I have a quick question regarding mail on a simple NetBSD network.   Here's
a description:

I have two computers each running NetBSD 2.x., and I think I have everything
setup properly for these two machines to connect to each other.   I have
configured /etc/hosts on both machines and both machines are running
virtually identical (some of the commented lines are different) /etc/hosts
files.   My host /etc/host files look like this:

127.0.0.1 localhost localhost.
192.168.1.100 alpha
192.168.1.101 beta
192.168.1.1 router


The names following the IP addresses is each machine's respective host name.
Example:  Computer with hostname of "alpha" is at IP address 192.168.1.100.

I have also configured my /etc/rc.conf file so that it looks like this
(rc.conf file on beta sets "beta" as the hostname):

hostname="alpha"
domainname=""
defaultroute="192.168.1.1"

Since it is just two computers networked to each other, is it really
necessary to specify a domain name?   The IP address 192.168.1.1 is my
router.

I have configured my /etc/resolv.conf file to look like this:

nameserver 192.168.1.1
lookup file bind

I configured /etc/resolv.conf to use the address of my router as a
nameserver.   My router forwards dnsqueries to the nameservers of my ISP.
Everything works flawlessly in this configuration.

Okay, so here's the problem:

When either computer boots and starts sendmail, I get an error message
saying that the name (alpha), or (beta), as the case may be, can not be
qualified.   Also, when I use the mail utility to send a quick message from
one computer (alpha) to the other (beta) the message is returned as
undeliverable.   Am I missing something here?

If I telnet to alpha from beta, or vice versa, the name is resolved and the
telnet connection is made.   So what am I missing that is causing the big
sendmail conundrum?

Do I need to define a domain name and setup a local DNS server in order for
these two machines to be able to send mail to each other?   I was hoping
that it wouldn't be necessary to do all of that.

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

William