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Intermittent XP to 2003 AD share outages
I am having an odd and intermittent problem showing up on my network.
The problem is that random desktops will occasionally fail to want to communicate with my AD/File Server. When the clients boot up, they pull down DHCP addresses (also from my AD/Fileserver) fine, but then fail to connect to the AD server to run the login scripts (which establish drive letters linking to the AD/File Server). Trying to access the server through ping works, though no shares can be communicated with. Sometimes restarts clear the problem. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes one share might come up, but others won't. Logging out and logging in as a different user sometimes will clear it, sometimes won't. It's very frustrating...
I have changed the data outlets they are plugged in to, checked to see if all the bad ports were going into one switch (they use one of a few different switches) and changed out patch cords to no avail. I feel like it's a desktop problem, but then it goes away after a day or two of having problems and then shows up somewhere else.
I have XP SP2 desktops running on a Win2003 AD network. We use HP Procurve managed switches (if anyone is interested).
I hope someone has some insight into this problem. I am really lost as to where to go next here.
Thanks!
The problem is that random desktops will occasionally fail to want to communicate with my AD/File Server. When the clients boot up, they pull down DHCP addresses (also from my AD/Fileserver) fine, but then fail to connect to the AD server to run the login scripts (which establish drive letters linking to the AD/File Server). Trying to access the server through ping works, though no shares can be communicated with. Sometimes restarts clear the problem. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes one share might come up, but others won't. Logging out and logging in as a different user sometimes will clear it, sometimes won't. It's very frustrating...
I have changed the data outlets they are plugged in to, checked to see if all the bad ports were going into one switch (they use one of a few different switches) and changed out patch cords to no avail. I feel like it's a desktop problem, but then it goes away after a day or two of having problems and then shows up somewhere else.
I have XP SP2 desktops running on a Win2003 AD network. We use HP Procurve managed switches (if anyone is interested).
I hope someone has some insight into this problem. I am really lost as to where to go next here.
Thanks!
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Improperly configured DNS is often the cause or intermittent connectivity issues in an AD Domain. Please post your DNS settings from at least one problem Workstation and those of the AD Server.
Have you check the event log of the affected machines for clue?
I have checked the event logs and have found nothing that points to anything, unfortunately.
What kinds of DNS settings would you like me to post? Our DNS to the workstation is configured via DHCP and gives a list of the local AD DNS server to point to, then a handful of others for backup. Our DNS on the AD server has lots of settings, so just let me know what you are looking for.
What kinds of DNS settings would you like me to post? Our DNS to the workstation is configured via DHCP and gives a list of the local AD DNS server to point to, then a handful of others for backup. Our DNS on the AD server has lots of settings, so just let me know what you are looking for.
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IPCONFIG /ALL - the DNS information output from that command.
From the AD/Fileserver
===================
Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790]
(C) Copyright 1985-2003 Microsoft Corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.OLY
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : olympus
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : ciee-por.ciee.org
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : ciee-por.ciee.org
ciee.org
Ethernet adapter Olympus Team:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : BASP Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : *removed*
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.220
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.201
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.220
24.25.161.3
24.25.161.1
204.117.214.10
199.2.252.10
204.97.212.10
192.168.100.200
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.220
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 192.168.5.203
I'll post the workstation tomorrow. Thanks!
===================
Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790]
(C) Copyright 1985-2003 Microsoft Corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.OLY
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : olympus
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : ciee-por.ciee.org
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : ciee-por.ciee.org
ciee.org
Ethernet adapter Olympus Team:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : BASP Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : *removed*
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.220
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.201
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.220
24.25.161.3
24.25.161.1
204.117.214.10
199.2.252.10
204.97.212.10
192.168.100.200
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.5.220
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 192.168.5.203
I'll post the workstation tomorrow. Thanks!
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Here is a quote from Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825036
• Do not configure the DNS client settings on the domain controllers to point to your Internet Service Provider's (ISP's) DNS servers. If you configure the DNS client settings to point to your ISP's DNS servers, the Netlogon service on the domain controllers does not register the correct records for the Active Directory directory service. With these records, other domain controllers and computers can find Active Directory-related information. The domain controller must register its records with its own DNS server.
To forward external DNS requests, add the ISP's DNS servers as DNS forwarders in the DNS management console. If you do not configure forwarders, use the default root hints servers. In both cases, if you want the internal DNS server to forward to an Internet DNS server, you also must delete the root "." (also known as "dot") zone in the DNS management console in the Forward Lookup Zones folder.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825036
• Do not configure the DNS client settings on the domain controllers to point to your Internet Service Provider's (ISP's) DNS servers. If you configure the DNS client settings to point to your ISP's DNS servers, the Netlogon service on the domain controllers does not register the correct records for the Active Directory directory service. With these records, other domain controllers and computers can find Active Directory-related information. The domain controller must register its records with its own DNS server.
To forward external DNS requests, add the ISP's DNS servers as DNS forwarders in the DNS management console. If you do not configure forwarders, use the default root hints servers. In both cases, if you want the internal DNS server to forward to an Internet DNS server, you also must delete the root "." (also known as "dot") zone in the DNS management console in the Forward Lookup Zones folder.
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Yep - that's the second link on my page and exactly what I'm trying to say.
Thanks for the lesson :) I just made the changes on the server and the DHCP, and I'll be able to tell tomorrow if that took care of the problem. Thanks for the quick response!
That seemed to work, thanks for the straighforward advice. Never realized how much trouble extra DNS entries would cause with AD.
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This topic area includes legacy versions of Windows prior to Windows 2000: Windows 3/3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98, plus any other Windows-related versions including Windows Mobile.