When pinging mailsvr, the wrong ip address is returned. 2

[CEChriss]

I have a 3 W2k advanced servers. 2 are domain controllers one is a member server(runs exchange 2003). the last is a new installation I am in the testing period.

The tests were going ok, I was able to send and receive to the new exchange server. Then all of a sudden I could not send or receive. I received the message that the server could not be found. I was having hardware problems that caused the server to restart about every 3.5 hours. That problem has been fixed and all is well.

some where in the mix I quit being able to send and receive.

I believe I have tracked down the problem which is that the servers name is associated to the wrong IP adddres it should be x.x.x.49 and when I ping the name "mail" (exchange servers name) it returns the an associated ip address of x.x.x.109

I went to my dhcp server anD deleted incorrect entry there. When I pinged mail server from the dhcp server and it returned the correct IP addres x.x.x.49

I then went to one of the client stations. It returned the incorrect ip address of x.x.x.109, nothing had changed. I then ipconfig /dnsflushed the client station. I then tried it again with same results. Also the outlook client stillcan not find the mail server.

I am stuck as to what to do next, to correct this problem.

 

[aznluvsmc]

Check the IP address from the server itself. Also, is it a DHCP client? If so, you will need to make a client reservation. Check your DNS/WINS entry to make sure it also has the correct IP address mapping.

Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+

 

[CEChriss]

The IP adress is hard coded on to the tcp/ip config box. It is not a client as the ip adress is hardcoded. Could you exlain further what you mean by DNS/WINS entries.

WINS I know about, it is not activated, what do you mean by DNS.

A fact that makes it curiouser is I check on a work station that I had not touch for testing and when I pinged "mail" it returned the correct IP address. GO FIGURE.

man this is frustrating.

 

[aznluvsmc]

There are two ways to resolve computer names. Either using a WINS server to resolve netbios names or a DNS server to resolve host names.

I assume your mail server should have a record in DNS that maps its name to its IP address. Did you try pinging the mail server from itself to see if it can resolve its own name?

Your first post said you flused the DNS but the command you typed in was incorrect. The correct command is ipconfig /flushdns. Did you type that in?

Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+

 

[CEChriss]

Yes that is the command I typed in.(ipconfig /flushdns) And it still did not work.

 

[CEChriss]

Yes I just ping the server "mail" from itself and it returned the proper IP address.

 

[xmsre]

Give it a fixed IP, don't use dchp on an exchange server. At the command prompt of the exchange server, type: ipconfig /registerdns

On you client, flush the resolver cahce and try again.

 

[CEChriss]

The exchange server(mail) has a fixed IP X.X.X.49

I have flushed the DNS on the client.

When I Ping "mail" from one client it returns the ip address x.x.x.109

When I ping "mail" from another client it returns the correct ip address x.x.x.49

The only difference between the two is that the one that is returing the incorrect ip is one of the two I used to test the exchange server, before the hardware problem.(now corrrected.

Both servers I used for test are returning incorrect IPs X.x.x.109

I will try to set mailbox and connection using another client'

Is there a setting in the registry, that associates the DNS and ip address in realtionship to exchange.

Thanks for all the help and I mean all of it

Thanks

 

[xmsre]

Check winnt\system32\drivers\etc for a hosts file.

 

[dearingkr]

Check the entries in your DNS server.
There may be 2 entries for your mail server.

 

[Carl44]

I haven't read the whole post, but this seems like a problem with DNS.

Open the DNS MMC, in the "Forward lookup zone" for your domain, you will find lots of "Host (A)" records. Find the record for your server, (check what IP address is accosiated) then if it is incorrect then delete this record.

Then on the server, do ipconfig /flushdns, then ipconfig /registerdns

Thanks Carl

 

[vbrocks]

After you changed the info in dhcp you should do an ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew on the clients, that should fix it....

 

[CEChriss]

Well, I widh I could state what was the solution to this problem. I can not though. Over the weekend I came in and work on the problem and when I did it had resovled itself. I do not know if it wa a specific corection I did or the combination of corrections.

I want to thank all those who took time and effort to help me. May it come back to 10 fold.