why can't i ping windows machine in the same domain?

i have installed redhat9.0 and start samba services. I can ping linux
machine from windows machine with machine name. but i can't ping windows
machine in linux with machine name. who can tell me why? thanks for your
advice!

lgn wrote:
>
> i have installed redhat9.0 and start samba services. I can ping linux
> machine from windows machine with machine name. but i can't ping windows
> machine in linux with machine name. who can tell me why? thanks for your
> advice!

Windows uses non standard sources for name resolution for TCP/IP
services. In this case it is using a NetBIOS name for ping, obtained
from Samba. Linux complies with standards and uses the normal sources of
name resolution i.e. /etc/hosts, DNS and (if available) NIS(+).

If you have no local DNS, put the Windows machine in the Linux machine's
/etc/hosts.

Regards, Ian

In article <bermhd$31g6$(E-Mail Removed)>, lgn wrote:
> i have installed redhat9.0 and start samba services. I can ping linux
> machine from windows machine with machine name. but i can't ping windows
> machine in linux with machine name. who can tell me why? thanks for your

You have not configured TCP/IP name resolution. On the Linux machine,
"smbclient -L windows_machine_name" might work, using the same NetBIOS
name resolution as the DOS ping did.

DOS ping.exe is built to use NetBIOS name resolution, helping contribute
to Windows users' complete confusion and inability to distinguish among
differing network protocols. Don't feel bad, you're not alone.
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