I am fairly inexperienced with working in domain networks and am trying to set up a small network at my house. I have a server running Windows Server 2003 and I am currently trying to connect my first client which is running Windows XP. I have the Server all configured with DHCP/DNS/AD. The problem lies with connectivity through my router. When I directly connect the client to the server with a crossover cable I can log on to the domain with no problem. However, I would like to route the network through my router so I can have multiple computers connected simultaneously as well as have wireless connectivity. I CAN get internet access through the router with static IPs and using the default gateways appropriately (the client's DG is the router and the router's DG is the server). However it seems to just be using the server as a gateway and nothing more - I cannot ping the router's local IP, only the internet IP. And of course the client does not see Active Directory so it is unable to detect the Domain. So, how do I configure my router as to allow traffic from my clients to be forwarded to the server? Do I need a different piece of hardware, say a switch or a hub? Do I have the hardware connected incorrectly? I have a crossover cable from the local Ethernet port on the server to the internet port on my router and then the client is connected to the router normally. My router is a Linksys BEFW11S4. Please, any help is appreciated.

Hola. I'm going on the assumption that your router (like most home models) has a built-in switch and DHCP server and can relay DNS requests. Connect the server to one of the router's LAN ports and assign it a compatible static IP address, i.e., 192.168.1.200, depending on your router's internal IP address. Turn off DHCP on the router. Set the server's DNS to forward external requests (i.e., outside of your local domain) to the router's internal IP address. Configure the server's DHCP to assign the following: #1. IP address range: compatible with server's IP (192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.100 would work in my example). #2. Default gateway: router's internal IP address #3. DNS server: server's IP address Now your server will assign working network settings to clients on your LAN, and it won't be fighting with your router's DHCP server because we turned it off. Now connect a client machine to one of the router's unused LAN ports. If it is setup to dynamically receive its network settings via DHCP, it will contact your server, receive an IP address in the server's DHCP range, and use the server for DNS and the router's LAN IP address as its default gateway. This way all client machines will query the server for directions yet use the router as the first step to actually get there. "If it ain't broke, upgrade anyway."

Oops... To join a client to the domain, go to Computer Name in System Properties (classic Control Panel in XP). It's pretty much self explanatory from there. Use the domain's built-in Admin credentials to authorize it. Have fun. "If it ain't broke, upgrade anyway."

Thanks for the help. Here is a great page that details how to set up a Domain: http://www.speedguide.net/read_arti...