"http://computername" not recognized

[Ed]

I've set up a Windows 2000 server, running a local website on IIS. On other
Windows workstation, I could access this website simply by referring to the
server's computer name. For example, http://mylocalserver.

But on the Mac workstation (which is also connected to the same network), we
cannot access http://mylocalserver. We have to use the server's IP address
instead For example, http://192.......

Why is that?

 

[Ray at]

I don't know how Macs resolve host names, but I'd imagine that DNS is one of
the ways. When you use the computername, that is probably resolved by the
NT machine's browser service or by a WINS server. I imagine that Mac
doesn't have a computer browser service... And I also imagine that Macs
don't support WINS. So, you need another way to resolve the computer name.
DNS should be an option, and whatever other ways Macs have of resolving host
names.

Ray at work

 

[George Hester]

When you type in http://mymachinename from a machine that is not the machine you are using for the MachineName then what you are doing is what is called an Unqualified DNS name look up. Unless your DNS server can qualify it for the Mac the Mac will not find it.