DHCP-Enabled MS-DOS Clients Do Not Resolve Host Names

When you ping a host name from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) enabled LAN Manager for MS-DOS version 2.2c or Network Client for MS-DOS version 3.0 client computer, the following error message may appear: NOTE: IPCONFIG returns the current configuration including the WINS server. If you ping a valid IP address, or use the NET VIEW or NET USE command, the operation is successful.

This problem occurs if the entry for the host name does not exist in the HOSTS file. LAN Manager for MS-DOS version 2.2c client and Network Client for MS-DOS version 3.0 can be WINS-enabled. When you ping a host name from a DHCP-enabled client, the order of name resolution should be as follows:

1. Local host name
2. HOSTS file
3. DNS
4. Local NetBIOS cache
5. WINS server
6. Broadcast

However, NMTSR.EXE, which handles ping requests, is only using the HOSTS file. It does not check the local host name. A protocol trace may reveal that nothing was sent out on the network.

To work around this problem, enter the host names, including the local host name, in the HOSTS file.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in LAN Manager for MS-DOS version 2.2c and Network Client version 3.0 for MS-DOS.