DNS Question...

[bigpapapump]

We have a 7 station Win2k environment and 1 Windows 2000 Server running AD, DHCP and Exchange. Everything works fine except for periodic Internet problems.

It seems the primary DNS is the ISP's and the secondary DNS is the servers ip address, I thought it was supposed to be the other way around.

Any reason why it should be this way and is the change as simple as changing the ip settings on the server and then change the DNS settings in the dhcp scope? Anything else I need to do?

TIA

 

[mlichstein]

It seems the primary DNS is the ISP's and the secondary DNS is the servers ip address, I thought it was supposed to be the other way around."

Actually neither is correct. The primary should be the server's IP address, and secondary should be blank, unless you have another domain controller.

If you make the ISP a secondary, everything will fail if the DC is rebooted, and will continue to fail even when the DC comes back up. This is because clients will fail over to their secondary DNS server if the primary is unavailable and will STAY with that secondary server until it becomes unavailable.

 

[mrmoneymatters]

I believe you are supposed to have your dns server first, because it needs to check the local dns server first, then if the address is not resolved it sends it to the second server. If you don't have another dns server it would be the isp dns server.

 

[mlichstein]

As I said above, you do NOT want an external DNS server as a primary, secondary, tertiary, anything under ANY circumstances. An external DNS server will not have the SRV records necessary to particpate on an active directory domain, and if the client's name resolver fails over to an external DNS server, it will stay with that server.

Clients on an active directory domain should only point to DNS servers that host the records for their Active Directory zone. In most cases, these are domain controllers.

 

[Micron1090]

mlichstein is correct, and mrmoneymatters is close. That ip for the ISP's DNS server does not belong on any client machine, it should actually be set as a forwarded on the DNS server. Open the DNS snapin, open the properties of the server, and go to the forwarder tab. Add your ISP DNS server in there.

 

[mrmoneymatters]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. You would list the isp dns servers in the forwarders properties for the server. You have to right click your dns server in dns management, then properties, then forwarders.

Is that correct mlichstein?

 

[bigpapapump]

Thank You everyone for your help.

 

[mlichstein]

Yep that is correct

But it should be noted that forwarders are not always necessary. Root hints will work fine on most servers.

 

[bigpapapump]

So I just recreate the dhcp scope with the proper settings and add the isp's dns as forwarders if I want too?

Can the new setup be put in place within an hour of opening for business?

 

[bigpapapump]

Do I need to do anything at the desktops?

 

[wdoellefeld]

Do I need to do anything at the desktops?"

ipconfig /release & /renew or a reboot.

 

[bigpapapump]

Thanks - did everything as suggested and it worked well.