How to Enter DNS Settings on a Win2k3 Server

1 NIC is fine

"My Question is, why are the workstations set to DHCP but have a manual entry for DNS?"
Who knows

|Really the clients should be looking at your server for DNS (configured vua dhcp) and your DNS server can be configured to forward requests to 68.87.73.242 (for internet name resolution)

Ok dns is set to an external ip address (68.87.73.242 ). This is probaly becoude the root (.) domain still exist within your DNS server. You can safely delete this zone so DNS will use its root hints to resolve dns requests.

Regards,
Michiel

To check the server's DNS Server settings
Start > Administrative Tools > DNS

To check the servers DNS settings
Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > (select the active network card) > Press proteries button
On the General tab > scroll to Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Press the properties button
There are your settings

As for the why, I have seen this case where the workstations are DHCP from a large network, and on that large network there is another domain that doesn't offer DHCP, however the network resources from the servers would not be accessible if the DNS entries were not manually added since those servers on the domain were not added to the large network's DNS servers.  

Go to your DHCP server -> Scope -> Scope Options -> Configure Options -> 006 DNS Server and the IP Address for your DNS server, click OK and you should be good to go.

You could also try to set the DNS on a workstation to "Obtain DNS server address automatically" and press OK to see the results.  May be as simple as that.

Firstly, the server is fine on one NIC. the ability to use a 2nd NIC is often used for failover or teaming. Also often used when the server is a firewall (EG ISA server) but none of this would be worth you worrying about so ignore the 2nd NIC.

The reason why all the PCs have a manual IP set for DNS is usually laziness. A problem probably existed at some point in the past and the administrator either didnt know how to fix it or couldnt be bothered.
The DNS on a domain is usually the Domain controller and the domain controller deals with the external DNS server.
I would recommend chancing it to this but be cautious as you do not know why this was implemented i the first place.

I'd set a couple of PCs to pick the DNS up by DHCP and point to the server's IP. Check these PCs work OK before applying it to the rest, just in case....

I set one of the workstations to DHCP (Obtain an IP address automatically)
+
Obtain DNS server address automatically
The IP provided/ obtained is in the correct range (192.168.0.1)
However the DNS is (192.168.0.100) and will not let me out to the internet

I can browse the network by name >>> run >>> //Server     or     //workstation 2

is .100 your server runnign DNS?

change DHCP to give out the IP of your server as DNS.

The Win2k3 Server has a static IP of 192.168.0.100
I can check the forwarders later today when on site
Update- I found some dated screen shots of the server configuration.
At one point the Server had the following TCP IP Settings
Connection Main\ 1  >>> Network Adapter
192.168.0.100
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.2
DNS 192.168.0.100

Local Area Connection 2  >>> Network Adapter
192.168.0.101
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.2
DNS 192.168.0.100
      
Currently the Server only has 1 Network Card active with the cable going into the switch

Question:  When the workstations are set to Obtain DNS server address automatically and I receive the 192.168.0.100 is this a DNS Forwarding issue or DHCP ?

When your clients are set to automatic they get whatever your dhcp is set to hand out, forwarders are configured on the DNS server in the console under the forwarders tab, the dns server will forward requests it cannot resolve to the DNS servers you have specified.

Thank you, so when entering the information into the DNS Forwarders, what IP am I adding ?
The SMC (ISP) Router 192.168.0.2 or the DNS it has on its configuration page 68.87.73.242

Will this affect the internal name resolution of the printers and workstations?

Hi Experts
Hoping to get some advice regarding my last question

Thank you

> Thank you, so when entering the information into the DNS Forwarders, what IP am I adding ?

I reckon 68.87.73.242 although it shouldn't make a lot of difference.

> Will this affect the internal name resolution of the printers and workstations?

It shouldn't. They should only refer to the internal DNS server as well, but they are not aren't they?

