asked on

Alternate DNS Servers for Windows Server

Not sure that I can explain this well but, if I want to have my ISP's DNS servers included in a Windows Server 2003 DNS server how do I add them? I am trying to duplicate a previous setup where two ISP DNS servers were included before a PDC failed. BDC is providing services but does not pass these additional DNS servers to the workstations.

Thanks!

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

frajico

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

DanielT

ASKER

This is what I thought and had been looking at forwarders but, I did not have the server name. I see (now) that I can use the IP address as the name as well and will give it a shot.

Thanks.

JohnBannon

Use the Server manager, connect to internet wizard

DanielT

ASKER

frajico

Thanks. Got things working.
There was only one web site (reported) that was affected but it was certainly a DNS issue and it works now.

Puzzled by something though...
an IPCONFIG /ALL at any of the workstations would previously report two internal servers, the main router and two ISP DNS servers. This is not the case now but DNS seems to be working. Why/How are the additional DNS servers passed to the workstations?

SOLUTION

Bruno PACI

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

DanielT

ASKER

That actually makes a great deal of sense and is exactly what I would expect!
Thanks MUCH for the clarification.

I was puzzled as to how/why the 'failed' server was doing this.
It was the PDC and was handling DHCP, DNS etc.
How would workstations be receiving this info?

Here's an example of what I would see in an old IPCONFIG /ALL check...
(.50 and .51 were the servers)

Ethernet adapter UACoffice:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : xxxxx.office
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82567LF-2 Gigabit Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1C-C0-xx-XX-XX
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.199
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.51
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.51
192.168.1.50
xxx.153.22.195
xxx.153.22.67
192.168.1.1

Do you know why I would not be seeing ONLY .50 and .51 as DNS Servers vs also the router and the external xxx.153 addresses?

Bruno PACI

Hi,

Looking at the IPCONFIG result, DNS servers used by the computer come from the DHCP server.

Somewhere in the DHCP ranges settings you probably have added these 5 DNS servers.

Don't forget that in DHCP you can set a DNS server list in the IP range extended options, but ALSO in the DHCP server extended options.
So if you have configure some DNS servers on the DHCP IP range options, and other DNS servers on the DHCP server options you DHCP client will receive all these DNS servers.

Have a nice day

DanielT

ASKER

From your previous comment then, this is not a good way to configure, right? I did not setup that server and since it has since failed, cannot check to see where it was setup per your advice (but thanks!).

If the DHCP forwarding should be used for clients to resolve external addresses what would this setup be used for? (assuming it even should be at all) This is what prompted mu initial question as I was not sure how the workstations were receiving the additional DNS server info but I pretty much knew it was from 192.168.0.51.

DanielT

ASKER

Thanks for everyone's input. Would still like to know about that last question but it is not important relative to the thread.