Able to ping an IP address on my home network, but the device name fails

Question

Hey there, it is possible this was answered previously, though I'm having difficulty finding the data.
What is happening is I am trying to get my MacBook to work where it can use my network device names instead of using the actual IP address (ie: MAINPC or PRINTER instead of 192.168.0.3). My PCs are having no issues resolving the names at this point, it is just the Mac. I'd like to be able to use the names as I prefer to use dynamic IP addressing on a lease of 24 hours, and it is just nicer to deal with mentally. The Mac can see the other machines in finder as well, so it looks like file sharing is set up correctly (The PCs can see the Mac as well using SMB).
The error message I am receiving is when I "ping MAINPC":
cannot resolve MAINPC: Unknown host
(The same happens with the printer)
I will try to find out how to create static IPs on my local network if that is what it takes, just wondering if anyone else has run in to this issue, and resolved it.
Ultimately I am trying to set up access to my PC's perforce server, and knowing the address is crucial (I'll attack the firewall issues once this is resolved). Any help is greatly appreciated as I'm fairly new to the Mac experience.

Answer 1

Likely just an issue with the router you have. I have an ActionTec Q1000 rented from ISP - it does the same thing. Static IPAs versus dynamic ones won't help you.
Prior to its untimely death, a 2-Wire 2701HG-D router, also rented from the ISP before they replaced it with the Q1000, was robust enough to be able to resolve LAN hostnames to LAN IPAs. But no more.... Manually associating the hostname to the IPA in the Q1000's config pages does nothing.
So I bet you are just seeing the same lack of robustness in your router.
If worried about DHCP changing the IPA of a device, setting up a range of static and a range of dynamic IPAs in the router will help. The router should have a section in its config pages to "enable DHCP." In there, there is likely a place where you can define a range of DHCP addresses. Anything outside that range but within the subnet mask would be available for static assignment. For example, suppose your subnet is 192.168.0.1-192.168.0.255 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0). IF you declare your DHCP pool to be 192.168.0.128-192.168.0.254, then 192.168.0.2-192.168.0.127 will be available for static IPA assignment (I am assuming the router has assigned 192.168.0.1 to itself).
With the Macs, then, as you probably know, this is set in  > Sys Prefs > Network > {interface} Advanced > TCP/IP. I usually choose configure "using DHCP with manual address." That saves me having to enter subnet mask and router IPA. But you could just as easily use "manually." Printers and other devices, you'd have to refer to their user guides.