Please help a DNS dummie!

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Mr. Land (graftonfot_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 12/29/04 

Date: 28 Dec 2004 18:28:50 -0800

I know just enough about DNS to make me dangerous, and I believe I'm
experiencing problems due to that!

I share an ISP-provided Internet connection via a router/WAP. The LAN
nodes are 3 XP Pro, 1 Linux, and 1 2003 Server, configured as both a
domain controller and AD server.

Since my ISP only provides a dynamic IP address for me, and since I
want to access some services on my LAN from "outside", I run static IP
addresses on my LAN, and use TZO to get requests made to my domain name
to my LAN.

Originally, I had (naively) configured the TCP/IP properties of every
node on my LAN (including the 2003 domain controller/active directory
server) to use the DNS servers provided by my ISP. This seemed to work
OK for a while, but suddenly I began experiencing what appeared to be
name resolution problems, but ONLY on the 2003 machine. What I
experience on that machine is that I seem to be able to ping any
desired site name (e.g. www.nfl.com, etc.) BUT I get a DNS error when I
try to open the same site in a browser window. Also (and more
importantly) the TZO client now shows "red" status, indicating that it
cannot contact the TZO site to report IP address changes.

After these problems start occurring on the 2003 machine, it remains
that way until I reboot it. Then it will work for a while (varies,
usually not more than 24 hours), then the problem starts happening
again.

The primary reason I believe this is DNS related is that event viewer
shows a ton of DNS-related error messages in both the Application and
System topics.

There are many errors (cascade effect?) but the most prevalent of them
seem to be Event ID 5781 (a DNS-related error) from NetLogon, and 1053
(cannot determine user or computer name) from Userenv in the
Application topics.

I have a suspicion that all these ailments are due to the fact that my
2003 Server isn't properly configured from a DNS perspective. I've
only been able to find smidgeons of info here and there on how to
properly configure it, and they all presuppose an innate knowledge of
how DNS works and the terminology used (neither of which I am familiar
with). I *have* read one article that seems to say that 2003 must'nt
be using my ISP DNS servers, and that I have to set a "forwarder", but
knowing almost nothing about DNS prevents me from doing that.

Is my problem due to bad configuration? What's the proper way to
configure DNS on all my LAN nodes, given that I have one 2003 machine
acting as an AD server and domain controller?
Thanks in advance for any help/guidance...

Relevant Pages

  • Issues migrating SBS 2003 domain to Server 2008 Standard
    ... We are stuck migrating our SBS 2003 domain to Server 2008. ... Fatal Error:DsGetDcName (SRV-EXCH) call failed, ... Verify your Domain Name Sysytem (DNS) is ... network connectivity to a domain controller. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: AD management snap in cannot find DC (netdiag /v workstation)
    ... The name.local entries are used by my apache server to implement ... change button, more button, the "Primary DNS suffix of this ... Attr: subschemaSubentry ... Owner of the binding path: ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: AD management snap in cannot find DC (netdiag /v workstation)
    ... button, more button, the "Primary DNS suffix of this computer", it should ... The Security System could not establish a secured connection with the server ... Attr: subschemaSubentry ... Owner of the binding path: ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: AD management snap in cannot find DC (netdiag /v workstation)
    ... DNS Host Name: tonyb-pc.imageproc.imageproc.com ... Testing IpConfig - pinging the DHCP Server... ... Attr: subschemaSubentry ... Owner of the binding path: ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: Issues migrating SBS 2003 domain to Server 2008 Standard
    ... Since you have migrated to standard server 2008 you would be better served posting in a Standard server NG. ... Event String: ... Verify your Domain Name Sysytem (DNS) is ... network connectivity to a domain controller. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)