Googling ought to find them, but I haven't a clue who runs them or if they're reliable.