DNS question

Your client machines ned to be aware of the other DNS server. DHCP should be handing out primary and secondary DNS details to your clients. If the client cannot contact the primary DNS server, it will contact the secondary.

make sure your computers can ping the dns server using fqdn

A test would be to stop the DNS services on one and see if it works
Then stop dns on the other and see if they still work.

nslookup would also be a good tool to use for this

Can the primary DNS be inundated with requests and go to the secondary, then if the secondary is offline it will time out. Is that a possibility? Im just trying to figure out why the requests are timing out even if the secondary goes down.

Machines just cant resolve names but they can by IP. Some machines when we do a nslookup we get the error below.

The DNS server (165.) that is being used for VPN is having issues again:
c:\>nslookup outlook.com
Server:  .net
Address:  165.
 
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.

Also nothing in the DNS logs

What OS are the Server?

run this on them

@echo off
dcdiag >dclogx.txt
dcdiag /test:registerindns /dnsdomain:FQDM>>dclogx.txt
dcdiag /c /v >>dclogx.txt
dcdiag /test:dns >>dclogx.txt
exit

Post results

2008 server. Am I suppose to create a bat or vbs script with the commands you gave, then run it? Or am I suppose to do it at the command prompt?

Thomas

My name is Thomas also

Yes you can run them from a command prompt.

I just create a dctest.cmd file

I run this on  my servers weekly  just a thought

Thanks for your help Thomas!

How long does it run for? I created a cmd file and it pulls up a blank DOS screen and stays there.
dns.png

It does not run long

Make sure you have dcdiag on your servers.

It comes with the support tools from Windows 2003 server

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15326

I have it on the server. I used dcdiag on it before. I just did each one individually.

Strange, when I run the line "dcdiag /c /v >>dclogx.txt" and "dcdiag /test:dns >>dclogx.txt" it hangs. The other 2 I have attached the log files.
dclogx.txt
dclog.txt

I tried to run the command without sending it to the log file. This is what I get.

Z:\>dcdiag /test:dns

Directory Server Diagnosis

Performing initial setup:
   Trying to find home server...
   Home Server = server
   * Identified AD Forest.
   Done gathering initial info.

Doing initial required tests

   Testing server: TXSDC\server
      Starting test: Connectivity
         ......................... server passed test Connectivity

Doing primary tests

   Testing server: TXSDC\server

      Starting test: DNS

         DNS Tests are running and not hung. Please wait a few minutes...

They look ok

But you have many system event log errors. Some we need to review.

the dcdiag /test:dns hangs not good

I found this take a look

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/eeddc6f7-c603-4f1a-9340-f783e1077d59/dcdiag-fix?forum=winserverDS

Do you have IPV6 enabled on the network adapters for these Servers?

Disable all IPV6.

Check thru all your DNS records A Records Pointer Records and make sure the servers all have the correct Ip address and make sure no servers are registering IPV6 in the dns.