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Peter_Fabri

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User logon

I have a little problem regarding users logging onto my domain. On my laptop running Windows XP Professional, I can logon with some accounts, but not with others. The message I get when I try to logon as one of the users is "The system cannot log you on now because the domain mydomain is unavailable".

On my Dell Workstation I have no problem loggin on as any user!

Any ideas or suggestion why?

Peter
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Pete Long
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sounds like a dodgy connection somewhere or the laptop is having problems with DNS - is it showing the correct IP address for your DNS server?

start >run >ipconfig /all {enter}
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Peter_Fabri

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Hi Peter,

I did an IPCONFIG /ALL on my laptop and noticed the ip address for the DNS server was different. I have reset it to the IP address of my server/DNS server but the same problem occurs.

Peter
just as a test, under the DNS server setting put in the IP of your domain controller.

then

CLick start >run >cmd {enter}

nslookup <name of your domain controller> {enter}

does it come back with the IP?
I typed in nslookup <name of my domain controller> and got name and address, then typed in nslookup ip address and got back the same information. This appears to be working as expected, unless I am missing something.

Peter
OK - I wanted to make sure DNS wasnt the problem cause given the error you posted it usually is :)

do these users have anything in common?
The only thing I'd say they have in common is that they all have the same access rights and only the default restrictions.
 
The account I can use to logon to my domain is the administrator's account. However, from my server or other workstation, I can't ping the ip address of my laptop, but from my laptop I can ping both the server/workstation. So I seem to have one way communication.

Peter
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Pete Long
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I have the free version of ZoneAlarm Pro installed on my laptop. Logging on as Administrator I managed to disconnect the firewall, then did a control-alt-del to logoff as administrator and then logging on as a user and managed to logon successfully! It would appear that under the administrator's account, I am allowed to logon to my domain, but not as a user! Pings work both ways now, except when the firewall pops up.


Peter
 
Im surprised ZA will not let your USERS log on? is this a personal or work laptop?
It is a personal laptop I connected to my LAN so that I have 2 machines connected to my server, allowing me to experiment and learn more about networking. It would seem that in order to logon as a user, I need to first logon as administrator and follow the above procedure! Unless I uninstall ZA. The reason I installed the firewall is just in case I need to use it in place of my Dell laptop if anything happens to it. I didn't realise the power of the firewall!

Thanks for your help. It sorted out my problem. I do have another problem, though, regarding my ADSL/router/firewall/hub. I have this as another open question. I should be most grateful if you could help here too. Just to let you know I do not have interent connection on my LAN just yet, all I wish to do is have everything configured.

Peter
:) Ill go take a peek Peter
ThanQ
Hi,

goto command prompt on the computers not connecting:

type:

ipconfig /flushdns

then do a:

ipconfig /release

and:

ipconfig /renew

this will re-apply for a ip address from the server, if this doesn't work then try a restart and then try again. if you dont have dhcp running then you need to chek your ip address is a normal ip and not a 169.2XX address. this is not valid.

Good Luck!