Chris

Thanks Chris
I have not had the chance to look at the Server >>> the DNS forwarders

Re-cap
When I set the workstations to …..
Obtain DNS server address automatically
The IP provided/ obtained is in the correct range (192.168.0.1)
However the DNS is (192.168.0.100) and will not let me out to the internet

I can browse the network by name or use >>> run >>> //Server     or     //workstation 2

Additional information,
I discovered this configuration situation when I tried to add a Netgear Router as an Access Point.

The wireless clients were able to connect to the Access Point / Router (With DHCP Off)
and get a valid IP but got the same DNS as the wired workstations.
I tried to plug the Access Point directly into the SMC (ISP) router with no change

On your server, please run:

nslookup www.google.com 192.168.0.100

That's the server's IP address isn't it?

We need to know if it's DNS service is able to resolve names or not.

Chris

Thanks Chris

Yes the server is 192.168.1.100

And the command results? :)

Chris

Will run nslookup ....

Hi Chris
I am not on site but had someone type the command for me/us
The results (nslookup is not a recognized ….)

eh? Well... nslookup is part of *every* Windows installation, so either they broke the installation, or mis-spelt nslookup :)

Chris

Only on a Friday ¿
 Let’s try this again

The first command with only ns lookup typed  >>>
             Server1(companyname.net) 192.168.0.100
The full command with nslookup www.google.com >>>>
           Server1(companyname.net) 192.168.0.100 DNS Timed Out

:)

Okay, so the local DNS server is responding but it isn't able to find public names.

Can you head back to the Forwarders section (DNS Console / Server Properties / Forwarders) and remove all Forwarders.

Leaving that blank will make the server use Root Hints which should be more reliable than any single server.

Then run the same command again:

nslookup www.google.com 192.168.0.100

If it times-out again can you run this (still from the server:

nslookup www.google.com 8.8.8.8

8.8.8.8 is a public DNS server owned by Google themselves. If things are going to be consistent then that command should time-out as well.

Chris

Thanks Chris
Just a quick question about the cabling
The server is connected to a managed switch and then to the ISP Router   does this have anything impact on what is happening?

It may, which interface has the Default Gateway?

If both of them do you need to remove it from one. Only the interface connected to the outside world (the Internet) should have a default gateway configured (the other interface should have it blank).

Chris

Bear with me ….Are you asking if the Server or Switch has the Gateway configured?

The Server please.

If you have a network diagram that would help, even if it's really basic.

I have to head off home now, so I won't respond for a couple of hours, but post anything you find or any questions you have.

Chris

Thanks Chris for all your help
Because I inherited this network, your suggestion of creating a network diagram is the best approach.  I will be at the clients Monday / Tuesday next week and will gather the needed info and will send it along.

Thanks Again
1wq

Pls answer the following:

post the results from ipconfig /all on the server
can you access the internet on the server?
Is the dns server service running? (check in services.msc)
can the server ping its default gateway?

Thank you for the info
Could you please give me a list of all things needing to be checked / recorded?

More Information

On The Server (Ipconfig /all)

Local Area Connection 2
192.168.0.101 >>> IP
255.255.255.0  >>> Subnet
192.168.0.2  >>> Gateway
192.168.0.100 >>> DNS
68.87.71.226 >>> DNS


Local Area Connection
192.168.0.100
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.2
Only one DNS >>> 192.168.0.100
___________________________________________________________
I can PING 192.168.0.2 Gateway
i can get out on the internet

__________________________________________________________

Under DNS Forwarders

DNS Domains  has >>>> All other DNS Domains

Then under selected Domain Forwarders >>> 216.41..... + 2 others 204.
non of these have the 68.87 address

Thanks for the help with this

Hi Guys

On site now any chance you are availible?

Scope Options Under DHCP is >>>> 006 >>>192.168.0.100

Does youre server have / Nics or was that 2 diffrerent ipconfig /alls?

Thank you
yes it has 2 NICS only one is plugged in at this time >>> please see above

Ok, firstly you should only have one nic on the same subnet. You should also have a default gateway on ONE unless you have setup routing on the server.

