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At some point hitherto, Nathan Meyers hath spake thusly:
> Some Win2K clients on the network are able to reach the Linux hosts
> perfectly well for hours, a day, whatever... then they suddenly can't
> reach those hosts by name - DNS lookup fails. Performing a "ping -a
> <ip-addr-of-the-vanished-host>" from the Win2K client fixes the problem
> (the "-a" causes a reverse DNS lookup to be performed).
> 
> Anyone recognize this problem?

Yes, though I can't remember exactly what the fix was off the top of
my head, and I don't have a W2k box handy to look at.
Incidentally, I saw the exact same thing in an environment where the
servers were Linux boxes -- the fact is, W2k sucks.  Or at least, its
resolver libraries and/or DNS configuration do...  But then, I'm sure
this surprises no one.

If you send me (off list) screen shots of your TCP/IP properties
dialogs, particularly where DNS properties are shown, and preferably
from a machine which exhibits the undesireable behavior, I probably
will be able to give you a workaround.

As for a fix, AFAIK there isn't one.  IIRC (and it's entirely possible
that I don't), the "solution" is to do something that experienced
administrators  probably would consider stupid, which can never be
considered a fix.  But it "works."

- -- 
Derek Martin               ddm@pizzashack.org    
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