[Samba] NetBIOS name resolution from Linux

John H Terpstra jht at samba.org
Fri May 16 14:32:01 GMT 2008


On Friday 16 May 2008 09:22:43 am Charles Marcus wrote:
> On 5/16/2008 10:08 AM, L.P.H. van Belle wrote:
> >>> set your resolve.conf to resolve on localhost first and set the
> >>> search order.
> >>>
> >>> example of the resolve.conf
> >>> search yourlocaldomain.internal.local otherdomain.com
> >>> nameserver 127.0.0.1
> >>> nameserver ipofprovider
> >>
> >> Much better to use the opendns servers than any randon ISP DNS...
> >
> > First why use open dns servers.
> > the dns servers of your provider is much less hops away.
>
> Hops really don't matter... most ISP DNS servers are unreliable... some
> are extremely unreliable... I said 'random' meaning, it really wouldn't
> matter what ISP you were using, I'd say the same thing...

OK - now that we have split the atom regarding what might be the best DNS 
solution, how does this help resolve NetBIOS names within Linux? Have I 
missed something vital in this thread?  Seems I must have.

I'd like to know how you propose to store the name_type info in DNS?

For example, how would you store "MYSERVERNAME<20>" in DNS?  

Next, how will you teach the Windows client to search DNS for that info.  
After all, we are dealing with the NetBIOS name space.

- John T.

> > if you run you own dns server with caching modus on you have a very
> > fast dns response and less traffic.
>
> Of course... but we weren't talking about someone using their own full
> DNS server, we were talking about using ISP DNS servers as forwarders...
>
> > in this example i first point to you own dns server.
> > ( i also have forwarding dns servers in my bind9 config )
> > and i added 3 dns server of my provider in my resolve.conf
>
> If you are running your own full blown DNS server, why on earth would
> you use *any* forwarders? Just use the root servers.
>
> But *if* you are going to use forwarders, then the opendns servers are
> much more reliable - and from my experience, much *faster* too - than
> any random ISP DNS servers someone might be using...
>
> I agree one should, at a minimum, run a caching DNS server locally - but
> again, use the opendns servers as your forwarders...
>
> --
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charles



-- 
John H Terpstra
Samba-Team Member
Phone: +1 (512) 970-0256

Author:
The Official Samba-3 HOWTO & Reference Guide, 2 Ed., ISBN: 0131882228
Samba-3 by Example, 2 Ed., ISBN: 0131882221X
Hardening Linux, ISBN: 0072254971
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