robrandon
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DNS/WINS - resolution for second domain through VPN
We have some people at our office that are from a partner company. A VPN exists between the two sites. I can ping IPs on their subnet and they can do likewise to us.
When their people come here, they get a local address from our DHCP server. They can ping their servers across the VPN.
However, name resolution does not work for their servers when they are here.
What is the best way to resolve this?
Should I setup static addresses in our WINS database for their servers?
Should I setup another local zone in our DNS database for their domain, and add A records for their servers? If I do that, will it still update public records for that domain (such as www, and other web servers, and mx records)?
Should they use local static entries?
Thanks!
When their people come here, they get a local address from our DHCP server. They can ping their servers across the VPN.
However, name resolution does not work for their servers when they are here.
What is the best way to resolve this?
Should I setup static addresses in our WINS database for their servers?
Should I setup another local zone in our DNS database for their domain, and add A records for their servers? If I do that, will it still update public records for that domain (such as www, and other web servers, and mx records)?
Should they use local static entries?
Thanks!
Adding the A records for their servers in the DNS server is a simple solution if there are not a lot.
There are several solutions that you can do here.
I assume that you have your own domain and they have their own domain.
Also I would assume that when you mean name resolution you mean that the computer names (NetBIOS) inside your LAN and their LAN.
You should setup Static WINS entries. or for the machines that they use simply edit their hosts file and add entries there.
DNS entry is only needed if you have internal DNS names. for public domains like something.microsoft.com you would not need to add entries to your DNS to recognise them as your DNS would resolve those or forward those request to other DNS server that can resolve those and return the entries to your DNS clients.
For a complete solution what you would do is combine the two companies LAN into one. Have a uniform IP assignment accross both companies and that means when users move from one company to another they have to do nothing. They simply keep working as they were in the other company. The users simply keep their existing IP's. This would mean less work for you to manage IP's. Once properly setup you can practically leave it alone.
I assume that you have your own domain and they have their own domain.
Also I would assume that when you mean name resolution you mean that the computer names (NetBIOS) inside your LAN and their LAN.
You should setup Static WINS entries. or for the machines that they use simply edit their hosts file and add entries there.
DNS entry is only needed if you have internal DNS names. for public domains like something.microsoft.com you would not need to add entries to your DNS to recognise them as your DNS would resolve those or forward those request to other DNS server that can resolve those and return the entries to your DNS clients.
For a complete solution what you would do is combine the two companies LAN into one. Have a uniform IP assignment accross both companies and that means when users move from one company to another they have to do nothing. They simply keep working as they were in the other company. The users simply keep their existing IP's. This would mean less work for you to manage IP's. Once properly setup you can practically leave it alone.
ASKER
Thanks both. Here is some more info (and questions):
methabhaya:
Merging the two networks is not an option.
I'd like the visiting users to be able to click on their My Network Places icon and still see all the computers in their domain. Not sure if that is WINS or DNS related. I think I can setup the static WINS records for their Outlooks to resolve, but what about browsing the servers in theirdomain.com?
msice:
I don't know if I can just add A records to our domain and have it work for them. Say our domain is mydomain.com and their domain is theirdomain.com. If I add an A record for a computer on their domain, lets say called Server1, it would be in our zone, i.e. Server1.mydomain.com, not theirs, Server1.theirdomain.com. Do you know for sure that it would work? Also, per my previous question, what about public DNS entries for their public web servers? If I create a local zone for theirdomain.com would I have to statically assign those or would they populate from the internet DNS servers?
methabhaya:
Merging the two networks is not an option.
I'd like the visiting users to be able to click on their My Network Places icon and still see all the computers in their domain. Not sure if that is WINS or DNS related. I think I can setup the static WINS records for their Outlooks to resolve, but what about browsing the servers in theirdomain.com?
msice:
I don't know if I can just add A records to our domain and have it work for them. Say our domain is mydomain.com and their domain is theirdomain.com. If I add an A record for a computer on their domain, lets say called Server1, it would be in our zone, i.e. Server1.mydomain.com, not theirs, Server1.theirdomain.com. Do you know for sure that it would work? Also, per my previous question, what about public DNS entries for their public web servers? If I create a local zone for theirdomain.com would I have to statically assign those or would they populate from the internet DNS servers?
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ASKER
methabhaya, thanks for your help. I added static addresses to our wins database for their server's netbios names.