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Currently configuring a new mac server to be used in an environment with 40+ macs. I am having an issue accessing the server using server.local on devices that our connected to our WLAN. Devices connected to our wired LAN have no issue connecting to the mac as it is on the same LAN. Devices connected to our WLAN cannot connect to the mac with server.local, although it can connect by entering the servers IP address.

A basic explanation of our network:

Sonicwall has a zone configured for LAN on 192.168.1.X, and has a WLAN zone with 2 VLANs for 2 separate wireless networks, with the wireless network that is trying to connect to the server on 172.31.10.X.

Obviously this is a DNS issue but I just can't seem to find where to fix it. Is it on the server, the client end, or the sonicwall.

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  • does this 'sever' have the ability to be configured as a DNS server? What DNS addresses are being handed out on the WLAN segment (via DHCP I would assume)? Are they the same as the addresses being handed out on the LAN segment? If the two VLANs can communicate I would take a look to make sure everyone has the same DNS info on the LAN and WLAN sides.
    – Richie086
    Jan 7, 2014 at 18:34
  • The server can be configured as a DNS server. The same DNS addresses are being handed out to both the LAN and WLAN, and they are external name servers. Maybe what I should try is to configure the server as a DNS and then point the LAN and WLAN to that. Jan 9, 2014 at 15:18
  • That's exactly what I was going to suggest that you do. :)
    – Richie086
    Jan 10, 2014 at 17:54

1 Answer 1

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.local is a special top level domain, which is resolved using mDNS instead of standard unicast DNS (at least since Mac OS 9 as stated in RFC6762. As such, .local can not be resolved beyond the link on which the computer is.

Work is currently being done by the IETF to extend mDNS beyond the local link (see for example draft-cheshire-mdnsext-hybrid), but for now, you will have to set up a local DNS server, and define an entry for this computer (not in the .local TLD).

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