I don't know if it's network problem or server config problem can someone tell me?

I can ssh into the server fine, but I can't seem to use the machine to access the outside world! When trying to ping or download from another site it give me this error "unknow host" or "no route to host". Is this a network problem or did I not config the server right?

OS: Mandrake 8.1

I think it is resolv.conf problem, make sure you have the right name server setting!

Do I create the nameserver with bind or what?

Originally posted by Blazing
Do I create the nameserver with bind or what?

You can run a local name server (well, I mean on the system itself) using BIND, tinydns or some others. However, you needn't use a name server if you don't want on your own system -- and you can simply specify remote name servers, if you're allowed to use some other servers' name server. I imagine you're hosted on some provider and they will allow you to (and perhaps might expect you to) use their name server IP addresses, which it will call to when making remote connections. After all, your server is running somewhere (or is this local and not hosted somewhere?) and if so, you must have your system contacted by using your provider's name servers, so they would expect you to use their name servers for resolving outgoing addresses, and not just for incoming name server queries. I could be wrong about that, but that's usual and common. Anyway, you can simply install BIND or something, as you asked, yes. You can just open up your resolve configuration file (mentioned above in another user's post) and specify the nameserver directive (typed like one word) and put in your local IP there (127.0.0.1) and save it. That will allow you to contact/resolve remote addresses

Are you connecting to the server through a network? If so, sometimes you will be able to ssh into a machine through a network computer. IT will act as if its online, but your only able to access it via a networked computer.

First try pinging a ip. If it pings a ip address, then that means its a 'dns' problem. Try doing what 'glypto.com' said and editing your 'resolv.conf'. You can also trying to 'lynx' to a site, try dnsing www.mandrake.com via your windows client, then trying to 'lynx the.ip.of.mandrake.com from your mandrake os'.

Best Of Luck!