# FreeBSD client using Windows DNS Server



## TakeSides (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi there,

I have a networking problem that I can't seem to find a solution to anywhere on the web or these forums. 

I have just installed a new system with FreeBSD 8.1 and I placed it on my (almost entirely Windows) office network. The network has a Windows DHCP/DDNS server which supplies IP addresses and handles name lookups for the entire LAN. 

My FreeBSD client is able to automatically receive an IP address from the Windows DHCP server and has it's DNS server settings are auto-configured from the same DHCP server. From the FreeBSD client I can ping all other systems on the network by their hostname with no problem. However I can't ping the FreeBSD client by hostname from any machine including itself although I can ping by IP address. So the FreeBSD system is using the DNS server correctly to resolve other hostnames on the LAN but not its own.

On inspection of the Windows DNS server it is evident that the FreeBSD client is not registering itself with the DDNS server. 

Here is my dhclient.conf on the FreeBSD box :


```
interface "le0" {
        send host-name "freebsd.xxxxx.yyy";
        send dhcp-client-identifier 00:0c:29:fa:a3:f7;
}
```
I am guessing that I am missing something that needs to be sent to the DDNS server to prompt it to create the DNS lookup entry for the FreeBSD client but I'm not sure what.

Any ideas? Any help would be gratefully received.

Thanks.


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## SirDice (Oct 28, 2010)

You need to configure your DHCP/DNS server. It currently only seem to accept DDNS updates. The change will allow the DHCP server to register the hostname in DNS (as opposed to a client registering itself directly). You use that same setting to make printers resolvable on a Windows DHCP/DDNS network.

It's been a while since I administered a Windows network so I don't recall the exact setting.


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## TakeSides (Oct 28, 2010)

Thanks SirDice. 

I'll check the server settings. I was really certain this would be a DHCP client  config issue so hadn't done that yet. 

I'll start going through and seeing if there is anything obvious but if anyone knows which settings to use on the DHCP/DNS server then that may save me some time!


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## SirDice (Oct 28, 2010)

This should help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816592

A bit further down you'll see:


> *Important*
> The DHCP Server service can perform proxy registration and update of DNS records for legacy clients that do not support dynamic updates. For more information, see the "Using DNS servers with DHCP" topic in Windows Server 2003 Help.



This is what you need to turn on.


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## TakeSides (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks again for that. For anyone else attempting this then this link will explain what actual settings to change:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc787034(WS.10).aspx

Unfortunately it's still not working. I've deleted the leases from the server end, restarted DHCP server on the Windows PDC then killed dhclient, deleted dhclient.leases.le0 and started dhclient again on the FreeBSD box but still no joy.

I'm quite perplexed now.


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## SirDice (Oct 29, 2010)

Make sure you've set a proper hostname (including the correct domain) in /etc/rc.conf.
As far as I know you don't really need /etc/dhclient.conf.

Check on your DHCP server that the hostname is correctly registered there.


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## TakeSides (Nov 3, 2010)

Well, I just couldn't get this to work at all. I could add an entry to the DNS server for the FreeBSD box but it's kind of missing the point. I've had to move onto other stuff now but I will come back to this and if I find a solution I will post it here.


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