Explorer does not recognize hosts file

  • Thread starter Thread starter kohlerm
  • Start date Start date
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kohlerm

Hi,
I entered an alias "Database" for my database machine into my hosts
file.
Pinging "Database" works, but trying to access the machine using
"\\Database" in the Explorer doesn't work.

Does anybody here have an idea what the problem could be ?

Regards,
Markus
 
In
kohlerm said:
Hi,
I entered an alias "Database" for my database machine into my hosts
file.
Pinging "Database" works, but trying to access the machine using
"\\Database" in the Explorer doesn't work.

Does anybody here have an idea what the problem could be ?

Regards,
Markus
Click to expand...

That has nothing to do with your hosts file. If your hosts file has the
entry:

database 192.168.1.55

and you ping database, and get that IP address in your reply, well, it's
doing its job.

The issue has to do with the database machine itself. Is file & printer
sharing enabled? Is NetBIOS over TCP/IP enabled on all PCs on your network?
Is the computer browser service running on all PCs? Do you have any actual
shares set up on the database computer? What OS does it run, anyway?
 
Hi,
I entered an alias "Database" for my database machine into my hosts
file.
Pinging "Database" works, but trying to access the machine using
"\\Database" in the Explorer doesn't work.

Does anybody here have an idea what the problem could be ?

Regards,
Markus
Click to expand...

Markus,

Try "ping database" from a command window. Does the name database resolve
properly? See if you're using DNS based name resolution. If you're just using
NetBIOS broadcasts, using a Hosts entry (which generally is used only for
distant hosts) won't make any difference.

Try enabling LMHosts lookup (on the WINS tab under TCP/IP Properties -
Advanced), and put an entry in LMHosts.

Please let us know if any of these suggestions are of any help. What you learn
may help others in the future, and that's the purpose of these forums.
 
Hi,
I'm able to ping the machine from the commandline, no problems.
I'm also able to see the shares when I use the IP address in the
Explorer.
NetBios over TCP/IC is enabled.
I'm running Windows XP SP1 on all machines.

The entry in the hosts file is the other way around. First comes the IP
address then the name. That should be correct, shouldn't it ?

Regards,
Markus
 
kohlerm said:
Hi,
I'm able to ping the machine from the commandline, no problems.
I'm also able to see the shares when I use the IP address in the
Explorer.
NetBios over TCP/IC is enabled.
I'm running Windows XP SP1 on all machines.
Click to expand...

Can you ping by *name*, not IP?
If so, are you able to explore \\computername in Windows Explorer (where
computername=the computer whose IP address you're able to ping
successfully)?
The entry in the hosts file is the other way around. First comes the IP
address then the name. That should be correct, shouldn't it ?
Click to expand...

Yes; my brain was evidently elsewhere why I replied before. Sorry about
that.
 
Hi, I got the same problem in my XP SP1 suddenly last week, before I could
ping the host name in my local hosts file. I checked regedit tcpip
parameter path correctly points to windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. I
run ipconfig /flushdns, and retried ping still no luck. Much appretiated if
someone can help, Thanks!!

regards,
Matthew
 
Hi, I got the same problem in my XP SP1 suddenly last week, before I could
ping the host name in my local hosts file. I checked regedit tcpip
parameter path correctly points to windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. I
run ipconfig /flushdns, and retried ping still no luck. Much appretiated if
someone can help, Thanks!!

regards,
Matthew
 
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