Remote Desktop + Can't connect using host name

[everettcomstock]

Hi,

I am writing because I have recently experienced an issue with my remote desktop. I can connect to my Windows 2003 server using Remote Desktop using its IP address, but not its host name. My desktop is a Windows Vista Ultimate box, and both machines are configured to use a Workgroup instead of a domain. Remote Desktop works great when I connect by IP, but will not even connect when attempting to use hostname.

The reason that this is important is that I am attempting to use Virtual Server on my server, and when starting up a new virtual machine, I do not always know what the IP will be. It would be very handy to be able to RDP using the host name.

Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time,
Everett

 

[MDE740]

Hi everettcomstock,

The best thing you could do here is to set both the server and PC up in a domain as this makes it easier to manage the DNS. When you are in a workgroup you always get this sort of error problems.

What I would do is setup W2K3 server to be also be a DNS and a DHCP server. The reason you only can use an IP address is down to each node not being registered correctly and the best way is to add each device into the DNS configuration. When you setup the server and put every PC into the domain it will then register each nodes settings in the DNS configuration automatically. Then just set the gateway as your router address for internet access.

It sounds complicated but it isn't

Another cheat and way around this if you are not using a domain is to edit your hostfile on the PC and add in the IP address and hostname, make sure you reboot. This is not best if you are using the several PC's to do the same thing as you would have to put this on each PC.

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

Follow the example
IP Address SERVERNAME

 

[everettcomstock]

Thanks for the reply MDE740. I was afraid of that. It just seems like a lot of unnecessary work for a small two or three computer network. I guess if I want the flexibility of the virtual machines though, it will be necessary.
Thanks again,

Everett

 

[lilgto64]

I am having a similar problem - however, it was working previously - I could use RDC 2.1.1 from my primary Mac - connected via VPN to an office Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise - with hostname.domain.local to any number of VMs or other systems inside the network. Just the other day it stopped working with hostname - I can still get there with IP address - and two other Macs and a PC here at my location still work perfectly fine with hostname.domain.local - just not this Mac. None of the systems at my local are registered on the domain - but that has not changed and is the same for all.

When connected to the VPN - the systems which are working CAN ping the hostname.domain.local - and the system which is NOT working CANNOT ping by hostname but can by IP address.

Very strange to me as I don't think I changed anything - and everything I am checking between the two systems is setup the same.

I am getting a difference in the output of netstat - on the system that is not working it hangs - so perhaps something corrupted in my network plist file.

 

[m00rb]

I am having a very similar problem. Mine seems to be intermittent. I have a server, running a very basic installation of remote desktop web services within windows server 2008 r2. The server is dedicated to this function.

There are times, when this works 100% as advertised, ready for deployment.

Then there are times when it is only accessible by IP adresss (the web access page that is). During those times, the hostname can be pinged, the page works perfect by IP. Just the host name cannot connect via any web browser on the network.

I've scoured the event viewer on the DC and the new server with very little information. I have tried to force it to stop working when it is working to see if I've done something with no luck.

Nothing is really standing out anywhere on the server to tell me why this is happening, even when I know the aproximate times that it starts.

Any insight would be great!