Unknown host error message when trying to ping Internet

[bof]

I am trying to set up a Suse 8.2 desktop box, (Bob, address 
192.168.1.33) but am having trouble connecting to the Internet. I am 
not running a firewall on it.

I can ping an Internet address by IP address without problem. When I 
try to ping by hostname I receive the error message "unknown host."

I can ping other machines local to my network by both IP address and 
hostname without problem. One of the other machines in the network 
(Sam, address 192.168.1.2, RH 7.3) has no problems when pinging the 
Internet, either by IP address or hostname, and it can ping the Suse 
box without problem.

My Internet access is through a NAT gateway/firewall box with address 
192.168.1.1 (Bill) on the internal net card, and whatever address 
assigned to tthe external card by my ISP using DHCP. From the firewall 
box, I can ping the Suse box, the RH box, and the Internet using both 
IP address and hostname, all without problems,

The configuration files for the Suse box are set up as follows:

/etc/hosts
	127.0.0.1       localhost
	192.168.1.1	bill.mynet.net 	bill
	192.168.1.2	sam.mynet.net	sam
	192.168.1.33	bob.mynet.net 	bob

	# special IPv6 addresses
	::1             localhost ipv6-localhost ipv6-loopback
	fe00::0         ipv6-localnet
	ff00::0         ipv6-mcastprefix
	ff02::1         ipv6-allnodes
	ff02::2         ipv6-allrouters

/etc/host.conf
	order hosts, bind
	multi on

/etc/resolv.conf
	nameserver 216.229.33.250
	nameserver 216.229.33.251
	search local local

/etc/nsswitch.conf
	passwd: compat
	group:  compat
	hosts:  	files dns
	networks:       files dns
	services:       files
	protocols:      files
	rpc:		files
	ethers:		files
	netmasks:       files
	netgroup:       files
	publickey:	files
	bootparams:     files
	automount:      files nis
	aliases:        files


The output of netstat -nr

Kernel IP routing table
Destination  Gateway      Genmask       Flags   MSS Window  irtt face
192.168.1.0  0.0.0.0      255.255.255.0 U       0 0          0 eth0
0.0.0.0      192.168.1.1  0.0.0.0       UG      0 0          0 eth0

Can anyone help me figure out what is going on?

BOF