I had a single W2K Server (2 NICs) with RRAS/NAT, it was set with NAT to hand out ip addresses since there was no DHCP server on this LAN. I configured the Internal and External interfaces. The W2K Pro clients then received internet access through this NAT with no configuration being done on the client computers. Here is the problem. I then added a W2K server to this LAN to be a DHCP server, NAT giving out ip addresses was turned off. The client computers and DHCP server then did not have access to the internet!! I then added to each client/DHCP computers Default Gateway the ip address of the W2K servers Internal interface. The clients/DHCP server then received internet access! Why when i added the DHCP server did i have to configure each clients Default Gateway? Why when the NAT acted as the DHCP server the clients Default Gateways did not have to be configured? The internal interface - DHCP Server - Clients are all conneted to a switch while the External Interface is connected to the router.

Ok, let's see if I have this straight. You had one server giving out IP's via RRAS. You then added another server to be your DHCP server. You said, "I then added a W2K server to this LAN to be a DHCP server, NAT giving out ip addresses was turned off." What exactly do you mean. I'm afraid this isn't very clear. NAT and DHCP are two separate services. NAT doesn't give out IP addresses, it translates multiple internal (LAN) IP's to access the internet through a single external IP. Only DHCP gives out IP's. Are you perhaps referring to the DHCP built into RRAS? If yes, turn it off and have DHCP running only from the DHCP server. I'm afraid your post is rather confusing. Regardless. Here's a couple things to think about. You do not want two DHCP servers on the same subnet. If your clients aren't getting a gateway IP, check the DHCP scope settings and ensure you have the correct Gateway address set in there.

Q1: you didn't setup the new dhcp server to give out the gateway address as part of getting the ip and dns addresses Q2: most likely it did it for you because its linked to MS DNS Q3: makes no sense to me. Switch with pcs should be connected to the inside nic on the server and the externally pointing nic to the router facing the internet. At which point you turn off dhcp [can you do that is RRAS?]since you have a different dhcp server for your lan. Imagine the power if you knew how to internet search

I initially had RRAS/NAT handing out ip addresses to the clients, thus clients were getting internet access without me having to set any default gateway ip addresses on the clients. I then stopped RRAS/NAT from handing out ip addresses and added a DHCP server to hand out ip addresses, once i did this, the clients did not have internet access until i went to each client and entered a default gateway ip address (ip address of internal lan nic). Why when i added a seperate DHCP server did i have to go to each client and enter a default gateway? When i had RRAS/NAT handing out ip addresses i didn't have to do this and each client had internet access fine? Yes i only have 1 dhcp server on this lan? RRAS/NAT dhcp server is turned OFF! a seperate dedicated dhcp server is configured. do i have a setting in the DHCP server to add a default gateway without going to each computer client one-by-one so i don't have to enter a default gateway on each client?

Why when i added a seperate DHCP server did i have to go to each client and enter a default gateway? When i had RRAS/NAT handing out ip addresses i didn't have to do this and each client had internet access fine? Likely, you had the DHCP portion of RRAS/NAT configured properly (ie: gateway address setting). Chances are, you didn't set that up in the DHCP server when you created your scope. do i have a setting in the DHCP server to add a default gateway without going to each computer client one-by-one so i don't have to enter a default gateway on each client? Certainly you do, just go through your scope options again and find the Default Gateway setting and put the correct address in there.

Alright, I found scope options, and server options. For both options I added the DNS servers ip address for DNS, and for Router(Default gateway) I added the internal NICs ip address. But to gain internet access for the DHCP server I still had to have tcp/ip properties configured for DNS and Default Gateway. I still have yet to check to see if this configuring has solved the clients problem. Both DNS and Router (default gateway) happen to be the same ip address.

Hmmm....well, you've got me stumped then. Once you have the right IP in the right settings (in this case, DNS and gateway) the clients should receive them and be able to access the internet. You did verify whether or not the clients are getting the correct IP's right?