I'm totally stuck on this. I'm setting up a local AD/DHCP/DNS server, which has got 2 NIC's in it. One for the internet, one for the LAN. The nic for the internet has IP 192.168.1.34 (DHCP from router, will be set as a fixed IP), the other one I gave 10.0.0.1 The idea: all clients connected to 10.0.0.1 (through a switch) have got a privat account which is secured with AD (Active Directory). The clients get an IP from the DHCP. To do this, I'll need a domain. This is called DJOI.net. Something goes wrong while trying to configure the whole thing, just because I don't exactly know what I should configure. Can anyone please point out what I should do? I did install DNS, DHCP and WINS, but the clients can't connect to the domain yet. Just ask if you need more information ;) In advanced thanks, Regards, René

u have to join them manually to the domain, on each client computer right click my computer > go to computer name tab and select change > then type in the name of your domain, u will then be asked to authenticate with your DC as an admin or domain admin

I do try that, but than I get the next error: "a domain controller for the domain DJOI could not be contacted"

run an ipconfig on the workstation and see if DHCP is working, if its not set static IPs and try it again, make sure to use the full domain name, in your case it would be djoi.net

Readup on ISA server and RRAS since you will need them [at least rras] for your client machines to get to the internet via the 2nd server nic. Clearly from your error message DNS is not configured correctly. You should have no referance at the workstations to the ISP's DNS servers nor on the servers nic connected to the lan. There should be no host or ptr records in DNS concerning your ISP. What you DO what is in the forwarders tab [not to be confused with forward lookup zone] you want to list your ISP's dns servers and [I believe] the address of the server nic going to the internet/ISP. I use routers so this last part is vague to me. Your dns server should also contain a host and ptr record for the server [I suspect you don't have one hence the error]. MS dns works like this. You workstations send their request to your dns server. Lets say they are looking for google.com. Since your dns server doesn't have a entry [and shouldn't] for it MS DNS looks at the forwarders tab and forwards the request to the ISP's dns server to be resolved. The answer comes back and is sent to the workstations. Give a person a fish you feed them for a day. Ask a person to internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.

Thanks for the replies, and got some grip on the situation now. Just one problem left: no connection between the 2nd NIC (10.0.0.1) and the clients. DHCP doesn't work right yet. I haven't got access to the server now, but I'll need to get DHCP working in first place. Next step should be the forwarding of the traffic (the DNS), and then I can start setting up AD and all. Aren't there any guides or tutorials for this situation known by one of you? I can't seem to find them. Regards, René

just google for books, i have several very good books on AD and administrating a windows 2000 and 2003 network environment