I am trying to set-up a W2K DC server that has rras/nat and dns, to serve 2 clients. After set-up under the routing and remote access console --> ip routing --> general, the entry for interface - internal is not available no ip address given, non operational? the other 3 interfaces are given ip addresses and are operational? what is this internal interface? is it supposed to be ip address not available? operational status not operational? while the other 3 interfaces have ip addresses and are operational? the other 3 interfaces are, loopback, local area connection 2 (public network), local area connection 3 (private network).

The intenal interface is the LAN connection that is going to give internet and server access to the 2 clients. Local Area Connection 2 and 3 are not needed for 2 clients. You didn't mention your router setup but basically, you should have a router between the modem and the 3 machines. THe IP addresses will all be on the same subnet, for example 192.168.0.xxx xxx being diffferent for each machine and the router. THat setup provides internet access and file sharing. The server should have DNS started in the services.

don 2006 here is my setup, cable modem --> router --> W2K DC Server --> switch --> clients Heres the signifigance of the 2 local area connections; W2K server:(with 2 NIC's, local area connection 2 'NIC #1'is to the public network, while local area connection 3 'NIC #2' is the private network) I have NIC #1 getting its ip address dynamically (i assume the router is acting as its DHCP with the subnet 192.168.1.xxx), while NIC #2 i statically assigned it with 192.168.2.xxx. does NIC #2 need to be in the same subnet as NIC #1 wich is 192.168.1.xxx?? DNS and RRAS/NAT are installed on the server, DHCP on the server is not installed, NAT dhcp capability will be used for the clients. help!!!

Ok, we have 2 threads going here, let's keep it to one. There is no sense in typing everything twice. You're confused on the public and private thing. Both of your NICs are private since the both have non routable IP addresses. Just becuase one goes to the internet doesn't make it public. If you had a registered domain w/ a routable IP address that was running a servie such as, FTP, ssh, telnet, web page that I could connect to, then that would be public. That's why I keep saying that you only need one NIC.