FAO: Barry Margolin

[Marc Redmile-Gordon]

The remote servers are NOT on the internet.  If I want to telnet to them I
must specify a route to the host on my server.
That route would go via an isdn to isdn router connection.  I could just add
a route and have no DNS involved at all.
Then I would have to type "telnet xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" to get to the host I
want.
Alternatively, I can put an entry into /etc/hosts and type "telnet
hostname" - which would make my life a lot easier BUT it is not good
practise to use a hosts file alongside DNS is it not ?

So what I was trying to do was use purely DNS for all aspects of my
networking ( internal/external - live internet/dial-up routers )

with me ?

"The root server hints file provides the "first point of
> contact" that allows you to look up anything on the Internet."

What is a "hints file" ?

Thanks Barry,

Your time and advice is much apreciated.

Best regards,
Marc.







Barry Margolin <barmar at bbnplanet.com> wrote in message
news:%KEV3.75$u3.2025 at burlma1-snr2...
> In article <806bvq$mfj$1 at soap.pipex.net>,
> Marc Redmile-Gordon <marc at carsplus.co.uk> wrote:
> >Thanks Barry,
> >
> >That would explain a few "funnies" !
> >
> >But...
> >Don't I at least need one entry for their server to get the names of all
the
> >other hosts ?
> >
> >Or do I have to telnet using their IP address ?
> >
> >OR, can I use my /etc/hosts file for the "first point of contact" name
> >translation for the remote sites ... ? ( in conjunction with DNS )
>
> I'm having *lots* of trouble understanding what you're confused about.
> Your server finds remote hosts by starting from the root servers and
> working its way down the DNS hierarchy, just like any other server on the
> Internet does.  The root server hints file provides the "first point of
> contact" that allows you to look up anything on the Internet.
>
> --
> Barry Margolin, barmar at bbnplanet.com
> GTE Internetworking, Powered by BBN, Burlington, MA
> *** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups
.
> Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the
group.
>