hey. I'm new at setting up a server, so if anyone could be of some help, it would be great. Ok, heres my problem. I just installed Windows 2003 Server on my computer and I set up an Active Directory. It also installed this DNS and DHCP stuff to. All of my computers, including this one are behind a linksys router that automatically assigns the IP addresses. Ever since I setup the active directory/DNS, windows takes about 10 more minutes longer to load. It seems to sit at the "preparing network connections" screen for about that long. I have a feeling it has something to do with the DNS and DHCP stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on what I'm doing wrong/ could fix?

thanks!
John

hi john,

the best way is to set up all your computer with fixed IP addresses. if you behind a router, may you use the IP structure of the router like 10.0.0.x or 192.168.1.x and not forget the subnet mask like 255.0.0.0 (for 10.0.0.x) or 255.255.255.0 (for 192.168.1.x). May your router is your gateway, than you've to use the address of the router for the gateway settings, but normal, use your main (server 2003) computer as server an use the IP 192.168.1.1 as server IP for example.

this may solve your problems.
regards

Reimar

You don't say which loads slowly, workstations or the server (or both), but be sure your workstations are pointing to the server for DNS service, and be sure you have created a reverse lookup zone in DNS for your local subnet.

If you have set up DHCP on the server, now both it and the router is assigning IPs. Not a good idea. I suggest either fixed IP or use the server for DHCP. Either way, turn off the DHCP server function on the router.

Peter

Hey. Thanks for the information. I'm just currently playing around with the server, and I'm not sure if I will actually use it yet though. I don't really want to go through the trouble of changing all the IP addresses yet. Is there a way that I can use the router as the DHCP/DNS for now, so that I can learn how to configure everything else on my server? Would this prevent the slow startup on the SERVER? If so, how would I do this?

Thanks
John

I am having the same issue i have just set up a test environment with one Windows 2003 Server and i have one Client Machine (i.e. my laptop) when i try and logon it takes a good 5 minutes. I only have the default GPO setup on my user account.

This shouldnt take this long to logon. I am sitting 2 feet away so there is no WAN issues to contend with. Also if a logon time is supposed to take up to 10 mins how come in my work environment with 320 Servers in 300 odd locations it takes 30 seconds to a minute to load up the GPO and logon scripts (a good 10-15 secs for the logon script)?

I have created a site and obviously this is the GC so there should be no issues contacting it.

DNS is setup correctly pointing to the DC as primary and Router as secondary

DNS on Server is set up as AD intergrated and all resolutions seem fine

This one is killing me. Why to all my other Domain setups work but not this one??

There is only a Win 2k3 installation one the machine so not like the processor/network/memory is bogged down by another process. I have formatted this machine as this happens after i installed it the same last week.

Am i missing something??

Thanks

Michael

MCP, MCSA, MCSE

Aha!!!! I have found it!

If anyone is interested on how i resolved this it WAS the DNS Settings.

Orignally when i built the Server it picked up and IP address from the Router and i manually set the DNS Settings.

Before DNS was setup all DNS queries went through the local machine and then throught the router. To resolve local and internet DNS Names

After i installed DNS on the DC i only changed the local Server name and forgot to remove the Default Gateway from the DNS Settings.
I have removed this and hey presto i can logon on in under 2 seconds with no GPO Settings and Logon Script

I have also added my Logon Script to my account (which is a bout 2 pages of A4 paper) and this has logged me on in on in under 7-10 seconds

Whoo!!

Thanks

Michael

MCP, MCSA, MCSE

hey cool. Can you give me some more detailed instructions on what i could do

You need to configure DNS on your Server

If you go to Start - Programs - Admin Tools - Manage Your Server

Then choose to add a role to the Server.

Follow the wizard and choose DNS

It will ask you to what DNS Settings you will want to set up. Choose to create forwarders and continue through the wizard at one point you will be asked to enter the forward.

From what you said in ur post earlier it looks like you are using the router as the DHCP Server. Depending on your router i suspect you will have to enter the DNS Server settings on the Client machines. leaving the IP address to be given automatically.

This should work fine

Any questions let me know (as i dont get alerts for the post)

info@s3quence.com

Michael

MCP, MCSA, MCSE

You would be advised to run 2003 dhcp instead of the router since 03 dhcp auto updates DNS.

Nonsense setting all pcs to static addresses. Servers should always be static addresses

I set up DNS and DHCP on the Windows 2003 server. The client uses DHCP to receive an IP address. However, the client machine cannot access the Internet. I can use the nslookup on client machine to find out the Yahoo website IP address, but the client machine just cannot access to the Yahoo website and show the page not find. It must be the setting in the DNS server, could anyone have this experience and how to fix it?

Thanks,
Paul