DNS fails "Monitoring Test"

[techbiker]

I'm attempting to set up an AD environment in my home network as practice before I try it on a few customer sites. I already tried once, but I didn't succeed so I'm going to start again and try to do it correctly (all the posts I read seem to indicate it really isn't too hard).

I have a cable modem running to a D-Link router/switch. The D-Link is picking up the DHCP supplied public IP from the ISP. I've got my Win2KS on one port running DNS DHCP providing IPs to all the internal systems. I HAD AD on the server, but it wasn't doing the 'domain' thing, so I removed it (demoted to stand-alone server).

All the clients are getting IPs from the DHCP server as well as the correct Mask. Gateway and DNS. DNS 'internally' is being handled by the server and it appears to be forwarding requests to the ISP for anything outside itself. I can ping internally AND externally by name or IP.

When in the DNS snap-in for MMC, I right-mouse the server, select the Properties|Monitoring tab and check both/either boxes for the test type, click the test button - I get a failed message. The DNS server is looking to itself to resolve names.

If this is NOT an important step in the AD setup mode - no problem, I'll carry on. But somehow I figure that any 'failure' is potentially a problem.

Thanks in advance - I appreciate this discussion group.

Regards,
Arden

 

[brontosaurus]

just curious, when you demoted the server, did you leave the old domain's forward lookup zone intact? If so, that's where it may be failing. Essentially, you'd want this machine to be a "caching-only" server, since it's no longer authoritative for any zones...

 

[GlenJohnson]

If this is NOT an important step in the AD setup mode - no problem You definitely need dns working for ad. Listen to brontosaurus, he knows of which he speaks. Good luck. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
glen@nellsgiftbox.com


"How many things, too, are looked upon as quite impossible until they have been actually effected?."
Pliny the Elder, Caius Plinius Secundus(c.23-79 A.D.); Roman writer.

 

[techbiker]

DNS is working fine for all of my 'internal' systems (I can ping local systems by name as well as internet hosts by name). But yes, there is still a 'forward lookup zone' listed (I used the domain of act.local because 'act' is my workgroup and I used a .local as the master domain so I wouldn't have any confusion in the internet world).

On my client systems (configured to use DHCP), ipconfig is indicating that my DNS is a single IP and that is for the DNS server I have set up.

On the DNS server, when I right-click the server and select the 'Forwarders' tab, I have the ISP supplied DNS servers listed/entered.

Under my 'Forward Lookup Zone' - I have my old domain that I tried listed (act.local).

So? my computers are ready for your able instruction! Tell me what to add or delete and I'm away. There is NOTHING sacred on the computer - I can reinstall without hesitation.

Thanks for the help already!

 

[brontosaurus]

try removing that old zone from Forward Lookup, then clear the DNS cache on the server and restart the DNS service.

 

[techbiker]

Okay - I tried that (delete the forward lookup zone, clear the DNS cache and restart the service - still the same results.

I suppose I could remove and then reinstall the DNS component - but that strikes me too much like 'first level support' type fixes.

This is still a learning experience for me - so I'm willing to try anything. I'm wondering if there are some Windows internal tools or free/shareware tools that would allow me to 'track/log' the testing process?

As I say - It seems to work just fine - I have all my internal clients set up as DHCP which uses the 'problem' DNS server as the only DNS entry. The 'problem' DNS server has the two ISP provided DNS servers as the 'Forwarders'.

Just looking at it again - This server is a single host, running DHCP and DNS services. It is a member server of the internal network which is isolated from the ISP/Internet via D-Link home/office router. Is it possible that the monitoring test is somehow failing because of the way the router is NATing my query requests?

Just grasping for straws here...

Thanks,
Arden

 

[brontosaurus]

question, on the server itself, for the TCP/IP properties of the NIC, what address(es) are you using for Primary and Secondary DNS?