Hostname Resolution Fails on the Service Tunnel

Service Tunnel Troubleshooting

  • Updated on Oct 10, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read

Overview

End users cannot resolve private domains by searching for hostname alone.

When a hostname is searched, a DNS suffix is automatically appended to the searched hostname in an attempt to resolve it. Typically, in these scenarios, the hostname is not publicly resolvable and exists only within a private network (like a corporate intranet or VPN).

Symptoms

  • Searching for the hostname of a private resource results in failed resolution.

Potential Root Cause

  • If Private Search Domains are not configured in the Service Tunnel spec, the Windows OS behaviour is to systematically append DNS suffixes using its own DNS Suffix Search List, until it finds a match. It will likely append an incorrect suffix from a non-tunnel interface (e.g., your local Wi-Fi) and send the query to the wrong DNS server (e.g., your ISP’s). The public server has no knowledge of your internal resources, causing the name resolution to fail.

Resolution Steps

  1. Navigate from Private Access to Service Tunnels, and select the relevant Service Tunnel from the list.

  2. Select the Edit icon.

  3. Navigate to Assignment Settings.

  4. Under Private Search Domains, enter a DNS suffix that is associated with the hostname you’re trying to search.

  5. Save your edits.

  6. In the desktop app, turn the Service Tunnel off and then on again.