On 01/05/14 09:43, Chris Green wrote: [SNIP]
Yes, running dnsmasq on the BBB is a possibility, but I still don't understand how the non-techie sort of person is supposed to deal with 2 printers, a Siemens Gigaset, a NAS backup, etc. on their home network. It was more of a rant than a request for help - sorry! :-)
Well most (typoed that as "moist" the first time!) will be using Windows. The last time I used Windows regularly, the situation was this (NB This may be out of date now).
Windows tends to run WINS and or DNS on all machines, so as soon as you turn one on it interrogates the local network to find out is there's a DNS server there. If there's not, the machine says "Right, I'll do it".
As an aside, sometimes I used to get into situations where there were machines that though they were in charge, that they were the "browse master", and then one of them would force an "election" to decide who won. This would inevitable result in loss of routing until they agreed. This is how I found out about this!
So on a typical system, DHCP on the router will dole (sp) out the IP addresses and a windows machine will take note of the names, and what each machine thinks it should be called. Generally, it's only a PC that might want to access things by name anyway, so most things will "Just Work" (for some value of just work).
A non-techie person might get the printer and the NAS set up, but may have to assign static IP addresses to them. They might just about get the phones working too. They will rely on the instructions which will be simple enough to follow, or they'll get their techy mate in to do it, or phone a helpline or get a shop or engineer to help.
We (non Windows-ey folks) will tend to get a harder time because the instructions don't cater for us, we're not blessed/cursed with windows machines running UPnP, DNS, WINS and every other service under the sun just in case something needs it - we have to install and configure them ourselves.
</My 2p*>
Steve
* which as it's been adjusted for inflation, now, in real terms would be worth about the same as a grain of flavouring left over in the dust at the bottom of a discarded packet of dry roasted peanuts.