DNS naming for clients with static IP

[rubarb]

Hi,

I am new to pfsense and I use the built in dhcp server for most of my clients, but there are some with a static IP. When I want to reach pfsense via webbrowser I type: firewall.example and I am there. I would like to do the same for my switch and server: switch.example and server.example. Both have a static IP so they will be up and reachable no matter if pfsense is running. How would I do this? Is there a howto?

I am using 2.2.

Thanks for your advice
rubarb

[phil.davis]

If you are using pfSense as your DNS Forwarder then just go to Services->DNS Forwarder
Add Host Overrides to specify Host and Domain (=FQDN) and IP address of each device.
Then clients can use those names.

[rubarb]

I added the clients to  host overrides and restarted dnsmaq. But I can not ping them with: "ping switch.example" => Could not find the host.  Do I need to add the names to the client configuration as well?

I have installed bandwithd and it says: "192.168.64.2 - Configure DNS to reverse this IP" I guess this means adding host overrides didnt help, right?

edit:
OK, seems to work after a reboot  ::) :D

[phil.davis]

It should not need a pfSense reboot, everything should be restarted as needed wwhen saving on the GUI.
It might have needed clearing of the client cache - if the client had looked up the name recently and unsuccessfully then it can cache the fact that the name does not exist. On Windows "ipconfig /flushdns" will clear the name cache, but a reboot will do that also!

[johnpoz]

what did you put for the domain on the host, what are you doing the query for - does you machine use search suffixes. Is the forwarder working for looking up say www.google.com.  Are you SURE you pointing to your forwarder.  Do you have pfsense using the forwarder via 127.0.0.1

How about you show us your host over rides, and then simple query.

C:>dig i5-w7.local.lan

; <<>> DiG 9.10-P2 <<>> i5-w7.local.lan
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 30484
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 4096
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;i5-w7.local.lan.              IN      A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
i5-w7.local.lan.        86400  IN      A      192.168.1.100

;; Query time: 3 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.1.253#53(192.168.1.253)
;; WHEN: Tue Oct 07 06:32:35 Central Daylight Time 2014
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 60

C:>dig -x 192.168.1.100

; <<>> DiG 9.10-P2 <<>> -x 192.168.1.100
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 29216
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 4096
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;100.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa.    IN      PTR

;; ANSWER SECTION:
100.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa. 86400 IN    PTR    i5-w7.local.lan.

;; Query time: 2 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.1.253#53(192.168.1.253)
;; WHEN: Tue Oct 07 06:32:46 Central Daylight Time 2014
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 84

C:>