Internal DNS lookups…

[stevewm]

I am trying to setup PFSense to use OpenDNS (for content filtering)

I am having problems in that when I set PFSense to use OpenDNS' servers, Windows computer name lookups stop working.  They all start resolving to OpenDNS' IP..  IF PFSense is setup for our ISP's DNS servers, or the infamous 4.2.2.2 then computer name lookups resolve correctly to their internal IPs.  Also, if I look at OpenDNS stats page I see that lookups for internal names are being passed on to OpenDNS.

PFSense is the sole router/firewall.  All computers on the network are Windows XP.  Workgroup networking only, no domain.

What am I missing here?

[Perry]

Could it be that Services -> DNS
DNS forwarder ain't ticked?

[stevewm]

I found the answer…..

The problem was not PFSense at all, but an OpenDNS setting and the way Windows handles lookups.

Windows lookups go in this order:

HOSTS file
DNS Server
NetBIOS Name Table

For NetBIOS names to lookup correctly, the first 2 options have to fail.  With the "typo correction" feature enabled on OpenDNS, #2 never fails and thus Windows never gets to look for a NetBIOS name.

Registering a OpenDNS account and turning off typo correction fixes the problem.  Of course a proper AD/Domain setup would as well...