What are some solutions to access Windows by its computer name from Linux and Mac using TCP/IP. That is, from terminal I want to be able to ping my Windows PCs using its host name.
My setup is:
- Various machines running Ubuntu, Windows XP and OS X.
- Networked using a consumer grade wireless router which provides DHCP.
- The only DNS is the ISP's, which resolves Internet names and not local host names.
The Windows machines can ping each other by name. The Ubuntu and OS X machines can only ping Windows by IP address (name doesn't work).
Best Answer
I ended up going with multicast DNS by installing Apple's Bonjour. Now I can address the Windows PCs by using the address
hostname.localfrom the OS X and Linux machines.