# How to get Macs to register on DNS



## gandalf01 (May 4, 2007)

Hi,

We have a mixed network or Windows 2000 PCs and Macs running OSX 10.3 and OSX 10.4

Apparently at the moment, the Macs on our network do not register on the DNS server.

I read that this may be because the Sharing PrefPane should be the same as the DHCP client field. The DHCP client field was empty so I filled it in the same as the Sharing one but no joy.
Whats more is that I can't seem to ping any Mac by its sharing name or even with the DNS suffix that the PCs seem to use either.
Whats more the Sharing name is different to the one displayed in 'Terminal'.
Also when looking at computer lists in Apple Remote Desktop 3, the DNS names next to each machine do not even tally up with the Sharing name.

Can anyone advise on getting these Macs registered on the DNS server and pinging them by name. They do of course ping by IP address.

I'm hoping that someone is not goin to tell me the only way to achieve this is by binding them to the AD ??!!

Many thanks in advance.


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## Kees Buijs (May 5, 2007)

gandalf01 said:


> Hi,
> 
> We have a mixed network or Windows 2000 PCs and Macs running OSX 10.3 and OSX 10.4
> 
> ...




Do you have a dns server in your LAN. If so, register all computer names and link them to the ip number. Now the really important thing. Add the IP-number for the DNS server in the network preference pane under DNS servers.

If everything is setup oke, now the ping on name should be possible. Also you can add the local domain name to ease the use of names (if domain = e.g. macosx.com, then like typing computer1 in stead of computer1.macosx.com).


Good luck, Kees


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## gandalf01 (May 8, 2007)

Kees Buijs said:


> Do you have a dns server in your LAN. If so, register all computer names and link them to the ip number. Now the really important thing. Add the IP-number for the DNS server in the network preference pane under DNS servers.
> 
> If everything is setup oke, now the ping on name should be possible. Also you can add the local domain name to ease the use of names (if domain = e.g. macosx.com, then like typing computer1 in stead of computer1.macosx.com).
> 
> ...


Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.
When you say 'register all the computer names', what do you mean by that ?


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## Kees Buijs (May 8, 2007)

gandalf01 said:


> Hi,
> Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.
> When you say 'register all the computer names', what do you mean by that ?



Something like:

mail = 192.168.42.250
files = 192.168.42.251

etc.

You can set this easily in the mac os x server configuration screen for DNS settings.


Good luck, Kees


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## gandalf01 (May 8, 2007)

Hi,
Thanks for your reply but we are using a Windows Server for DHCP and DNS.


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## MisterMe (May 8, 2007)

gandalf01 said:


> Hi,
> Thanks for your reply but we are using a Windows Server for DHCP and DNS.


That should have nothing to do with it. DHCP is DHCP. DHCP on MacOS and MacOS X just works out-of-the-box.

Launch *System Preferences*.
Open the _Network_ preferences pane.
Select the *Show:* _Built-in Ethernet_ popup menu item.
Click the _TCP/IP_ tab.
Select the *ConfigureIPv4:* _Using DHCP_ popup menu item.

You are done.

If the IP address doesn't appear immediately, then you may press the *Renew DHCP Lease* button.


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## Kees Buijs (May 9, 2007)

MisterMe said:


> That should have nothing to do with it. DHCP is DHCP. DHCP on MacOS and MacOS X just works out-of-the-box.
> 
> Launch *System Preferences*.
> Open the _Network_ preferences pane.
> ...



I think he means how the add the computer names (with ip number) to het Windows Server.

Check your network or server administrator for that. he will have to add the computernames and associated ip-numbers to the DHCP configuration files on the Windows MACHINE.


Good luck, Kees


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## cticompserv (Oct 23, 2008)

Was this problem ever solved?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 23, 2008)

If you're using Active Directory, use the Directory Utility of Mac OS X to bind the Mac to the Windows 2003 server domain.  The Windows server should then be able to resolve IPs and computer names for the Mac computers.


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## cticompserv (Oct 23, 2008)

No, it doesn't.  The Macs get IP addresses from DHCP but DNS entries are NOT made automatically.  I can manually enter hosts in our DNS server but when the IP address changes the DNS entry is not updated.

I've seen a few references to the same problem but no fixes.  I can either reserve IP addresses for all the Macs or give them static IPs.

