Windows 2000 Lab

[steveot]

Im looking for some input on how to setup a small lab of computers to work toward finishing my MSCE. I have 3 PC's to work with. I have a cable modem connection with 4 dynamic ip's assigned to me. From my cable modem I go into a hub then into a Buffalo Wireless Router/Firewall. I typically plug eveything into the Buffalo Airstation etc.
I seem to be running into problems with DNS issues when I take one of my lab box and make it a DC then try to make a workstation connect to it, etc. Some have told to me to put two NIC cards in one of the lab boxes and let plug that into the cable modem, etc. With the three PC I would like to setup two as DC's and then one member server, on of them with Exchange and SQL. Any thoughts as to how I should lay this out physically and logically?

 

[oceanid1]

hi steveot why don't you make the dc's ip address static
and also specify the dc as the dns server for the other client systems

 

[Seaspray0]

For internet access, you only need 1 address from your ISP. Put 2 nics in the server and connect one of those to the cable modem. Connnect the other nic to you hub and go to the clients from there. Assign private addresses to your clients through the second nic using DHCP on the server and use routing and remote access to set up NAT to get the clients to the internet. The server will do all of this as well as act as a domain controller. I have a similar lab settup. Some things to keep in mind, keep your DHCP and your DNS local... make sure your DHCP only listens on the nic to your clients. You'll also need to delete the root zone on your DNS and place a forward to the ISP's DNS. Your clients go to your DNS which then forwards to the ISP for resolution for your clients. Put a good firewall in place on your server on the nic going to the cable modem. If you can keep an address from your ISP for extended periods of time, you can even set it up to VPN into your private network from the internet.