Also, what is .100? And why do you have an alternative dns on the server's nic? The server on a domain should only point to itself for dns.

The server has a static 192.168.0.100

the only active connections is the local connection
192.168.0.100
with DNS of 192.168.0.100

Do I need to add the ISP Router DNS to the Forwarders?

The only entry that is listed in dns is 192.168.0.100

ok, have re-read the thread and would like to confirm some things to be sure we're on the right track.

Server currently has only one NIC connected. Please set the other NIC to dhcp and disable it to be sure its settings are not affecting the issue.

192.168.0.100
s/n 255.255.255.0
g/w 192.168.0.2
dns 192.168.0.100

Server can ping gateway 192.168.0.2 and can access internet.

Clients pick up IP from dhcp and have same gateway and DNS but cannot access internet.
Can clients ping the server on .100?
can clients ping the gateway on .2?

run nslookup on client and server.
see what results are returned when looking up the 'servername' and 'www.google.com'

please confirm and post responses to the above.
Thanks.

Apologies, yesterday was a public holiday here.

> Do I need to add the ISP Router DNS to the Forwarders?

No. You can have them, but you do not need them.

Did you manage to clear up the Default Gateways on your server?

Chris

Hi Guys,
Just for clarification
When the workstations are set to Obtain an IP Address Automatically they get a 192.168.0.100 address
When the workstations are set to Obtain DNS Address Automatically they get 192.168.0.100
(the server address)
This will not let the workstations connect to the internet.

When the workstations DNS is manually set to 68.87.73.242
This will allow the workstations to get out on the internet
From the workstations I can go to (run > IP of Server) and connect to it + (run> server name) and connect to it

The server has 2 network cards with only 1 active
192.168.0.100
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.2
192.168.0.100

When I typed from the server nslookup
I received the following
Server1(companyname.net) 192.168.0.100

When I typed from the server nslookup www.google.com 192.168.0.100
I recived the following
Server1(companyname.net) 192.168.0.100
Server1(companyname.net) 192.168.0.100 DNS Timed Out


Under DNS Forwarders
DNS Domains  has >>>> All other DNS Domains

Then under selected Domain Forwarders >>> 216.41.xxx..... + 2 others 204.41.xxx
Non of these have the *.*

Thank again for the help with this

Just checking in

Any suggestions on things to try?

Remove the Forwarders then try again, or run this from your server:

nslookup www.google.com 8.8.8.8

We need to know why your internal DNS server is not working.

Chris

Thanks Chris

I will be on site this Tuesday.... thank you again

@1williamquinn

As requested above, please:

>remove the static IP and disable the unused NIC.
>Advise if the PCs can ping the server.
>run nslookup on client AND server. Please post the results here.

Also, check the event logs on the server as it seems unlikely a problem would exist with DNS without an event being logged.

Thanks,

Thanks T-T
Most of the PC’s have a mapped drive to the server by name \\server
Although I haven’t tried it, I think that the workstations can ping the server
There is a shared printer /scanner that dumps scans to a directory on the server that is also working fine.

Will check the event logs  tomorrow
Thanks again

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to update you, I will not be able to run the tests you asked for in till the week of 20th

Thank you for helping me with this
1wq

Update

Guys,

Just wanted to update you, I will  run the tests you asked for this week (27th)

Thank you for helping me with this
1wq

just as a reminder:
check event logs for warnings or errors
run NSlookup on client & server and post on here so we can compare
check dns server service is running on server

Hi Totallytonto,

I had run ns lookup on the Server before please see above dated
(08/31/10 09:31 PM, ID: 33573024)

Thanks
1wq

if you would like help resolving this, please run an NSLookup on a client and server exactly the same and post the results so I can compare them.

also perform and report back on the following:
check event logs for warnings or errors
check dns server service is running on server

Very sorry for not getting back to sooner, multiple items needed immediate attention
Thank you both