problem with subnets

Hello All,
I am running a Win2k AD with XP pro clients. In my environment the subnets are arranged for each floor, seven altogether. There is a problem with network communication between these flloor. The client machines that reside on the same network segment as the server log into the doamin fine without any errors. When i go into the wiring closet and attach my laptop to any of the catalyst switches with subnets different than the servers, errors appear in the event viewer. Although the machine logs in there are numerous userenv errors stating that the domain name for your network cannot be found. When i look at the DNS server which resides on the AD PDC, I can see that the machines are getting registered. So i have eliminated the DNS as the culprit and believe that the problem lies within the network infrastructure. One of the questions I have is if the Domain name cannot be found how does the client authenticate to it? Even the mapped drives appear but i dont understand why these errors are being generated!!
There were consultants who mentioned that I may have my WINS server misconfigured, but i am reluctant to believe that because technically this environment does not need NETBIOS resolution. All resolution is happening on the DNS. CAn someone give any insight to why this may be happening? or concur that there is a network configuration problem with the switches.....via documentation or at least point me in the direction so that i can further investigate. These consultants are quick to say that something is misconfigured on the server but if that was the case would I not recieve the same errors on the client station located on the same subnet as the server.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
thanx,
Altria

I agree with you that WINS is probably not involved. With AD running and
XP clients, netlogon should all be working through DNS. From your
description, I assume that you have just one DNS server running on the first
(PDC emulator) DC in the domain. Do all clients have the IP address of this
server set as their DNS server? Can you ping this server from all clients by
IP address?

Pointing them to another DNS service will cause slow logins. AD clients
find the login server through DNS/LDAP.

"Altria" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
Hello All,
I am running a Win2k AD with XP pro clients. In my environment the subnets
are arranged for each floor, seven altogether. There is a problem with
network communication between these flloor. The client machines that reside
on the same network segment as the server log into the doamin fine without
any errors. When i go into the wiring closet and attach my laptop to any of
the catalyst switches with subnets different than the servers, errors appear
in the event viewer. Although the machine logs in there are numerous userenv
errors stating that the domain name for your network cannot be found. When i
look at the DNS server which resides on the AD PDC, I can see that the
machines are getting registered. So i have eliminated the DNS as the culprit
and believe that the problem lies within the network infrastructure. One of
the questions I have is if the Domain name cannot be found how does the
client authenticate to it? Even the mapped drives appear but i dont
understand why these errors are being generated!!
There were consultants who mentioned that I may have my WINS server
misconfigured, but i am reluctant to believe that because technically this
environment does not need NETBIOS resolution. All resolution is happening on
the DNS. CAn someone give any insight to why this may be happening? or
concur that there is a network configuration problem with the
switches.....via documentation or at least point me in the direction so that
i can further investigate. These consultants are quick to say that something
is misconfigured on the server but if that was the case would I not recieve
the same errors on the client station located on the same subnet as the
server.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
thanx,
Altria