Problem obtain IP and DNS address automatically

I have setup a Windows 2003 Server domain controller and a couple of clients joining the domain controller. The problem I'm having right now is that the client computer does not obtain the DNS and IP address automatically from the domain controller. In the properties of the Internet Protocal(TCP/IP), the radio buttons of the Obtain an IP Address Automatically and Obtain DNS Server Automatically is already checked. But when I tried to surf the Internet, it doesn't work. I went into the command prompt and type ipconfig/all to verify if the client computer receive an ip address and dns server address but it doesn't. I know that this setup in the client computer works fine under Windows 2000 Server domain controller. Now, if I specifically put in the DNS server address in the client computer (TCP/IP) properties then it works. So my other question is, is this the new settings for Windows 2003 Server domain controller? Personally, I don't think this is the correct settting because this is so inconvenience. I have to go to every client computer and manually put in the DNS address.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

ljCharlie

Have you installed the DHCP server and set up your scope? The client machines, if set to automatically obtain an IP, get it from the DHCP server, not the DNS server.

Based on your problem description, I'd say that's the issue. Once it's installed and you've created your scope, you need to remember to "authorize" it (under "Action")

Thanks for the response. Yes, I have setup the DHCP server and it's working. Like I said, if I specify the DNS and Gateway IP under (TCP/IP) properties then I was able to surf the Internet and receive a local IP address from my DC.

ljCharlie

Did you get any DNS errors when installing Active Directory?

Can you successfully ping your server from your server? Can the clients successfully ping the server?

On your DHCP Scope (Server Options) did you set the correct values for:
003 Router - your router IP
006 DNS Servers - your DNS server IP (should be same as domain server)
015 DNS Domain Name - (Obvious)
044 WINS NBS Servers -Your WINS Server IP (same as domain server)
046 WINS NBT Node Type - should be hybryd (0x8)

what is the default gateway set to on your client stations? You will need
to specify the default gateway no matter what setup you have.

In most cases, it's your internal network braodcast address -
ex. 192.168.0.1

If your router and/or server are set to this IP, then it will still be that.

I'm not sure about Windows 2003 Server, but I believed the DHCP server is working fine. What I'm not sure is the DNS server. I read somewhere that I don't need to setup WINS anymore.

Yes, the internal gateway is 192.168.0.1 but I don't remember setting up any internal gateway or dns on my client computer under Windows 2000 DC. Like I said, if I specify the DNS and Gateway in my client computer then it works just fine.

ljCharlie

I do not think DHCP is working then. If DHCP was working then you wouldn't have to manually put in the dns and gateway IP. I believe it would figure that all out on its own. If DHCP was not working then you would have to manually put in the information to get it to work like you did.

So how can I tell that the DHCP is working properly? Becase I was able to see the client computer name and ip address. In addition, I was able to login from the client computer and load my profile from the DC. If it is not working, how do I go about configuring?

ljCharlie

well, the point of having DHCP is to be fully automatic with the logon
config. If you are having to manually set anything, then DHCP is
definitely not working.

I'm not sure of your skill level with networking, so bear with me if you
know how to do all this.

On a client computer -
1. Click START, then RUN
2. Type "cmd" (no quotes) and hit enter. A console window will appear.
3. In the console, type "ipconfig /release" (no quotes).
4. Then type "ipconfig /renew" (no quotes). This should show you the
new status of your network ip.
5. Then type "ipconfig /all" (no quotes) to see all of your settings for the
network.

Tell us what the ipconfig /all shows you.

Right now I'm not at the station has this problem but when I do an ipconfig/all, I receive something with 125.something.something.something. I'll give you more specific information when I get home. However, this 125 ip address only shows up if in the client computer, I select the Obtain automatically radio buttons for DNS and IP address. If in the Default gateway and under the DNS section I specify the addresses then the client computer will automaticall show the correct IP address that's been assigned from the DC computer works fine.

ljCharlie

if I understand what you are saying, that is perfectly normal.

The 125.x.x.x address is probably from your ISP, and this is because your
client machine thinks the ISP's gateway is the default. This is really
stupid, I know, but it is the case. All you have to do, is go into your
Advanced settings of the client machine and set the default gateway
behind the automatic settings and it will work as you need it to. Which
is pretty much what you are telling it to do anyway.

I still have to believe that the DHCP Server is not functioning correctly.


First it sounds like your default gateway is set wrong as pointed out above. Your default gateway should be the same as your router. You can set this in DHCP as I detailed above.



