WINS Server Replacement for Multi-Location VPN Network

[Mike S]

I have a multi-location VPN network using Asus Routers running Merlin firmware. Each location has multiple Window 10 and 11 computers.

I have been using a WINS Server so that the computers at each location can access computers at remote locations. I would like to shut down my WINS Server and switch to a more up to date solution.

What are my options that will replace WINS to permit all of my computers to talk to each other?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Wow! Still running a WINS server. Welcome to the 1990's.

DNS is the de facto replacement for WINS.

 

[Mike S]

Please explain exactly how I am suppose to use DNS to replace WINS in my situation.

I am using the default DNS Server in the ASUS routers in my network. When I do an nslookup on the computers at a location, all of the computers at that location are resolved correctly.

I have configured the VPN Server on each router to advertise DNS to clients. On each of the routers in my network, I have configured the VPN Clients to Accept the DNS Configuration pushed by the server. I have tried Relaxed, Strict, and Exclusive modes. Regardless of my settings, when I run an nslookup at the remote location, the computers at the server location are not resolved. Note: If I specify the server router as the DNS server in the nslookup command at the remote location, the name resolves correctly.

What am I doing wrong? How can I get the default nslookup at the remote location to properly resolve the names at the server location?

 

[sfx2000]

I have a multi-location VPN network using Asus Routers running Merlin firmware. Each location has multiple Window 10 and 11 computers.

I have been using a WINS Server so that the computers at each location can access computers at remote locations. I would like to shut down my WINS Server and switch to a more up to date solution.

If you have a solution that is working, I would seriously suggest keep it as is...

MSFT is deprecating WINS, which is old legacy code, and they say use DNS - which is fine, but since your hosts are inside your local (and extended) network, you have to put those machines into the DNS server hosts file so that local DNS can resolve - VPN can and will add some additional complexity if you're running multiple file servers...

 

[Mike S]

If you have a solution that is working, I would seriously suggest keep it as is...

MSFT is deprecating WINS, which is old legacy code, and they say use DNS - which is fine, but since your hosts are inside your local (and extended) network, you have to put those machines into the DNS server hosts file so that local DNS can resolve - VPN can and will add some additional complexity if you're running multiple file servers...

WINS is working great for me. However, my WINS server is a Windows 2003 Server, which I want to shut down. I don't have any other Windows Servers in my network. All of my computers are Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Pro. It doesn't appear that any of these computers can be a WINS server, which is forcing me to look at other alternatives.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Note: If I specify the server router as the DNS server in the nslookup command at the remote location, the name resolves correctly.

This is what I would expect.

So for example, if your local domain name is "lan1" and the remote domain name is "lan2", you should use the FQDN to address hosts on the remote LAN (e.g. printer.lan2). However, to make this seamless I would use the dnsmasq --server option to forward queries for remote LAN to the correct DNS server address.

Man page of DNSMASQ

EDIT: If you wanted something a bit more analogous to NetBIOS/WINS you might want to look into mDNS. I believe Windows 10 and 11 now support it without the need to install third party software. To get it working across networks you'd have to setup an mDNS reflector. Whether that's a viable option would depend on the specifics of your network design.