Hostname not saved by Router

[erics]

Hello,
A newbie networking problem with hostname resolution. The situation is a a new Fedora box on a home LAN with XP machines.

Logging into a Fedora 3.0 box from XP does not work using a hostname in SSH, VNC etc. It does work with the IP address, however.

The LAN DHCP service on an SMC Barricade router serves two XP machines and a newly installed Fedora 3.0 box. The router DHCP log should show the IP and HOSTNAME for each computer. Records for the XPs show a HOSTNAME and IP, however only and IP for the Fedora LINUX box.
I got it working briefly today, but I don't know what I changed.

Hostname is set, and is shown correctly during the system boot sequence. SAMBA is working as well, both to and from the Linux box.

Where to look?
Thanks in advance.
Eric

[DRE.ORGY.NET]

Linux doesnt work exactly the same as Windows does. On a Windows machine the hostname (aka computer name) is in simple terms broadcasted across the network using NetBios (NBT) so Windows computers on the same lan make each other aware that they are out there and they have shares.

Linux on the other hand doesnt do this, its hostname of a Linux machine is only really known by itself. That is by default a service doesnt run which tells the other computers on the LAN "hey everyone my hostname is blahblah". So you have a couple of choices here

1) Run some sort of DNS service which all your computers on your LAN will check to see which hostname belongs to which IP.

2) On your windows machine add a static entry to your HOSTS file (C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts If I remember correctly) but for this to work effectively you will need to give your FC3 machine a static IP address and not use DHCP for it.

3) Just refer to it by IP address. (easiest)