Retrieving Mac Addresses from the Active Directory

[TomMystery]

I am running a small network of around 200 computers. All of the computers are registered with one server running Windows 2000 Server. The server is responsible for managing all the user accounts, etc. The problem arises when one of the systems crashes and it is impossible to find it in the active directory. Is there a way to search the active directory by Mac Addresses? or to retrieve the Mac Addresses of every computer with the Computer name. I know that the Mac Address is recorded on DHCP when the IP address is assigned. Is there any way to tap into this database?

Robert.

 

[Davetoo]

Why are you trying to find it in AD? In other words, what are you trying to accomplish by knowing the association between the computer name and the MAC address? The DHCP lease will show the computer name and MAC address, so just look in there.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[TomMystery]

I need to retrieve a list of all the computers registered on the network with the Computer Name and Mac Address. I need to be able to retrieve this information, while some of the computers are offline. Basically, I need to be able to go up to a crashed computer, retrieve the MAC Address so that I can remove it from the Active Directory. So that once the computer is re-imaged it will be detected in the Active Directory, whereas it will not work if there is already a computer with that MAC Address in the AD. If anyone knows how to retrieve this list, or to search the AD by MAC Address I would greatly appreciate the help.

Rob.

 

[Davetoo]

You can't add a computer to a domain if the computer name already exists. So you just need to remove the computer from AD, not the MAC address. Since you're reimaging the computer, then you know what name is assigned to the image, just remove that computer from AD.

If you need a list of MAC addresses, use DHCP. But what you're asking just doesn't make sense to me. If you reimage the computer, either the image contains the name of the computer that you're imaging to, or you assign it a name. In either case, you already know the name from either the image or whatever you name the computer.

Or, maybe I'm just missing the point.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[GlenJohnson]

I think what you need is to do a little legwork, create a database with all pertinant info, and fill the database in. I did this with over 250 machines, and I had kind of pc, kind of os, mac address, ip address and a few other pertinant bits of info. Once the database was created, the rest of the job was a lot easier. If person x called, I just ran a quick query, found out the machine they were using and instantly had all the pertinant info I needed to help them out. Good luck.

Glen A. Johnson
If you're from Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin/Central Florida feel free to join the Tek-Tips in Chicago, Illinois Forum.
TTinChicago
Johnson Computers