Anyone, I am trying to assist someone in understanding why they do not have standard internet access from inside their network when people hook up a laptop inside the network. Basically they use a Win2k Domain Controller and the MS Active Directory network inside. If a visitor (with network permissions) arrives and plugs his laptop into network and is authenticated he does not have Internet access and can not get his POP3 email checked. What are they possibly missing that will enable internet access from within the network? He has the issue that he has to use the laptop with a DOMAIN name and that messes things up as he moves from his office to this other office? How can that be easily chaged back and forth? If laptop is setup as a workgroup machine how can he hop Domain based networks? More so what can the people do with their network to make easy for people inside the network to get out. Not so concerened with the coming in?????? Looking for any advise I can get? Please help.... Thanks in advance, Miller

Can you lose active directory?

Not my network, I am an outside helper. Plus they are a pretty established company so it is not as easy as that. Not sure why they use it but I assume they need it for some reason. Is this question imply that the AD might be culprit in no Internet access??? Still looking for help.... Miller

Ignore what Toad said. I highly doubt AD is the problem. If I follow you correctly, this laptop user belongs to another domain, then comes and logs onto this domain as well. That's your problem right there, logging onto two different domains (or one domain, one workgroup as the case may be). What you can do is create two separate hardware profiles on the laptop, one for each domain. Once you have them configured properly, the user just chooses the hardware profile according to which domain they're logging onto. This should cure the internet access problem as well. Mind you, you didn't give any specific's on how they're connected to the internet so I'm guess they're using RRAS with NAT enabled. If they're not, they should be.

Just a wild stab, but do they have the correct gateway? Curt's idea is probably your best shot. I'm still learning about networking, but have came across this issue with several clients. Our company was just purchased... so we have a lot of suits from the new company running in and out to finish the deal. They'll need access to the internet, but dont want to setup a new profile, so I just either have them retrieve IP settings from our DHCP server or change their gateway and add our DNS. Would you perhaps have any other information? thanks

Hi all, Nothing to think about that. It's just a problem at IP address.Please give an IP addess for the laptop include:IP address, Sub mask, default gateway( by statics or dymamic on DHCP server that support for all workstations can access internet).It's means that if I have an IP address: IP: 192.168.10.10 Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway: 192.168.10.1 With this IP, if you can access to the internet by any workstation, then the laptop will be succefull access to the internet if use this IP.It's not a mistake from AC, my guy!.:-)

Hey curt, tell me you NEVER had any problems w/ AD it's more hassle than it's worth. My 2000 servers never move from file or print servers, if I need Directory services, than it's novell, or cleverPath portal which i'm just starting to use and have found it to be great.