Arch Linux

tpolich

Member

Registered: 2009-08-07

Posts: 44

hostname router displays with static ip

I have been trying to figure out this for about an hour now. On my dd-wrt router it shows the hostname of my arch linux server as * while my windows computers and my sisters ubuntu laptop get the name I set when I installed the OS. I have been trying to figure out how to set it on the server with no success. I have been reading the man pages on /etc/hosts and /etc/resolv.conf. I've also tried googleing but I don't think I am wording the question right. They seemed to be the best places to start but I am still coming up blank. If anyone could offer some insight I would very grateful.

Tpolich

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: hostname router displays with static ip

Your title says 'static ip', but you don't specify if the windows/ubuntu boxes are using static or dhcp. That would be relevant here.

tpolich

Member

Registered: 2009-08-07

Posts: 44

Re: hostname router displays with static ip

The windows and ubuntu box are useing dhcp but my server the one that I want the the host name to appear for uses a static ip address. Sorry about any confusion.

the table on my router (dd-wrt) looks like this

Active Clients
Host Name     IP Address     MAC Address     Conn. Count     Ratio [4096]
meghan-laptop    192.168.5.138    00:1A:73:CB:1D:8F    0                0%            [this is ubuntu laptop]
*                192.168.5.159    00:50:04:09:BF:95    0                0%            [arch server, see no host name registered]
computer_1       192.168.5.124    00:15:58:A4:B6:71    49               1%           [windows computer with very original host name]

Last edited by tpolich (2009-12-15 23:45:57)

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: hostname router displays with static ip

Well. that's your answer then. dhcp does more than just hand out ip addresses - it's a two-way communication, so the dhcp server i.e. your router is informed about the client's hostname.

If your router supports fixed leases, you could switch the server to dhcp too - that would be one solution. If not, /etc/hosts on the router should work - however, I know nothing about dd-wrt.

The important point here is that you have discovered that this is not an Arch issue.

tpolich

Member

Registered: 2009-08-07

Posts: 44

Re: hostname router displays with static ip

Your are 100% right /etc/hosts on the router fixed everything. I guess that makes a lot more sense now that I think about it. That dhcp was doing it, not something I was missing in /etc/hosts or /etc/resolv.conf on my server. Thank you for the advice.