Re: DNS for a mobile domain member

From: Herb Martin (news_at_LearnQuick.com)
Date: 12/29/04 

Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:52:20 -0600

"TedMi" <TedMi@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4C575BA6-DED2-4026-8F93-91B1990BE0B1@microsoft.com...
> I have read in several posts here that all members of an AD Domain need to
> use only the domain's DNS server. That's fine for stationary machines, but
> what about a laptop that connects to other domains.

Generally true, but I usually word it as INTERNAL
clients must use INTERNAL DNS.

This avoids two confusions (at least). Non-Ad clients
that need to resolve addresses in your internal network
need this too, and as you say, sometimes an internal
client travels outside the network and the "rule" needs
to be bent or augmented.

> I have been configuring
> laptops to automatically get a DNS server, which they do from the ISP,
both
> within the home domain and on the road.

This is a common solution. If they are using DHCP
addresses they get their DNS settings based on their
CURRENT location, internal or external to your
network.

> That seems to work fine, with the one
> exception that logging onto the home domain takes a very long time.

Perhaps the internal (home domain) DHCP server is not
giving out the correct (i.e., INTERNAL) DNS server?

> Are there
> any other potential problems? Should I reconfigure the laptops to
differently
> for home vs. on the road?

Sometimes you must but usually just using DHCP works.

Sometimes your clients visit a location where they need
a Static address (no DHCP) but this is getting less frequent
these days.

In such cases the clients must be manually changed from
time to time.

> Is there another solution?

Sometimes: XP+ offers both a DHCP and a Manual
setting for IP (called Alternate). If no DHCP server
is available the alternate (manual) settings are used.

This covers dynamic addressing in GENERAL for
most locations, and ONE manual address for a
single specific location.

After that, I have some NetSh.exe tricks you can
consider but they aren't pretty. <grin> 

-- 
Herb Martin

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Modify IP settings via group policy
    ... Actually you can specify a DNS server from ... These will override the DNS configuration set statically or via DHCP but ... you won't be able to manage pre-Windows 2000 clients in this way. ... DHCP is by far the better option. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.group_policy)
  • Re: Modify IP settings via group policy
    ... Actually you can specify a DNS server from ... These will override the DNS configuration set statically or via DHCP but ... you won't be able to manage pre-Windows 2000 clients in this way. ... DHCP is by far the better option. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.group_policy)
  • Re: Dynamic Update
    ... my clients will register if I use Secure or Non secure updates. ... Are these DHCP assigned machines? ... set to use ONLY the INTERNAL DNS Server? ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.dns)
  • Re: DHCP networking issue
    ... > the Linux mailserver on the LAN to send and receive mail. ... > get an email about some DHCP firewall issue relating to iptables, ... a problem with windows clients or with linux/unix clients also? ... sounds a lot more like a dns server or routing problem than it does a dhcp ...
    (alt.os.linux.suse)
  • Re: Multiple PTR records wont go away in the reverse zone.
    ... Now please consider how disabling DDNS on DHCP clients ... networks and need to get an IP address and possibly register with DNS. ... remove it or update it when Secure only updates are enabled. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.dns)