No DNS using airport card

[lukeg]

I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
where to look?

[Steve W. Jackson]

In article <48b1003.0310011308.1e7e4233@posting.google.com> ,
[email]pseudonym422@yahoo.com[/email] (lukeg) wrote:

:> I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
:> Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
:> no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
:> entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
:> process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
:> where to look?

The resolv.conf file isn't supposed to be updated by anything in
practical use. A DHCP server is supposed to be able to assign you an IP
address, set your default gateway/router address, and provide DNS
entries for you. The resolv.conf file is supposed to determine whether
to use both DNS and a local "hosts" file, and in which order.

= Steve =
--
Steve W. Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama

[lukeg]

"Steve W. Jackson" <stevewjackson@charter.net> wrote in message news:<stevewjackson-929DD3.16392901102003@corp.supernews.com>...

> In article <48b1003.0310011308.1e7e4233@posting.google.com> ,
> [email]pseudonym422@yahoo.com[/email] (lukeg) wrote:
>
> :> I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
> :> Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
> :> no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
> :> entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
> :> process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
> :> where to look?
>
> The resolv.conf file isn't supposed to be updated by anything in
> practical use. A DHCP server is supposed to be able to assign you an IP
> address, set your default gateway/router address, and provide DNS
> entries for you. The resolv.conf file is supposed to determine whether
> to use both DNS and a local "hosts" file, and in which order.
>
> = Steve =

Hmm. That is counter to the other UNIX variants I know, but I'm
getting a rapid education in Apple idiosyncrasies. If your assertion
is correct, then I am confused as to why adding:
nameserver 192.168.1.1

temporarily resolved (heh) my DNS problem. Supposing you are correct,
then what file(s) is DHCP supposed to update for DNS to work?

[Bev A. Kupf]

On 1 Oct 2003 18:49:28 -0700,
lukeg (google@512salsa.tv) wrote:

> "Steve W. Jackson" <stevewjackson@charter.net> wrote in message news:<stevewjackson-929DD3.16392901102003@corp.supernews.com>...

>> In article <48b1003.0310011308.1e7e4233@posting.google.com> ,
>> [email]pseudonym422@yahoo.com[/email] (lukeg) wrote:
>>
>> :> I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
>> :> Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
>> :> no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
>> :> entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
>> :> process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
>> :> where to look?
>>
>> The resolv.conf file isn't supposed to be updated by anything in
>> practical use. A DHCP server is supposed to be able to assign you an IP
>> address, set your default gateway/router address, and provide DNS
>> entries for you. The resolv.conf file is supposed to determine whether
>> to use both DNS and a local "hosts" file, and in which order.

Under other Unixes that I have used (Linux, Solaris), resolv.conf contains
the domain names to search, and the IP address(es) of the nameserver(s).

Under Linux, host.conf will contain information as to whether to use DNS,
a local hosts file, and in which order, not resolv.conf.

On both my OS X computers, /etc/resolv.conf contains the domain name, and
IP addresses of nameservers. One of them (my laptop) gets its configuration
from a WAP. Each time it gets configured via DHCP, a new file gets written
to /var/run/resolv.conf which is soft-linked to /etc/resolv.conf. The
file contains:
domain dsl.sbcglobal.net
nameserver 206.141.251.2
nameserver 206.141.193.168

Beverly
--
Bev A. Kupf
"The lyfe so short, the craft so long to lerne" -- Chaucer
Sussex - Division One Champions 2003!

[Steve W. Jackson]

In article <5481e093.0310011749.5c30bcfc@posting.google.com >,
[email]google@512salsa.tv[/email] (lukeg) wrote:

:> "Steve W. Jackson" <stevewjackson@charter.net> wrote in message
:> news:<stevewjackson-929DD3.16392901102003@corp.supernews.com>...
:> > In article <48b1003.0310011308.1e7e4233@posting.google.com> ,
:> > [email]pseudonym422@yahoo.com[/email] (lukeg) wrote:
:> >
:> > :> I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
:> > :> Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
:> > :> no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
:> > :> entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
:> > :> process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
:> > :> where to look?
:> >
:> > The resolv.conf file isn't supposed to be updated by anything in
:> > practical use. A DHCP server is supposed to be able to assign you an IP
:> > address, set your default gateway/router address, and provide DNS
:> > entries for you. The resolv.conf file is supposed to determine whether
:> > to use both DNS and a local "hosts" file, and in which order.
:> >
:> > = Steve =
:>
:> Hmm. That is counter to the other UNIX variants I know, but I'm
:> getting a rapid education in Apple idiosyncrasies. If your assertion
:> is correct, then I am confused as to why adding:
:> nameserver 192.168.1.1
:>
:> temporarily resolved (heh) my DNS problem. Supposing you are correct,
:> then what file(s) is DHCP supposed to update for DNS to work?

I probably wasn't all that clear. If you set DNS entries in your
Network preference pane, it *does* cause entries in your resolv.conf
file. But if you're set to get your DNS numbers from a DHCP server,
then there should NOT be any entries made in your resolv.conf file when
you get an IP assigned. To the best of my recollection, this is
consistent with all Unix flavors I've used.

I too have had odd DNS behaviors. Sometimes, I can leave those values
empty in my Network prefs, and all is well. Then, for no apparent
reason, I get frequent DNS failures, so I respond by putting the DNS
values I see in my router into my own machine's settings and it's
solved. So there may indeed be something wrong with Apple's way of
doing things.

