I am quite DNS ignorant. Please Help.

vsmith3rd

I've set up a small domain at home consisting of one server running Windows Server 2003, serving as a DC and three workstations running XP Pro.

I have a Linksys router (internet gateway) providing DHCP service to the workstations, while the DC is static.

The workstations are set up to obtain DNS server information automatically, but I'm unable to determine the proper DNS setup for the DC. As I have a static IP, I am unable to set it to obtain a DNS server automatically. I can ping IP adresses from the server all day long, but I am unable to ping computer names.

I've tried setting up the DC as a DNS server, and having it point to itself (out of desperation), I've set my ISP DNS servers as the preferred DNS server (which I thought would work), but nothings working. I'm studying for the 70-290, and some of my lab examples are incountering DNS related problems. Any advise, as always, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

elover_jm

ok buddy here's what u should do:

1. install DNS on your server

2. Upgrade your DNS Server to a Domain Controller (DC) by Running DCPROMO in run command

3. On Your server go to DNS console create a Primary forward lookup zone (make it Active Directory Integrated Zone)

4. Manually add an entry for ur DC in forward lookup zone

5. You can either manually add entries for the three XP machines in the forward lookup zones or configure DNS to be automaticaly updated.

6. Setup all three XP machines to use the DC ip address as it's Preffered DNS server.

hope this helps

if it doesn't google setup for more detailed instructions.... Good luck

oops i forget make sure you join the XP machines to the domain

hope i didn't forget anything else... Peace

sprkymrk

Well you can go a number of different ways, but try this:

Do an ipconfig /all on a workstation and write it all down.
Set up DNS on your server.
Hard code your server, have DNS point to itself.
Disable DHCP on your linksys.
Set up DHCP on your server, using the same range that your Linksys was using.
In DHCP make sure to exclude the address your Linksys and server are using.
In the DHCP scope, set your server as the DNS server and your router as the gateway.
In your DNS Server settings, set up a forwarder using the ip address for DNS Server(s) obtained using ipconfig (should be the Linksys or ISP DNS Servers addresses).
Reboot your server, and either reboot or do an ipconfig /release and renew on your workstations.

If I didn't miss anything you should be good to go. Post back if you need more help or if it doesn't work for some reason.

Megadeth4168

So you have 1 DNS server/DC and you are unable to resolve local hostnames correct?

You mentioned that DHCP is through the router... That's fine but I don't beleive that it is set to provide your workstations with your DNS server address. So, it will not provide DDNS functions to your DNS server.

You have to provide a static address on the workstations to the DNS server and on the Server. You also might have to do an ipconfig /registerdns to get started or manually add the Host Records to DNS.

Hope this helps.

Treg

As well as following the responses above, this document will assist you with some basics: Promoting to a DC, DNS, DHCP and populating objects in Active Directory.


http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/technologies/directory/activedirectory/stepbystep/domcntrl.mspx

vsmith3rd

Wow!!! Thanks to you all. That was an extremely speedy response and very detailed. I really appreciate the time and effort you guys took to help me out. Many thanks. I hope to be able to offer help here someday, as opposed to just asking for it. Again, many thanks.