I have xp proffessional along with xp office running on my home pc, i need to connect to the office exchange server which is running win2000. I have set up the lmhosts file, hosts file and enabled lmhosts in the network properties page. However even though i can ping the netbios name when i connect to my remote exchange server it times out unless i have a connection to the internet open. It is obviously checking dns first? What do i need to do to force it to check my lmhosts or hosts file first Thanks in anticipation

Ping is not a NetBios utility. It is a Winsock utility. What that means is, it will not check 'Microsoft' name resolution methods first. Ping will check the host file first, then DNS. If those fail it will chech the NetBios name cache, then do a broadcast or check WINS (depending on the node type of the PC is set to) then check the lmhosts file. Do you need to use the NetBios name? Why not just use the IP and be done with it?

I also wondering how to force XP/IE6 to check the hosts file first. Since I'm running multiple virtual servers, mirroring my actual domains, for devolping on my local webserver. This have never been a problem in ME or 98, but now in XP pro. I cant get it to work. I've put a name like: 192.168.0.1 www.myvirtualhostnam.nu in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS. and when I try to browse it.. I get .nu name checker telling me: This domain is availible. Please can someone help me?