Cant ping by name over subnet

We have 2 networks 10.1.x.x and 10.2.x.x

The internal DNS server is 10.1.1.100 and name is DNS1. There is another server called Apps and IP is 10.1.1.200. There is a Host record created for Apps and 10.1.1.200.

Client computers are all on 10.2.x.x network. I can ping the DNS server by name and IP from the 10.2 network. I can also ping from the 10.1 to 10.2 by IP but NOT by name anymore.

I have software which sits on the Apps server and it needs to ping the clients by IP and name. Any idea what I need to add to DNS? If I do a ping -a IP it does show the computer name in results.

Thanks

Are you using any routing tables or IP filtering? Also, are there any firewalls on your network?

Definitely no IP filtering. I dont believe we are using any routing tables. I can have someone look though. Is there something specific you think I should have him look for?

Thanks for the reply.

Not particularly. I'm just trying to get a good overview of what you have so I can try to identify possible trouble spots.

Unless you are using your DNS as a Domain Controller, local network browsing does not use DNS. All communication on the local network is through MAC address, not IP address. IP addresses have to be converted to MAC addresses, and this is done through the ARP table. Local network browsing is accomplished using NetBIOS and machine names. On newer Windows systems, NetBIOS browsing has been replaced by Link-Layer Topology, and the 2 don't work together.

J.A. Coutts

Well the DNS server is 2003 and the clients are XP. This used to work fine, dont know what happened. What confuses me is that the ping with the switch -a does resolve the name from one subnet to another.

Just to recap, you can ping by IP from the 10.1.x.x network to the 10.2.x.x network; you just can't ping by name. Everything on the 10.2.x.x network can ping everything on the 10.1.x.x network by name and IP correct; well everything you inted to have as reachable anyways?

If so, routing is functional between the two networks. Sounds like the clients on your 10.2.x.x network aren't registerting their connection with the DNS server. Can you check that you have A and PTR records for the clients on the 10.2.x.x network and that your DNS server is listed as a NS for that network?

A Windows 2003 Domain Controller acting as a DNS server? I can't really imagine running a standalone DNS server outside of a domain.

Im home right now and trying to get access to the DNS server from home to check the settings for the 10.2 network. May have to wait until I am back in the office tomorrow. And yes the server is 2003 and not in a domian at all. Weird I know.

OK seack79 I am getting closer I think. I created a reverse lookup zone for 10.2 network inside the DNS console. From the client ends I also checked the box to register the connections address in DNS. So now if I look at the DNS server I do see the clients in there but I Still cant ping by name. Do I have to manually create an A record for every potential client?

even closer, I am now able to ping by name to the clients on the 10.2 network but only from the DNS server itself (I couldnt do that earlier today). All I need to do now is have the other few servers on the 10.1 network do that. I am really only concerned about one specific server.

spoke too soon, stopped pinging by name. hmmm? Weird

What DNS info is the DHCP server handing out? Make sure it's sending the right DNS server IP address to the clients on your 10.2. network.

I can't recall, but you may have to allow DNS traffic from the 10.2 network to be forwarded to the DNS server on the 10.1 network...or possibly utilize a DHCP relay agent. Try looking into those.

Are these subnets in the same proximity? What's the nature of routing/switching devices involved? It would seem that a server configuration is your problem, but I would like to rule out any other hardware.

Also, was this something that was working and just randomly quit without provocation? Where there any server updates or other changes that could have triggered a problem?

The DNS server is on the 10.1 network but it is not a DHCP server. All the servers on the 10.1 side have static IPs assigned. The 10.2 side with the XP clients has a DHCP server on it with a 10.2 address also. There is no DHCP on the 10.1 side. DHCP hands out router IP, DNS server IP, DNS domain name and Netbios over TCP.

Yes the subnets are in the same proximity. The 10.2 side plug into a Catalyst 2950 and 10.1 plug into another cisco switch but dont remember model #. There is also an ASA on network. Nothing has been changed to my knowledge at all.