Windows 7: Remote Desktop - Only Connects With IP Not Computer Name?

Hello Everyone,

I recently got my remote desktop working in my home LAN, but I can ONLY connect to to my machine via its IP address. It refuses to connect through the actual computer-name as I would prefer to.

I'm assuming here that there is a possible issue with the IP is tied to the computer-name, aka some type of DNS issue. Keep in mind I am not trying to access my computer "globally" I am just trying to connect to via its computer name when I am at home and connected to my home LAN.


If anyone can offer any suggestions or help, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,




--Asif

What operating systems are the the computers on your LAN running? Do they belong to the same workgroup? Do the all have the same octet (192.168.0.xxx)?

Hey Kegobeer,

My Desktop is running Windows 7, and I am trying to connect from my Windows 7 work laptop (also tried from my Mac laptop using the Microsoft Remote Desktop client) with the same result on both machines. That they can only connect to my desktop via IP address and not the actual computer-name.

The Mac and the Desktop are on the same workgroup, and obviously my work laptop is on a different workgroup.

Yes, they all have the same "192.168.2.xxx" octet IP. As I said, my gut is my desktop computer-name is not mapped correctly, but I'm not familiar enough with ipconfig / ping / etc. to figure all that out easily.

If you have any other questions, please let me know! =)

Thanks!

TTT

When you open the network browser, do the computer names show?

Hey Kegobeer,

I see the following:


tsclient from what I read is my RDP connection from my mac to my Windows 7 desktop, since I have file sharing turned on.

Again, I think its something with the general way the IP is assigned to my computer name (AsifAhmad-DT).

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Thanks.

TTT

since there's no local dns server they're connecting to, they won't know how to resolve the names to the IP's. If you type "ping (yourpcname)" in a commandline (start>search>cmd and click the first result) on one of the clients does it resolve to an IP or just say "ping request could not find host"?

For a solution either way, you can do this:

Go to C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc and open the "hosts" file in notepad.

At the end of the text start a new line (don't include a star\asterisk in front this time) and type in the remote PC's IP, then a space and then the FQDN (which you can find by right-clicking Computer>properties and looking at "Full computer name"). Then save and exit and try RDP with the workstation name again.

You need to do this to each computer, but this is the best solution because you only have a few. There may be a full-on fix and some weird local-dns-emulation with homegroups but I'm far more familiar with domains, as "homegroups" are newer (usually temporary) implementations from Microsoft that seem to get phased out and completely redesigned with every new Windows.

Hopefully that helps.