Confused about host names and names you assign on the router

[cw-kid]

Hi

I have an Asus RT-AC86U running Merlin firmware.

I am having trouble resolving host names with ping from my Windows 10 laptop. and Android phone.

On the Asus router I have given every device on my network a friendly name.

If I try to ping the name FireTV either from my laptop or my phone it does not resolve or work.

ping firetv
ping firetv.home.lan

So on my laptop if I use this command instead:

ping -a 192.168.0.135

That is the IP address of the FireTV stick.

It then shows me the actual host name of the FireTV stick, which is amazon-3f0a6a475.home.lan

If I ping amazon-3f0a6a475.home.lan

Then it replies four times OK with the IP address 192.168.0.135 and works.

So what are these "Names" on the Asus router that I have assigned.

Should they not also be pingable and resolve ?

Thanks

 

[cw-kid]

Should probably also state the following:

I am not using the DNS Filtering feature.
I have only today added the domain name: home.lan before that field was blank and empty.
I have also turned on this setting today under Tools - Other Settings - Wan: Use local caching DNS server as system resolver (default: No) - I changed it to Yes.

Thanks

 

[dave14305]

For the names to be registered in the local DNS, you should assign them on the LAN / DHCP Server page. The names assigned in the Client List (Network Map) are for display purposes only within the UI. There are more advanced ways to assign a specific hostname to a MAC address for a DHCP client, but let's start simply.

 

[cw-kid]

Thanks for the reply.

I added the Host name FireTV in the LAN / DHCP Server area instead and now I can ping just the name firetv from my laptop so that worked OK.

Another question if I may.

On the LAN / DHCP Server page there are four columns:

Client Name (MAC Address) / IP Address / DNS Server (Optional) / Host Name

What does the DNS Server (Optional) column mean?

Some of my client devices in that column say Default or Undefined

Whilst most of the client devices in the DNS Server (Optional) column, just list their own hostname in this column as well as in the actual hostname column.

 

[dave14305]

Thanks for the reply.

I added the Host name FireTV in the LAN / DHCP Server area instead and now I can ping just the name firetv from my laptop so that worked OK.

Another question if I may.

On the LAN / DHCP Server page there are four columns:

Client Name (MAC Address) / IP Address / DNS Server (Optional) / Host Name

What does the DNS Server (Optional) column mean?

Some of my client devices in that column say Default or Undefined

Whilst most of the client devices in the DNS Server (Optional) column, just list their own hostname in this column as well as in the actual hostname column.

The DNS Server column is a way to provide a specific DNS server to a specific DHCP client. You may want to offer OpenDNS IP for your kids' devices, for example. I think there's a bug in your data for the doorbell because the hostname should not be empty. I would suggest deleting the Doorbell and saving. Most items should be "Default" meaning they will use the router IP for DNS or whatever is assigned in the DNS server fields higher up on the page.

 

[cw-kid]

OK many thanks that makes sense, I will try and correct the client devices in the LAN / DHCP Server page on the router, that are not quite correct.

I have been pulling my hair out for days with a brand new wireless Canon InkJet printer. The Canon Android app was not finding or detecting the printer no matter what I tried.

Looking in the LAN / DHCP Server page the printer also had no hostname like the doorbell in my above screenshot.
I edited the printer client device and add a hostname called printer and the Canon Android app found the printer instantly.

So you fixed my printer problems as well !

Cheers