Hi all im new here. I just installed 2003 server standard on a machine at home. i want to take the other clients (3) and have them connect to the internet through the server instead of the router like they have been. at the moment my 2003 is up and running with the roles screen that pops up by default when you first logon. im not sure where to go from there, or how to configure my router,clients,and server to connect the way i want them to. i have 2 XP machines and a linksys 5port router. what i want is, is when i logon with the xp machines, they logon to the server then the internet (if that way is possible) will also be connecting a printer and multiple hdd's to the server to use it as a print/file server also. if anything, right now, i just want to setup the xp machines and the router to use the server as the internet connection. how would i accomplish that feat first? Thanks in advanced, Ron Jackson

Do you want all trafic to go through the server or just DNS and such?

If you create a domain, all clients will have to authenticate to the domain controller (DC). You own a router. Turning it into a switch and making the server do the routing/internet makes no sense as this is what the router is designed to do. However, if you insist, you will basically be turning your router into a switch (a waste of $). So you want to turn your router into a switch and serve up the internet with your server.....ok here's how. Modem >> Server (external interface) Server (internal interface) >> Router Router >> clients You will need to enable RRAS with NAT on the server side and configure it for the LAN and your internet access for the LAN. Your DNS on the server will already be setup (can't create a domain without DNS). You will need to forward your DNS to your ISP's DNS servers in order to have requests outside the local zone resolved. You will want to assign a Static IP address and associated information on the router and disable NAT and turn it into a switch. You will want to setup DHCP on the Server. Or, you could still setup the domain, forward your domain's DNS and enable DHCP on the router. It would look like this: Modem >> Router >> Server & Clients This eliminates RRAS/NAT on the server. Keeps the load on the server to a minimum and accomplishes the task using the tools you have on hand, the way they were intended to be used (ie: the router).

Windows server 2003 is not designed to run as a router. I ran into this problem the other day. ICS is disabled as soon as u install active directory. RRAS wouldn't recognize my PPOE connection.Way i got around it was by using a third party program called winroute