How to really get to Omega2 on omega-ABCD.local (use .lan?)
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An administrator is fine to delete this post if this is really bad advice, but I can't figure out why the instructions are to install the bonjour service to be able to get to omega-ABCD.local. Sure, that might work, but why install an annoying service just to get that .local domain. The domain on my Omega and all the configs I've seen posted is .lan, not .local. The dnsmasq on the Omega responds just fine to requests for .lan. So I'm not understanding why the instructions aren't to just use omega-ABCD.lan in the broswer which works right out the gate regardless of the browser or OS.
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.lan doesn't seem to work for me (unless i'm connected to the omega's own AP)
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Right, but those are part of the instructions. The getting started guide says to install the required service (bonjour for windows, etc) and then connect to the Omega's wifi network. If you just connect to the network first w/o bothering with the extra install of a service, you can then just go to the .lan name in a browser and you're in. Seems like you get to drop a step and an extra piece of software.
Does the .local name then work from your home wifi once the Omega is configured to connect to your home wifi? If so, then that's what I'm missing cause clearly that's handy. I just connect via IP all the time.
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Perhaps the .lan is being resolved for clients by the Omega2's DNS server, and therefore only works on machines that are clients of its wifi AP such that these machines would be passing their lookups through the Omega.
Conversely the .local names utilize mDNS, for which a computer must cooperate. Mac's, iPhones, and most Linux boxes do this by default. Windows doesn't without an install of something like Bonjour, and the Android browser doesn't (though other Android apps can be written to).
Or you can use the IP address - but your router might re-assign that at some point and surprise you - it can be the same for weeks and then just when you think you have it memorized and stop checking, they can all get reshuffled.