I thought we resolved this?.
Didn't we conclude that you can access remote desktop by the computers ip address, but not the host name,
Therefore I'd say remote desktop is strugling to resolve your host name , which points to DNS ISSUE
We could manually add a rule to the host files on both systems, but both machines will need to run a static ip address for this.
The ipconfig /flushdns clears Windows' DNS cache. It may or may not do anything, but might be worth a shot. It is useful for when there are recent DNS changes.
It would be best for you to configure those DNS addresses on your router, and then choose Automatic Settings instead of auto IP / static DNS on the clients.
So your running off a modem with a public address and your firewall is turned off? Each pc has a different modem?
This has to be a DNS issue, Your modem/router can not resolve the host name to it's ip address.
Example:
Computer name: bradley
IP address of computer: 10.0.0.2
In Remote Desktop: trying to connect to computer name : bradley
Your router would then translate that name using DNS to find out it's ip address (10.0.0.2 ) Then it will connect.
However, You're DNS, (were ever thats handelled) on your network, is failing to resolve bradley to 10.0.0.2
Come to think of it. This could also be a NAT issue.
From the above your pc is connected to the switch which is giving out an ip address in the 255.255.240.0 subnet.No: 1 Modem, 1 Switch
Behind the switch a UTP to PC and a wireless access point for the laptop
You also have a wi-fi router connected to the switch which receives a ip address to it's WAN port from the 255.255.240.0 subnet from the switch.
However your laptop is conneted to the wi-fi router so that will be receiving an ip address from it's DHCP server in the 255.255.255.0subnet probably a 192. address which is a different subnet to what your pc is in. Netbios does not traverse subnets on it's own only name resolution is available in the same subnet.
You had said they were both in the 255.255.240.0 subnet does not appear this is the case.
At some point i am summising here that both pc and laptop were connected to the switch directly with a UTP cable putting them in the same subnet allowing netbios to do name resolution or both were connected to the router allowing the same.
So ip address resolution is only what you are going to get and if it is working why mess about with it leave it as it is.
If you so wish you may forward the netbios ports 137 and 138 thru the router to your laptop ip address which would have to be static for it to work as using DHCP would mean the ip address may change and portforward rule would not work to the ip address specified in the rule.
You would also have to multicast netbios from your laptop to the WAN 255.255.240.0 subnet as well to allow name resolution but is risky if you can't point it to a certain ip address and will be accessible from the internet unless you can disable netbios requests from WAN on the switch.
If i was you leave it as it is if everything is working fine.
They are both in the same subnet.
I don't have a wireless router, only a wireless access point.
I'll leave it this way.
I know the problem now. I don't want to disable opendns just for the reason that i can't use the computer name. IP works fine, and they are static, so i'll make some remote desktop shortcuts..
Thanks to everyone for the help!
I would highly recommend NOT doing either of these things--they would open up your connection to the internet and hackers would have a feeding frenzy if you open up NETBIOS to the world.f you so wish you may forward the netbios ports 137 and 138 thru the router to your laptop ip address which would have to be static for it to work as using DHCP would mean the ip address may change and portforward rule would not work to the ip address specified in the rule.
You would also have to multicast netbios from your laptop to the WAN 255.255.240.0 subnet as well to allow name resolution but is risky if you can't point it to a certain ip address and will be accessible from the internet unless you can disable netbios requests from WAN on the switch.
I would agree that if it is working now, leave it as is, and hopefully your modem has good enough of a built-in firewall--if not, you should consider investing in a router (as opposed to an access point)
Quote