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Cannot join the Domain?

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by daddy123 1 view

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Hello All,
I have a small network: Win2000 adv. server, with XP pro, Win98se, and Win2000 pro workstations(4 comps.)
They all connect through a Linksys broad band, 4port router, which takes care of DHCP, etc. The win98 and XP machines joined the domain fine, can log into the Domain, have internet access, the whole works. But the win2k pro computer does not see the domain when I try to join it, although it does have an internet connection through the router, can see the domain and the other 3 computers when I click on network places, and can see shares, map drives and use the printers attached to the server and domain. I can ping all other workstations and server(and vise versa from the server). When I am on the server I cannot get to or see the win2k mach. But when I try to join the domain I get a message stating: "Your computer could not be joined to the domain because the following error occured: The network path was not found" OR "The following error occurred attempting to join the domain "outback": The network location cannot be reached.
It logs into its own workgroup. So in "entire network" I see the domain and workgroup.
Any ideas?

Thanks
GP

15 replies

by avalentino

Are you running active directory? What about WINS? In short, I have had problems similiar to this. The reason your computer can see the internet is because the IP address is on the same SubNet as your router. Since your router is assigning the IP addresses, it is doing a bulk of the incoming and outgoing internet work. However, if you are running active directory, check the computers section to see if an object exists that is the same name as the W2K pro computer. Also, if you are runningDNS check the DNS and see if a host record is in the 'Forward Lookup Zones' under your domain name. Also check the 'Reverse Lookup Zones' for a pointer. The pointer and host record should have the computername.domain.(net or com) i.e. w2kpc.bestbuy.com. Also make sure your WINS server is running (I assume it is because your 98 machine is connecting, but it is worth checking.).

Once you have checked to see if your server has any record of the W2Kpro box existing, go to the W2K box and right click on the 'My Computer', then click on 'Network Identification' tab, then click the Network ID button and run through the wizard. I hope this helps.

-Anthony

by daddy123

Thank you for your response,
I have the server set to obtain IP automatically. I can ping the server through its IP address and the server's name, from the Win2k computer; and the same from the server to the win2k computer. Strange problem.

by avalentino

Are you running active directory? What about WINS? In short, I have had problems similiar to this. The reason your computer can see the internet is because the IP address is on the same SubNet as your router. Since your router is assigning the IP addresses, it is doing a bulk of the incoming and outgoing internet work. However, if you are running active directory, check the computers section to see if an object exists that is the same name as the W2K pro computer. Also, if you are runningDNS check the DNS and see if a host record is in the 'Forward Lookup Zones' under your domain name. Also check the 'Reverse Lookup Zones' for a pointer. The pointer and host record should have the computername.domain.(net or com) i.e. w2kpc.bestbuy.com. Also make sure your WINS server is running (I assume it is because your 98 machine is connecting, but it is worth checking.).

Once you have checked to see if your server has any record of the W2Kpro box existing, go to the W2K box and right click on the 'My Computer', then click on 'Network Identification' tab, then click the Network ID button and run through the wizard. I hope this helps.

-Anthony

by daddy123

I do not have DNS or WINS running on the server. That is done through the router. The DNS address that shows up on "ipconfig", on all of the computers is the DNS address of my ISP. And the strange thing is that the other computers have no problems. I tried the other suggestions to no avail. I am a touch confused.

by curlergirl

One your Win2K box, right-click Network Places and go to Properties, right-click your NIC and go to Properties, highlight TCP/IP and click Properties again - click the Advanced button and go to the WINS tab. Make sure Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP is selected, then try to join the domain again. "Use NetBIOS setting from DHCP Server" is probably selected, and your router does not have a setting for this option.

Hope this helps!

by daddy123

Thanks for your response,
I do have NetBIOS over TCP/IP enabled(also tried "NetBIOS setting from DHCP Server previously) and I tried it with LMHOSTS Lookup enabled and disabled; still not working.
This is starting to get frustrating.

Thanks
GP

by cocosk

Seems like you've done a lot of troubleshooting. I wasn't sure if the server could successfully ping the w2k mach or not. It sounds like a DNS issue to me. W2k server needs an authoritative DNS server for it's own domain in order to work according to M$ guidelines. I'd do a tracert to find out where the communication is failing. When a machine attempts to join a domain, it uses DNS to find the DC. If you've already added an LMHost file with the DC and IP address, then I'd examine the DNS setup.

by cul8rm8e

The problem you have here is that your servers IP should be static! anyway when you try to join the domain from your 2k machine theres already a cached entry on this machine for the IP of your server and this is why you cant \connect and join the domain. on your 2k pro machine run this command ipconfig /flush dns then ping the server by name: dc.mydomain.com this will clear the local cache and allow you to resolve your server IP to join the domain.

Were you pinging the server by name or IP?

by daddy123

Yes, I can ping the server by name. I noticed something else: When I go into "My Network Places", I can see the Domain and Workgroup(which the 2k machine is part of); I can get into the server and the XP machine and vise versa; but still cannot findDomain when trying to join. -BUT- I could go into "My Network Places" again and not be able to see ANYthing but the 2k machine in Workgroup. I tried your latest suggestion: static IP on server, then static on server and 2k mach., configuring DNS on server and that did not work. I think I have some other issue with this computer. I tried a diff. port in router, diff. nic, and a diff. patch. Wow

by cul8rm8e

ok! install the DNS service on yor DC,if this installs the DNS as a root server open your DNS console, above your (forward lookup zone) delete the cache entry`s (right click and delete) rebbot the server and go back into your console,expand forward lookup zones to view ie: dc.mydomain.com and right click and go to properties,check that allow dynamic updates =yes.

back in your DNS console,right click and properties of your server (dc) and under (interfaces) allow to (listen on) all ip addresses.

this should sort it out cause im 99% sure this is a DNS issue.

by daddy123

Ok, I Tried that, still not working. Isn't this rediculous? I never had this kind of trouble before.
Here is more info: when I type in the -Wrong- Domain Name, while trying to join Domain it says, "The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted", and does not provide the box that asks for the "username and p/w of the account w/perm. to join domain". When I type the right domain name in, it does provide that pop up, but gives the message: "The Network path was not found"or "The Network location could not be reached". That message comes after the box that says: "Windows cannot find an account for your computer on the mydomain domain" and wants the computer&domain name. So to me it looks like it is finding the domainat first, yes..no..?

Thank You again for helpping me.

by cul8rm8e

WELL!lets do it this way. open (active directory users and computers) remove your 2k machine if showing under computers if you had already created an account for it before trying to join Domain,if not then create an account for that machine name!
go to your 2k client machine,create a static address for that machine under lan properties,configure DNS server as (first) your internal servers IP ie:192.168.x.x .......... and create a secondary DNS entry as your ISP`s DNS server. change the properties of your workgroup to maybe (home) reboot the machine,go to command prompt and ru ipconfig /flushdns then go to properties of (my computer) and try to join the domain using either mydomain or mydomain.com or whatever your domain setup is.

ifthis dont work i will come over and personally get this sorted :)

i have the same sort of setup here only that i have DNS and DHCP running on server.

by daddy123

That did it! I guess it wanted everything to be static.
Thank You very much for your patience and persistance!

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