Question hostname access through vpn ssl without local domain

[mamaxv]

hello,
how to access remotely, through an ssl vpn, computers with their hostname and not their ip ?
The remote network does not have a local domain with a domain controller, the computers are all in workgroups.
I know it's possible because one of my clients works like that but I don't know how he did that, he accesses a computer with his hostname without fqdn...
Thanks

 

[Fallen Kell]

Well, there are really only two choices here. Either there is a DNS server somewhere that is keeping track of the hostnames, or you are using a local hosts file that has all the hostnames and ip addresses in it that needs to be updated across all the systems whenever a change occurs.

Assuming this is a windows environment, the hosts file would be located "c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts".

 

[lantis3]

ZeroTier / Tailscale

 

[mamaxv]

Yes indeed, you actually just need to have a DNS server.
But I have a question, my computers have the IP of the DNS server in primary DNS but they do not register in the DNS even if I do an "ipconfig /registerdns".
Do I have to register them manually?
I never have these problems when there is a domain controller.
Thanks

 

[mamaxv]

Hello, can someone help me with my last message ?
Thanks !

 

[lantis3]

Already mentioned above, if you setup ZeroTier VPN, no DNS required. You can use computer name directly. There are many tutorials on Youtube.

Not so sure about Tailscale. Many tutorials on YT too.

 

[mamaxv]

I don't know these tools and I don't want to use third party tools. In addition, there is already a firewall in place, so I have to use the VPN system of this firewall.
Does anyone know why my computers can't register automatically in my DNS ?
I don't have this problem in networks with a domain controller.
Thanks

 

[lantis3]

ZeroTier/Tailscale does not require you configure firewall at all.

And what is "your" DNS? Desktop Windows from Windows 3.0 to Windows 11 never came with any DNS server. You are only using public DNS servers from your ISP, or Google's DNS, all the time. You never own any DNS.

When you are in a domain, it's your company's domain controller providing the DNS.

If you want your own DNS server, I recommend Technitium DNS. Or Pi-hole running on another machine

You have to watch tutorials on Youtube. I'm not going to hold your hand,

 

[mamaxv]

my dns server is under windows server, so no problem. I don't have a domain controller but that's not a problem.
On the other hand, I don't understand why computers don't register in my DNS.

 

[lantis3]

Can't communicate, can't help, sorry.

 

[mamaxv]

yes we let it go. You don't offer me interesting things

 

[JackMDS]

May be this can help.

Guidance for troubleshooting DNS - Windows Server

Introduces general guidance for troubleshooting scenarios related to DNS.

learn.microsoft.com

 

[Fallen Kell]

Typically you need to configure your VPN client to use the DNS server of the environment you are connecting into when your VPN connection is enabled. Since you havn't said what VPN software you use, none of us can tell you how to do it.

I can give you generic guidance, such as with OpenVPN (a common used VPN client):

1) Turn off the VPN connection (you can not edit this if it is enabled)
2) OpenVPN will use by default directory of "C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenVPN\config\" for storing it's config files. You will need to edit the appropriate file that already contains your VPN settings file (usually a .ovpn or .conf file extension) for this connection with a text editor. These files are in XML format, and you need to add the following "dhcp-option DNS XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" (changing XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX to the correct IP address of the DNS server that runs in the remote environment) into the correct section.
3) Turn on the VPN connection....


Usually the VPN server would have these settings configured in it already so that the client would not need to set these, but that isn't always the case, and certainly looks like it in your situation.