Business Smart Hub 2 DNS HOSTS will not allow full domain names with dots

[obroad]

I have a server running locally and to ensure it is accessable from a local or remote connection it REQUIRES a split DNS configuration. This means that its domain name resolves to our public IP address when queried from the internet but resolves to the local IP address when queried from a local connection.

In the past I've used a Draytek router which supported adding DNS entries.

When we went over to using the smart hub I added a DNS proxy but it is excessive just to force one IP address and I'd like to use the hub's DNS HOSTS facility instead.

Only problem is when I put in the server's name the hub converts all the dots into dashes.

[kelper]

Perhaps you are putting an IP address where a name should be?

[obroad]

No it is definitely the name field, but it sets the name to the version with dashes.

so I tried to add coaxialpower.3cx.co.uk and when I save the setting it gets turned into coaxialpower-3xc-co-uk.

I tested and the dashed form does resolve to the IP I gave but I need it set to "coaxialpower.3cx.co.uk" exactly

[kelper]

I looked on my BTB Smart Hub One and it says the only characters allowed are letters, numbers and the dash character.  It must be asking for the computer/device name, not its URL.

But I am no expert, just a stubborn nerd.

[obroad]

I think you're right and it is an unfortunate limitation, especially as in the preset entries you can see entries like "bthub.home" which clearly do have dots in.

Also it might have changed with 10 but historically it seemed that Windows would always resolve device names using Netbios and would only go to DNS if the name had at least one dot e.g. name.domain which made DNS useless for resolving local machine names. It is like how if you type a machine name into a browser you'll get redirected to a search engine unless you include the full URL prefix but if the name includes a domain, even a bogus one, it will attempt to look it up.

I'm probably making some basic mistakes here because I've only maintained very simple LANs

[kelper]

I wonder if you could use the Hosts file?

[kelper]

This may help

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/hosts-file-in-windows

[obroad]

True, the hosts file can be used but that means altering the hosts file on every machine. It is great for name issues on your own personal computer but not so great for a network, and it really really doesn't work for portable devices.

I don't mean to be negative, I appreciate the advice.

Also I was previously happily using a Draytek router which has the hosts facility built in without the dots restriction, but I had some issues with our BT service and I was pretty much told I had to use the BT hub instead, so here I am.

My Options:

1  hosts file: simple but has to be set manually on all computers and removed manually if the computer goes off-site

2  Acrylic DNS proxy: Crazy powerful including support for wildcards and pattern matching so if you become aware of a junk domain you can block all its subdomains in one line, but using it network-wide requires making one machine a server.

3  Draytek router: Did the job nicely until BT started making it difficult to use non-BT equipment, otherwise I'd still be using it

4  Smart Hub: It would do the job if dots were permitted but sadly that limitation renders its hosts facility almost useless

[kelper]

Why not put the hub in Bridge mode and use your Draytek again?

[obroad]

I'm not even sure that's possible with the current arrangement, the fourth port of the hub connects to the ONT so does bridge mode even apply?

I mean in theory I ought to be able to connect the Draytek directly to the ONT like I used to when it was first installed but a series of unexpected and unwanted public IP address changes say otherwise.

Another possibility is using another device just to provide DNS. I have had some success using a router behind another router in the past, so using a Draytek purely as DNS and nothing else is an option.

I'm also wondering about "Pi-Hole", since the hardware requirement (PI) is minimal.