I have been studying Windows 7 and how it handles networking and domain logging. This setup is not in a professional environment but a training environment (at home). My ISP does not allow for static ip adressing. My Windows 7 machine can see the server before it becomes a domain controller. After it becomes a domain controller I can no longer see it, and can't get it to join the Domain. It kicks back a DNS error on the Windows 7 machine. I have attempted to change my network connection to look for the DNS on the server but it does not work. Is there something I am missing? Please feel free to provide step by step instructions. I have tried this with and without the server using DNS.This was a good bit easier under Windows XP and Server 2003

Please post the results ofipconfig /allfrom the SBS server and from the win7 computer. Thanks.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

I finally got it resolved. The new problem is in 2003 Server and Windows 7. I do appreciate the reply. I have set up DNS to forward to my ISP. Unfortunately Windows 7 is now seeing the issue again. When I did this in Server 2008 it copied my ISPs DNS and was forwarding properly. Now when I tried the same thing in 2003 it doesn't resolve the DNS.Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:\Users\Kevin>ipconfig /all Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . :(Hidden on public forums) Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No System Quarantine State . . . . . : Not Restricted Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8101E Family PCI-E Fast Ethernet NIC (NDIS 6.20) Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-66-61-47-2B DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5195:a5e9:48a9:66b9%11(Preferred) IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.105(Preferred) Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, September 25, 2009 11:02:50 PM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, September 27, 2009 10:19:59 AM Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1 DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 234887526 DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-12-26-88-DB-00-19-66-61-47-2B DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1 NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled Tunnel adapter isatap.{0214AFBD-273E-4C15-99B5-0A05C17C7A3E}: Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e50:1c7e:a1bb:b8cc:d644(Preferred) Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::1c7e:a1bb:b8cc:d644%13(Preferred) Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : :: NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled C:\Users\Kevin>

It looks like the router is doing DHCP. You are much better off letting the SBS server be the DHCP server. It correctly populate things like the DNS suffix which is showing up null. The DNS server is a different network xxx.xxx.2.xxx vs xxx.xxx.1.xxx Have you setup a static route to this network?Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

I have a linksys router it is a pain about wanting to do that DHCP. I will disable that and see what happens. Thanks.

I thought you were using Small Business Server. Don't know where I got that from. It looks like you're not. You will have to install the DHCP role on the Domain Controller. It may also be possible to set the domain suffix on the Linksys router.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Agree with Kerry, accroding to "DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1", the computer didn't get IP address from DC. Does it work if you take kerry's suggestion?

I will try it Kerry's way. I want to see what happens myself. I tried small business server in the form of Home Server for all of about 2 hours, and quickly decided dealing with DNS, and DHCP was far better. Home server is great if you know enough to be dangerous.192.168.2.1 is the embarq router.192.168.1.1 is the linksys wireless router. The idea is to forward DNS to the Embarq address for DNS. Which is on a class B network in which I have the forwarding numbers. I reviewed the msdn article on DNS Server with Internet access. btw Mr. Zhang that is a good article and it can be used for Windows Server 2008 R2.What I saw in Windows Server 2008 R2when I did the forward was it immediately resolved the name of my ISP. Windows 2003 Standard Server however did not resolve it. I am wondering what steps I missed there. On 2008 I didn't even have to change the way the routers were working. Is there that much of a difference in the way DNS is handled between the two?I will install the DHCP on the Windows 2003 server and check the results. I still think I missed something 2008 did automatically for me.

The domain controller has to be the DNS server. You can set up a forwarder there.http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324753http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323380All of the client computers need to use the domain controller to resolve DNS queries.You wouldn't normally use two routers. If you need wireless then see if the linksys can be configured as an access point rather than a router or remove the embarq router entirely.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Never tried that before. Unfortunately its ADSL. The Linksys doesn't allow for the RJ-11 wire providing the internet. My training environment has to avoid killing the regular connections. After looking at the posts I think I neglected to mention that I got Windows Server 2008 R2 to do what I needed, with all the internet and DNS things. The only problem was that 2008 R2 is all 64 bit and does not like the 32 bit aps I was trying to use. I think most businesses and users can relate to that. I configured Server 2003 for the 32 bit usage but had more problems resolving DNS. The ADSL router is treated more like a switch.

The way you have it set up is doing double NAT which is confusing the issue making it hard to troubleshoot. At the very least it is slightly slower for all of the computers on the network.For active directory to work properly all the clients have to use an AD integrated DNS server and no other DNS servers. Until you get DNS working on the domain controller you will continue to have problems with AD. Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

I appreciate the advice. My network environment is not ideal for what I am doing... Under normal circumstances I would use a hub not another router. Still the solutions have been a worthwhile learning experience.