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Login to Win 2K server, domain.com or domain??

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3 replies

by ed2967

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I'm a student of Win 2K & 2K3.
After re recent move from a Win NT4 server to a Win 2K server(AD), My Win NT & Win 98 PCs wouldn't correctly login to the same domain name(Domain.com)format as in NT4(without a failure to find domain error). The Win 2K & XP Pro PCs logged in perfectly. I have noticed that Win 2K server is really slow & sluggish. Browsing the network from the server could take a minute to display computers. To get the NT4 WS & Win98 PCs logged in, I finally found that I had to use the Domain alone (no .Com).

My question is, should all workstations in the domain login using Domain or Domain.com? Or is there another issue here?
Thanks

3 replies

by stress junkie

I believe that you are being confused by the fact that
two totally separate software systems use the same
terminology for similar but different functions.

The Microsoft network security domain is for Microsoft
networking software. This is the name with no
embedded dot. The domain with an embedded dot is
for TCP/IP networking. The fact that Microsoft network
software can ride on the TCP/IP network protocol
makes it all more confusing. These days I prefer to use
the word 'subnet' when talking about TCP/IP. It's just a
personal preference.

I hope this helps.

by jemimus

Sounds to me like this is some kind of resolving issue.

W2k and XP clients use DNS as their primairy means of resolving names to IP adresses. Same goes for the domain name, this is resolved with a SRV record on the DNS server. When DNS doesnt work they can fall back to Netbios resolution. (though this order can be changed in the registry)

Win9x clients and NT4 use Netbios as their primairy means of resolving. Sounds like they are having some trouble. This would also explain why it takes so long to create a browse list, as this is generated by Netbios broadcasts (and is thus slow to build up initially), if no WINS server can give the client a complete list.

Now I was under the impression that Netbios names could not contain a colon, and thus, bearing in mind that Win9x clients will use Netbios first, I had not expected that a domain.com name with a colon, would be a valid domain for these kind of clients, but since you seem to have used this succesfully in the past, I may be wrong on this point.

W2k and XP have no problem at all with DNS domain names, as its their primary resolving method anyway.

So to me it sounds like you are having some Netbios, WINS or Broadcast problems on your network. If you are currently not running a WINS server, (some admins turn this off once they migrate to W2K), considder turning it back on for hte sake of your 9x clients. It will jsut make their life a lot easier. Remember to integrate the DNS and WINS, saves a lot of admin overhead, and keep in mind security considderations when it comes to WINS, its never as secure as secured-DNS.

by Former member

Have you downloaded the AD clients for the winnt and 98 workstations. This will allow them to interact wit the the Active Directory. Do you have computer objects specified in AD for the Pre Win2k computers as well?

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