DNS on Win2000 server

I run a small network of winXP, 2000, and 98 machines with
a Win2000 server domain and active directory. The server
is configured as IP 10.0.0.1 and points to the ISP
provider's two DNS IP numbers.

Here's my problem. In certain configurations neither the
website www.msn.com nor its IP #207.68.172.234 is
accessible from the winXP and Win2000 machines. They
cannot ping it, nor tracert it, nor access it via web
browers. It is always accessible from the win98 machines.

Here are the three different network card TCP/IP settings
for the XP and 2000 machines that I tried. All obtain
their IP number from the DHCP server on the Win2000 server.

1. Obtain DNS server name automatically - www.msn.com can
be accessed.

2. Use the Win2000 server IP# as the DNS address
(10.0.0.1) - www.msn.com cannot be accessed, all other
sites can be.

3. Directly put in the ISP's DNS numbers as the preferred
DNS numbers - www.msn.com can be accessed, all other sites
can be.

The problem with configurations 2 and 3 is that it
bypasses the active directory and the Win98 machines
cannot access the resources on the XP machines.

Trying to access www.msn.com from the server gives the
same results. pinging gives the message "Unknown host
www.msn.com"

Pinging from within the Netgear firewall router gets
through.

Other microsoft sites, like msnbc.com, microsoft.com,
hotmail.com do not have this problem.

Where would I look to solve this problem? It seems like
www.msn.com must be explicitly excluded from the DNS on
the server? Any ideas?

With Active Directory each client on the domain MUST point to the DNS server
set up for the AD domain ONLY.
Install DNS on the server, point the server to itself for DNS in the
properties of TCP/IP, point all AD clients to the AD DNS server ONLY. For
Internet access set up your AD DNS server to forward requests and list your
ISP's DNS server as the forwarder. This is the ONLY place on the network
your ISP's DNS servers should be listed.
See:
How to: Configure DNS for Internet Access In Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;300202

Setting Up the Domain Name System for Active Directory

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;237675



Get your DNS set up right then worry about the MSN issue.





hth

DDS W 2k MVP MCSE


"Andy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:24a8601c45f94$c999b9b0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I run a small network of winXP, 2000, and 98 machines with
> a Win2000 server domain and active directory. The server
> is configured as IP 10.0.0.1 and points to the ISP
> provider's two DNS IP numbers.
>
> Here's my problem. In certain configurations neither the
> website www.msn.com nor its IP #207.68.172.234 is
> accessible from the winXP and Win2000 machines. They
> cannot ping it, nor tracert it, nor access it via web
> browers. It is always accessible from the win98 machines.
>
> Here are the three different network card TCP/IP settings
> for the XP and 2000 machines that I tried. All obtain
> their IP number from the DHCP server on the Win2000 server.
>
> 1. Obtain DNS server name automatically - www.msn.com can
> be accessed.
>
> 2. Use the Win2000 server IP# as the DNS address
> (10.0.0.1) - www.msn.com cannot be accessed, all other
> sites can be.
>
> 3. Directly put in the ISP's DNS numbers as the preferred
> DNS numbers - www.msn.com can be accessed, all other sites
> can be.
>
> The problem with configurations 2 and 3 is that it
> bypasses the active directory and the Win98 machines
> cannot access the resources on the XP machines.
>
> Trying to access www.msn.com from the server gives the
> same results. pinging gives the message "Unknown host
> www.msn.com"
>
> Pinging from within the Netgear firewall router gets
> through.
>
> Other microsoft sites, like msnbc.com, microsoft.com,
> hotmail.com do not have this problem.
>
> Where would I look to solve this problem? It seems like
> www.msn.com must be explicitly excluded from the DNS on
> the server? Any ideas?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>