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Having trouble joining domain on win2k

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by vsncorp 1 view

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I have a small network setup at home with a 2000 advanced server and 2 2000 pro wkstn. When I try to add the domain (with administrative privileges) I get an error: unable to locate domain "MYDOMAIN":
network path not found. However, I am able to see my server and browse through the network neighborhood. I am also able to map a drive. I also have internet connection (cable modem)which is shared from the server and is working on all the machines just fine.
Thanks for your help...

9 replies

by tony.colgrove

Do you have Active Directory setup on the Win2K server? If you do, then make sure your 2k pro machines are pointing the the DNS that the AD server is using (which by the description on your home network it should be the Win2k server itself). Also the Win2K server should point to itself as its DNS server so AD properly registers itself with DNS.

by vsncorp

Yes I have AD setup. But I chose not to add DNS during AD setup, because if I do chose to add DNS my internet doesn't work on any of my machines including the server. If I setup DNS what name do I give it? My IP? I have static IP on my server and under DNS I just have the IP for it I don't have anything under Host, Domain or suffix. How do I make these machines to point to DNS? And what should put in under DNS?
Thanks a lot I really appreciate your help.

by abubin

you definitely need DNS server.

The reason your machine can access each other because it is using workgroup method instead. I think this is using Netbios. In order for domain to work, you need DNS server. AD relies on DNS to resolve host names.
Fix IP is fine when you have only 3 machines and save memory instead of loading DHCP server.

Try to install the DNS server and make sure that you integrate this DNS server into the AD structure. To make your workstations point to your DNS, go toyour workstations' properties and add in the primary DNS name and IP. That should do the trick.

If you are accessing to the internet with your server, make sure you use forwading on your dns server and point it to your ISP's dns server ip address. This is to resolve external IP addresses.

by reference

When you setup your DNS on your Server, the name you give it doesn't matter(I generally name it whatever the computer name is). don't worry about Host, Domain, or Suffix, In TCP/IP properties for your LAN put the static IP of your Server in as your primary AND ONLY DNS Server address.
Do this also on all machines on the LAN.(server IP as DNS server)
In your DNS properties, you'll need to put your global DNS numbers(the numbers you've been using) into the forwarding section of the Zone properties)
So what you ultimately end up with is ALL traffic goes to the server first, and whatever it cannot resolve it passes on to the "forwarded" DNS servers. It works pretty good actually. Please feel free to e-mail if what I have left here doesn't make sense!
good luck!

by reference

I need to make a correction to this answer!
The name is important, it should be the same as the domain. also, there is a utility on the 2000 CD, under support, then tools, run setup to install support tools onto your system.
after installation go to cmd (command promt) and type in netdiag.exe
If DNS fails, type netdiag.exe /fix to fix some trivial DNS errors.
sorry for the misdirection on the nameing.

by kimoppalfens

Just run dcpromo again to demote you current domain controller.

When done run dcpromo again to create a domain controller, this way the dcpromo wizard will create a bunch of srv records you need in dns for win2k clients to find their domain controller.

This dns should not cause any problems for your internet access. If a dns server is installed by default it contains mappings to the root internet dns servers.

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