Windows uses WINS instead of DNS for FQDN address

[befortin]

Hi,

I'm having some strange problem...

The computers are running Windows 2K/XP. They have many DNS servers configured.

For example : COMPUTER1 has 192.168.0.2 as primary DNS and 192.168.0.3 as secondary DNS.

192.168.0.2 contains some DNS address, say

http://www.dept.company.com.

I can get the information from the DNS server using nslookup without any error. However, when I try to ping

http://www.dept.company.com,

it can't find the IP address of the server. Now, if I run a sniffer, I see that it's ONLY doing name resolution using the WINS servers, and so WINS servers can't find any answer to the request of the client.

Now, if hardcode only the 192.168.0.2 DNS in COMPUTER1, I can get the name resolution to work correctly.

Anyone has some idea of what I'm doing wrong??

 

[befortin]

Sorry, there was an error in my 1st post.

The COMPUTER1 has 192.168.0.2 as secondary and 192.168.0.3 as primary.

It uses WINS when I try to ping

http://www.dept.company.com.

Now, I use 192.168.0.2 as primary and 192.168.0.3 as secondary, and it uses DNS!

I don't understand why... Both DNS servers work pretty well.

Any idea?

 

[bcastner]

First, XP's version of Ping is not the same as Win2k's version of Ping. XP's version of ping does not return the HOST plaintext string, for one example.

Second, if Service Pack 2 is installed on your XP clients (as it should) you need to make an exception for ICMP requests in the firewall to allow your ping.

Third, you can control the WINS behavior, but what your are experiencing is normal.

Best,
Bill Castner

 

[karlisi]

Workstation uses secondary DNS only if primary DNS is unreachable. Your DNS server 192.168.0.3 was up and workstation asked them, but this server cannot help because it had no record for

http://www.dept.company.com.

If DNS server is unable to give IP address, workstation asks WINS server if there is one and so was in your case.
After you swapped primary and secondary DNS servers, your workstation asked 192.168.0.2 which had record for this address. That's all.

===
Karlis
ECDL; MCSA