DNS question

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For windows 2003, the DNS of the workstation has to be set to the ipaddress
of the 2003 server. My server address is 192.168.168.1
Now I have a firewall gateway device (which is my DHCP server) with the
address 192.168.168.2 For static workstations there is no problem because i
can set the DNS and gateway accordingly, but for notebooks, I am not sure
how I can set this.

There is no setting on the DHCP for this, so how would the notebook know
that the DNS should be the SBS server?

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Re: DNS question by Mike

Mike
Thu Mar 10 22:21:28 CST 2005

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:41:25 -0500, !!bogus wrote:

> For windows 2003, the DNS of the workstation has to be set to the ipaddress
> of the 2003 server. My server address is 192.168.168.1
> Now I have a firewall gateway device (which is my DHCP server) with the
> address 192.168.168.2 For static workstations there is no problem because i
> can set the DNS and gateway accordingly, but for notebooks, I am not sure
> how I can set this.
>
> There is no setting on the DHCP for this, so how would the notebook know
> that the DNS should be the SBS server?

I feel that it's unfortunate that you left DHCP server duties to the
router. 2003 Server offers much richer choices. Nonetheless, in your
router DNS server properties use the IP address of your local DNS server
as THE DNS server. Do not set those properties to your ISPs DNS server,
and do not leave them at 0.0.0.0. If your LAN has only one DNS server,
then enter the IP address for that one, and leave any other DNS server
addresses at 0.0.0.0.

If you've been depending on your router for internet routing, what I
just said will break your internet access. You have to take another
step. You'll need to set up forwarding in your DNS server for unresolved
local names, namely, you'll need to enter your ISPs DNS servers as
forwards. Alternately, and perhaps better, particularly if those DNS
server addresses change from time to time, is to use root hints.

Now, when your notebook asks for an IP address, it'll get that address,
and the router-supplied DNS server address (the one on your LAN).

You sure you don't want to install and configure DHCP server?
--
Mike H
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Re: DNS question by !!bogus

!!bogus
Sat Mar 12 15:29:54 CST 2005

I remember reading somewhere that it is not recommended to use the DHCP
server of the SBS for security reasons, but it looks like this is might be
my only solution. Your other suggestions worries me a bit because I find
configuring DNS a bit difficult.

> I feel that it's unfortunate that you left DHCP server duties to the
> router. 2003 Server offers much richer choices. Nonetheless, in your
> router DNS server properties use the IP address of your local DNS server
> as THE DNS server. Do not set those properties to your ISPs DNS server,
> and do not leave them at 0.0.0.0. If your LAN has only one DNS server,
> then enter the IP address for that one, and leave any other DNS server
> addresses at 0.0.0.0.


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Re: DNS question by Mike

Mike
Sun Mar 13 15:22:37 CST 2005

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:29:54 -0500, !!bogus wrote:

>> I feel that it's unfortunate that you left DHCP server duties to the
>> router. 2003 Server offers much richer choices. Nonetheless, in your
>> router DNS server properties use the IP address of your local DNS server
>> as THE DNS server. Do not set those properties to your ISPs DNS server,
>> and do not leave them at 0.0.0.0. If your LAN has only one DNS server,
>> then enter the IP address for that one, and leave any other DNS server
>> addresses at 0.0.0.0.

> I remember reading somewhere that it is not recommended to use the DHCP
> server of the SBS for security reasons, but it looks like this is might be
> my only solution. Your other suggestions worries me a bit because I find
> configuring DNS a bit difficult.

I'm curious about your security concerns for DHCP server. I can't see
how the router handing out IP addresses does so in a more secure manner
than DHCP Server. Regardless of what you decide to do, though, whatever
handles DHCP duties is going to have to hand out the address to the DNS
server. btw, many would consider DHCP Server easier to configure than
DNS Server. Despite what you say about DNS server being difficult to set
up, evidently it IS set up, since you say you want to use it. The
wizards do a pretty good job of it.

Also, looking back at my first reply, I realize I should have mentioned
that some routers will fill in 0.0.0.0 entries for DNS servers with
whatever they come up with while querying for an IP address for
themselves. If you've listed your own DNS server as the primary one and
you wish to avoid the router adding to that list you may find that you
need to use 255.255.255.255 instead of 0.0.0.0 for any remaining DNS
server properties. In your router, for example:
DNS1: 192.168.168.1
DNS2: 255.255.255.255
DNS3: 255.255.255.255 (if you have a DNS3)
That's if you use a dynamic WAN IP.

By the way, if your laptops are using Windows XP, there is also a
secondary configuration for TCP/IP. If you give up on all the above,
perhaps you can use the secondary configuration when they jack into your
LAN. (this is if you give up on everything else)

Take a look at the following KB for setting up DNS server for internet
access.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;323380
This is a nice one for DHCP.
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/DHCP_Server_Windows_2003.html

If you read those, I think that you'll see that this is not rocket
science. Then, using the wizards, set the products up on your server. In
the end, it really will be much easier than the course you want to take
right now.

--
Mike H
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