Sun VirtualBox: Guest is Unable to Connect to Host By Hostname

Cottonwoody · 10-16-2009, 05:43 AM

Hi,

there is one similar thread but that one didn't help.

I cannot connect to my XP-Home Host by hostname. Guest is Debian (Knoppix). Cause I want to run an Asterisk on the guest, I have to use bridged network. I can reach every host by hostname (local and worldwide) except the own pc's XP Home. But I can reach it by it's ip address.

My router is a FBF 7170. It shows "xxxxx" as hostname for the XP Home host and sometimes "xxxxx (2)" and sometimes "PC-192-168-178-3" as hostname for the linux client.

I already have a workaround. I put the ip and hostname into my /etc/hosts. But that is really only a workaround. As soon as I'm changing the used pc I have to alter the hosts file. So it is not much better than to use the ip directly.

So I'm looking for a real solution only. Can anybody help?

carltm · 10-17-2009, 03:48 AM

My guess is that you're using a little firewall/router device that
provides dhcp and dns services. If so, that's the place to check.

Apparently you have dynamic dns and the Windows host isn't properly
registering its hostname.

onebuck · 10-17-2009, 12:19 PM

Hi,

Just a shot, but what about your 'lmhosts' file?

The above link and others can be found at 'Slackware-Links'. More than just Slackware® links!

Cottonwoody · 10-17-2009, 03:45 PM

Many thanks for your answers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carltm

My guess is that you're using a little firewall/router device that provides dhcp and dns services.

It isn't a problem with the firewall and also not with the dns services. When I'm using NAT instead of Bridget Network everything works fine. And it is only the host system that is unreachable by hostname.
It could be a problem with the router which is a FritzBox 7170 (FBF). But I guess it is a problem with the Sun VirtualBox.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carltm

Apparently you have dynamic dns and the Windows host isn't properly registering its hostname.

The Windows host is properly registering its hostname. I can see that in the FBF Menu.

Quote:

Originally Posted by onebuck

Just a shot, but what about your 'lmhosts' file?

That is a file within the unreachable Windows host system, isn't it? I think that wouldn't help. Or am I wrong?

onebuck · 10-17-2009, 05:07 PM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cottonwoody

<snip>

That is a file within the unreachable Windows host system, isn't it? I think that wouldn't help. Or am I wrong?

Be sure to setup the '/etc/hosts' along with the other hosts* files for your Gnu/Linux and others on the LAN.

Quote:

I already have a workaround. I put the ip and hostname into my /etc/hosts. But that is really only a workaround. As soon as I'm changing the used pc I have to alter the hosts file. So it is not much better than to use the ip directly.

I read your post as a problem with the IP on the Host system.

What are you meaning by the underlined statement above?

Cottonwoody · 11-13-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onebuck

What are you meaning by the underlined statement above?

Knoppix is used as a remastered live cd. So I'm testing with my notebook. But I'll finally use it with a different pc.