= Steve =
--
Steve W. Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama

[Steve W. Jackson]

In article <slrnbnn27r.dol.bevakupf@myhome.net>,
"Bev A. Kupf" <bevakupf@myhome.net> wrote:

:> On 1 Oct 2003 18:49:28 -0700,
:> lukeg (google@512salsa.tv) wrote:
:> > "Steve W. Jackson" <stevewjackson@charter.net> wrote in message
:> > news:<stevewjackson-929DD3.16392901102003@corp.supernews.com>...
:> >> In article <48b1003.0310011308.1e7e4233@posting.google.com> ,
:> >> [email]pseudonym422@yahoo.com[/email] (lukeg) wrote:
:> >>
:> >> :> I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
:> >> :> Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
:> >> :> no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
:> >> :> entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
:> >> :> process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
:> >> :> where to look?
:> >>
:> >> The resolv.conf file isn't supposed to be updated by anything in
:> >> practical use. A DHCP server is supposed to be able to assign you an IP
:> >> address, set your default gateway/router address, and provide DNS
:> >> entries for you. The resolv.conf file is supposed to determine whether
:> >> to use both DNS and a local "hosts" file, and in which order.
:>
:> Under other Unixes that I have used (Linux, Solaris), resolv.conf contains
:> the domain names to search, and the IP address(es) of the nameserver(s).
:>
:> Under Linux, host.conf will contain information as to whether to use DNS,
:> a local hosts file, and in which order, not resolv.conf.
:>
:> On both my OS X computers, /etc/resolv.conf contains the domain name, and
:> IP addresses of nameservers. One of them (my laptop) gets its configuration
:> from a WAP. Each time it gets configured via DHCP, a new file gets written
:> to /var/run/resolv.conf which is soft-linked to /etc/resolv.conf. The
:> file contains:
:> domain dsl.sbcglobal.net
:> nameserver 206.141.251.2
:> nameserver 206.141.193.168
:>
:> Beverly


I haven't used Solaris in quite some time, so I don't recall details on
it. And I've only very recently touched any Linux at all. On AIX, AT&T
System V, and SCO Unixware, however, I'm reasonably sure that I recall
the /etc/resolv.conf file containing what you describe here (that is,
the search domains, if specified, and name servers) PLUS an (optional)
entry saying whether to use both a host file and BIND (name server), and
in which order to consult them.

I just checked my /var/run/resolv.conf file and the sym link. It was
updated overnight, likely as of when my DHCP lease expired on my router.
Seems consistent with your belief that it's updated by DHCP assignment.

= Steve =
--
Steve W. Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama

[lukeg]

"Steve W. Jackson" <stevewjackson@charter.net> wrote in message news:<stevewjackson-4F025C.08553102102003@corp.supernews.com>...

> In article <slrnbnn27r.dol.bevakupf@myhome.net>,
> "Bev A. Kupf" <bevakupf@myhome.net> wrote:
>
> :> On 1 Oct 2003 18:49:28 -0700,
> :> lukeg (google@512salsa.tv) wrote:
> :> > "Steve W. Jackson" <stevewjackson@charter.net> wrote in message
> :> > news:<stevewjackson-929DD3.16392901102003@corp.supernews.com>...
> :> >> In article <48b1003.0310011308.1e7e4233@posting.google.com> ,
> :> >> [email]pseudonym422@yahoo.com[/email] (lukeg) wrote:
> :> >>
> :> >> :> I use my iBook with internal airport card in various free wifi spots.
> :> >> :> Recently, although DHCP continues to work and assign an IP address, I
> :> >> :> no longer have DNS. I can probe the local net and manually add an
> :> >> :> entry to /etc/resolv.conf, but this is tedious. I don't know which
> :> >> :> process is supposed to update resolv.conf, if any. Suggestion for
> :> >> :> where to look?
> :> >>
> :> >> The resolv.conf file isn't supposed to be updated by anything in
> :> >> practical use. A DHCP server is supposed to be able to assign you an IP
> :> >> address, set your default gateway/router address, and provide DNS
> :> >> entries for you. The resolv.conf file is supposed to determine whether
> :> >> to use both DNS and a local "hosts" file, and in which order.
> :>
> :> Under other Unixes that I have used (Linux, Solaris), resolv.conf contains
> :> the domain names to search, and the IP address(es) of the nameserver(s).
> :>
> :> Under Linux, host.conf will contain information as to whether to use DNS,
> :> a local hosts file, and in which order, not resolv.conf.
> :>
> :> On both my OS X computers, /etc/resolv.conf contains the domain name, and
> :> IP addresses of nameservers. One of them (my laptop) gets its configuration
> :> from a WAP. Each time it gets configured via DHCP, a new file gets written
> :> to /var/run/resolv.conf which is soft-linked to /etc/resolv.conf. The
> :> file contains:
> :> domain dsl.sbcglobal.net
> :> nameserver 206.141.251.2
> :> nameserver 206.141.193.168
> :>
> :> Beverly
>
>
> I haven't used Solaris in quite some time, so I don't recall details on
> it. And I've only very recently touched any Linux at all. On AIX, AT&T
> System V, and SCO Unixware, however, I'm reasonably sure that I recall
> the /etc/resolv.conf file containing what you describe here (that is,
> the search domains, if specified, and name servers) PLUS an (optional)
> entry saying whether to use both a host file and BIND (name server), and
> in which order to consult them.
>
> I just checked my /var/run/resolv.conf file and the sym link. It was
> updated overnight, likely as of when my DHCP lease expired on my router.
> Seems consistent with your belief that it's updated by DHCP assignment.
>
> = Steve =

I went into /var/run and there was no resolv.conf, so I touched it,
then did a sym link to /etc, reconnected to the network, and...
I got DNS.

Steve, thanks for your help. This has been bugging me for weeks. I'm
heading to the coffee shop to give it a more thorough test.

[lukeg]

> Steve, thanks for your help. This has been bugging me for weeks. I'm

> heading to the coffee shop to give it a more thorough test.

Oops. Thanks also to Beverly for mentioning /var/run/resolv.conf.