Re: domain names, was: hostname
Thanks to everyone who replied, not just Dan...
So...
On Mon, 19 Feb 2018, at 13:30, Dan Purgert wrote:
> Jeremy Nicoll wrote:
> > What, on a home LAN, is that used for?
>
> In general terms, supplying domain information at setup time adds a
> "helper" record to /etc/resolv.conf (or whatever RH, Windows, etc.
> uses). Note that if you use DHCP, this step is usually skipped, as the
> DHCP server provides the information.
On a Win8.1 system, ipconfig /all does show me a hostname (the same
value as %COMPUTERNAME%) which happens to be a combination of the
machine's manufacturer name, and model
There's no domain value at all, though DHCP is in use... but I suppose I
configured the DHCP server (in the router/switch) and maybe left fields
blank there...
> In short, the "helper" record appends the domain name to a hostname, so
> you don't have to type out a FQDN when you're trying to get to a remote
> host.
Do you mean when someone outside the LAN is trying to connect to my
machine? I'd assume that makes sense only on a corporate / company
LAN with a static IP gateway address and that address would be defined
in DNS matching the company's domain name... and - if that's right - I
can see that telling each pc on the LAN that it's part of the company's
domain makes sense...
Other than that, opinion seems divided on whether for a home LAN it
makes more sense to leave domain name unset, or to provide a value
(picked carefully, perhaps ending ".test" or ".invalid"). In some ways
I like the idea of providing a planned/known name, if only because I'd
recognise it for what it is if I saw it in error messages, logs etc in future.
I almost wonder if, to avoid any potential name conflict, one would be
sensible to register a domain, and then NOT have it point at one's own
home LAN - because unless a dynamic DNS service is used, how could
one keep that uptodate (my cable internet ISP does change my WAN
ip address occasionally) - and use its name on the home system. But
then again that might have unintended consequences.
--
Jeremy Nicoll - my opinions are my own.
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