Actually, I was trained to put the 003 router under the scope options and the remaining three under the server options.


To go back to what you mentioned about WINS, if you're running all Win 2000 clients and servers or XP, then no you don't need WINS, however, if you are running 98 or NT clients you do.


The DHCP server is what provides their DNS server IP, the IP number the default gateway and the WINS server information when you have the clients set to automatically obtain an IP. I can tell from the way that you've stated yourself and your experience with 2000 server that this is what you want.

I truly feel you need to look closely at all your settings on your DHCP server.


These are some key steps I was trained to look for:
1)To verify and confirm that DNS is working properly you should always, before installing Active Directory, ping your Server (localhost) and make sure you have a successful ping and then run nslookup at the command prompt. If DNS is functioning properly then nslookup should return the name of the default server and the IP address. If it's not, you have a problem. I the server doesn't appear in DNS immediately you can force reigistration by typing ipconfig/registerdns at the command prompt.
***Critical!!! - in order to use Active Directory, you need to enable dynamic updates in both the forward and reverse lookup zones!!! This May Be Your Problem***
You should enable scavenging.
2)Make sure you create a forward and revers lookup zone for your router/s as at least one of these will typically be your default gateway.
Key thing is for every forward lookup zone there needs to be a reverse lookup zone.
3)After installing Active Directory you need to confirm that in your DNS server that in addition to your original forward lookup zones you also have the additional following directories: _msdcs, _sites,_tcp, and _upd
If you do not, you have a problem
4.When setting up DHCP, you need to set up any reserved IP's (server, routers, etc), and set up the scope options and server options I detailed in my earlier post.
5.There's nothing you really need to do with WINS after installing except make sure it's running. (Remember as I stated earlier if you have legacy clients on the network you need WINS.)

That's a nutshell version of about 3 weeks of instruction. Hope it helps you resolve the problem.
-----------------------------------------------
Just had an additional thought
Make sure you have DHCP turned off in your router - (many newer routers have a DHCP server built in and by default it's usually on. ) You can't have two DHCP servers running on the same LAN. The client machines will get their IP info from the first DHCP server that they communicate with, and they may just be picking it up from the router.

First, thank you very much for your information. I'll check those settings when I get home today. However, here are additional information I discovered last night.

On my client computer I was able to receive the correct IP address from my DC computer. However, there is no default gateway ip address listed and the DNS ip address is pointed to my default gateway ip address when I do a ipconfig/all in my client computer. I was able to access the network fine and everything...except accessing the Internet in my client computer. The DC computer can access the Internet fine except all the client computers because, I believed, the default gateway address wasn't listed and the DNS address was wrong. The DHCP server in the router was disabled. In the DNS server setting, under my forward lookup in my domain name, I did see all _msdcs, _sites,_tcp, and _upd listed. But here's what I see in the event log:



And in my client computer, I see this in my event log.


The ip address 68.112.192.9 is my ISP DNS address but this address is listed as an optional in my DNS server when the internal DNS server can't resolve.

ljCharlie

Hi, I have a similar problem with Windows 2003, I have internet functioning correctly, but after I reinstalled the Windows 2003, the internet does not work. On my connection icon tray there is a question mark and the problem is CANNOT OBTAIN IP ADDRESS, i click repair and it cannot obtain it. I have installed another OS(Dual Boot) as a back up and this is why I'm online right now. I am sure that the ETHERNET ADAPTER AND MODEM that I connect with is correctly installed, but just not functioning in obtaining the IP address to get online. In here I can get online with the same modem and stuff, but when switch to 2003, it doesn't work, cannot obtain IP address. I went to the TCP/IP setup and made sure it's AUTOMATIC in obtaining the info but doesn't work, I got the IP adress and gateway and DNS and mask info from this OS and typed it in manually in 2003, but it still doesn't work. What is the problem, please help.

I see this issue was never resolved now that ricky_yean also asked his question. You can tell if the DHCP server is running if there is a green "up" arrow when you are looking at the DHCP server in administrative tools. If it is a "down" red arrow it's not working. What a lot of people forget (or don't realise) with Win2K or Win2k3 servers, is that you MUST Activate DHCP. If you haven't activated it, it will give you exactly the results you are seeing. It won't propogate the IP's to the network. To activate it is very simple. In your DHCP server, highlight the server (typically it will be the first line computername.domainname.com)

Then click Action, then click authorize. That should authorize and "up" your DHCP server and should resolve all of the above issues.