[vox-tech] dhcp vs static hosts file

[Jeffrey J. Nonken]

On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 05:09:33 -0800, p at dirac.org wrote:
> I'm now on a home network where IP addresses are handed out
> dynamically by the router/bridge/DSL modem combo.  Suppose I have
> two Linux computers, Satan and Lucifer.
> 
> Now that I no longer have predictable IP addresses on the home
> network, how do I accomplish something like:
> 
> satan$ ssh p at lucifer
> 

Apart from all the other excellent suggestions, I want to add that 
some of those MODEM/Router boxes will let you permanently assign a 
static IP to a MAC address. Since the address will never be assigned 
to anybody else, you don't actually have to configure the client for 
DHCP if you prefer not, and you can manually add it to your hosts 
files.

My own preference is the separate internal *nix-based DHCP/DNS server 
method already mentioned, because that way everybody's box gets 
hostname resolution all the time. I didn't know about dnsmasq though. 
Makes it sound easy.