2003 Login Error with DHCP

Hi All,
I am a server 2003 newbie and have recently been thrown into fixing up a
local school's network system and connecting / re-connecting newly fixed
computers to their domain.

From what I can understand from my experience thus far the school's network
is divided into two subnet classes ... one class B and the other class C.

Class C is for the main computer laboratory (consisting of about 35
computers) and the Class B is for the remainder of the school (administration
and teaching staff etc.) All computers throughout the school are configured
to receive their network details by DHCP. If I connect a machine inside the
laboratory it receives a C-class subnet mask and I am able to login to the
domain. If I connect the machine outside the laboratory and it receives a
B-class network subnet mask and it CANNOT login to the domain. I receive an
error saying the domain is currently unavailable.

But if I manually configure the machine's network details to the identical
details as it received by DHCP except for a C-class subnet mask I am then
able to restart and log in successfully to the domain.

I was moderately satisified by this solution until I released there was a
number of machines scattered throughout the school (that is outside the
laboratory and as a result on the B-class subnet mask) which, even though
they received their network details by DHCP, were able to successfully log in
to the domain.

I was wondering if anyone might be able to shed some light on this problem?
The only thing I could possibly think of it that I did not add the machine to
the domain at the server instead adding it to the domain through the client
machine itself. However, this is purely a stab in the dark.

All the best.

Cheers,
Tony Crouch

We need more information to help. Can you ping the DC by IP when you are in class B? If yes, can you ping it by name? Also posting the results of ipconfig /all both DHCP and manual setting may help.

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"tonycrouch" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:18241634-7885-445F-9B3B-(E-Mail Removed)...
Hi All,
I am a server 2003 newbie and have recently been thrown into fixing up a
local school's network system and connecting / re-connecting newly fixed
computers to their domain.

From what I can understand from my experience thus far the school's network
is divided into two subnet classes ... one class B and the other class C.

Class C is for the main computer laboratory (consisting of about 35
computers) and the Class B is for the remainder of the school (administration
and teaching staff etc.) All computers throughout the school are configured
to receive their network details by DHCP. If I connect a machine inside the
laboratory it receives a C-class subnet mask and I am able to login to the
domain. If I connect the machine outside the laboratory and it receives a
B-class network subnet mask and it CANNOT login to the domain. I receive an
error saying the domain is currently unavailable.

But if I manually configure the machine's network details to the identical
details as it received by DHCP except for a C-class subnet mask I am then
able to restart and log in successfully to the domain.

I was moderately satisified by this solution until I released there was a
number of machines scattered throughout the school (that is outside the
laboratory and as a result on the B-class subnet mask) which, even though
they received their network details by DHCP, were able to successfully log in
to the domain.

I was wondering if anyone might be able to shed some light on this problem?
The only thing I could possibly think of it that I did not add the machine to
the domain at the server instead adding it to the domain through the client
machine itself. However, this is purely a stab in the dark.

All the best.

Cheers,
Tony Crouch