Kent


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 23, 2008)

Strange... we have a Windows 2003 setup on a domain, and the Macs register in DNS just fine (even without having Directory Utility bind them to the domain).

Are you running Windows 2003 Server?  Are both DHCP and DNS servers properly configured and running on the server?  Has the event log recorded any errors or warnings?


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## cticompserv (Oct 23, 2008)

That's a question for our network admin.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 23, 2008)

I think the network admin may need to get involved with this, as information occurring on the server would be very helpful in diagnosing this problem.


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## Satcomer (Oct 23, 2008)

Plus these two points Administrator have reported since 10.4.x are:

1) Time on the Mac must be almost exact to the windows server you are binding!

2) Go into System Preferences->Network, Advance button and turn off IPv6. Windows doesn't like IPv6 unless it is running it exclusively and are running Server 2008.

So make sure you have these two things along with other mentioned in Windows+Mac networking.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 23, 2008)

1) This is changeable on the Server 2003 side with a registry edit.  You can allow up to x amount of seconds/minutes difference between clients and the server.

2) IPv6 being on had no effect on my success in connecting a MacBook via ethernet and/or wireless to the Server 2003 machine.  Having IPv6 enabled (but not enabled on the server) didn't cause any problems for me.

Just a few observations -- great troubleshooting tips, but may or may not be the root of the problem since it's possible to have both of those situations out-of-whack and still successfully connect to the network!


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## cticompserv (Oct 29, 2008)

Our network admin found a setting in the DNS server regarding what clients are allowed to update entries.  This is apparently different than allowing both secure and unsecure updates.  After he changed the setting everything is working normally.

Kent


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## mikesg (Nov 7, 2008)

And the setting would be? 

--
Mike


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## hockeyshaun (Dec 8, 2008)

I too would like to know the setting, as we have 3 of 50 or so MAC's that are showing in DNS (the ones that are showing are running 10.5.5). Any assistance with getting them to properly show up in DNS so we can setup reverse lookups would be much appreciated.


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## cticompserv (Dec 8, 2008)

This is from our network admin.

For the main domain's zone, on all DNS servers, and assuming that the Mac workstations are domain members, the following permissions apply:

Authenticated users get:
 - Create All Child Objects (applies to This Object Only)
 - Everything except Full Control, Delete SubTree, Modify Owner, and Delete All Child Objects (applies to Child Objects Only)


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## ergosteur (Dec 29, 2008)

I'm having the same problem with some OSX machines on my home LAN.
I don't have Active Directory or a Windows Server, but I am running dnsmasq on DD-WRT. When viewing the LAN clients status page, I can see that all the Macs running Leopard register their names correctly in DNS. However my old iMac G3s running 10.4.11 only show up in the DHCP table, and their hostnames are unknown to the DNS server.

From the iMac G3s, I can ping Windows and Leopard machines using their full DNS name or hostname (ping windowscomputer.my.lan or ping leopardcomputer both work). However none of the computers can ping the iMac G3 using its hostname (ping my-imacg3 does NOT work). The only way to communicate with the iMac G3 is by using Bonjour/mDNS (my-imacg3.local) or the IP address.

Does anyone know what has changed between 10.4 and 10.5 with regard to DNS? 
also, I don't think I can change security settings for dnsmasq, so are there any other ways to fix the problem?

thanks


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## Satcomer (Dec 30, 2008)

Your Best bet would be to head over to the site that is concentrated on getting lone Macs onto Windows Domains, MacWindows.com. 

What changed from 10.4 to 10.5 was the creation in System Preferences (in 10.5.x)->Network, the 'Advanced' button. When the drop down comes down fill out the Active directory login information/workgroup info in the 'WINS' tab. Also in 10.5.x in /Applications/Utilities/Directory Utility one must click on the + sign to add Active Directory support. Once you highlight Active Directory click on the pencil button to add your information.

The Web page Phase 3 &#8211; Joining Active Directory gives you a step by step process of what I was talking about.

Lastly the NTP server has to be the same on the Mac as on the Active Directory. One does this by getting the NTP server from the NetWork Administrator then in OS X 10.5.x go to System Preferences->Date & Time and highlight the already Apple time Server and copy over the IP of the NTP server that Active Directory is using. It is important you do this.


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