Active Directory, DNS, DHCP and Internet Connection

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jishnu
  • Start date Start date
J

Jishnu

Hi all,
I am trying to set up a Win 2K network and I have a question.
I have gone through microsoft's step by step guide of setting up an
Active Directory and feel comfortable about it. I have also understood
the DNS forwarding to an Public ISP DNS Server from my internal
network.
What I do not undertsand is that my ISP provider provides me the
Internet connection which I am running through a Netgear Router (NAT
enabled). So my all the computers in my network get a NAted IP but how
and when des my DHCP server come into play. Can anypne explain that
actual route an internet connection is going to take from a Host
computer.
Need immediate Help.

Thanks
 
You NAT box probably has its own DHCP server.

You have two choices -- to use Windows 2000 DHCP or to use the DHCP on your
NAT box. DHCP is just the mechanism by which client PCs will get their IP
details (i.e. IP address, subnet mask, DNS domain name, node type, default
gateway, etc.)

You will need to configure all the clients on your network to point to the
Windows 2000 machine(s) for DNS. You do this with DHCP (don't go round
hard-coding anything).

For the Internet connection, DNS queries from client machines for external
domains (e.g. www.micrososoft.com) will go to the Windows 2000 machine in
the first instance and then out to your ISP's DNS server. Finally, the
Windows 2000 DNS server will give the client the resolved IP address, having
itself fished the answer out of its own cache or by having asked your ISP's
DNS server).

Since the default gateway (a.k.a. router) for each client machine will be
the IP address of the NAT box, the actual traffic to the Internet will go
straight out through the NAT box. Your Windows 2000 server will only be
involved in the name resolution process. Internet traffic will not pass
through it.

I would recommend that you use Windows 2000 DHCP, as it is often more
configurable than that on a NAT box. Just remember that in the DHCP
settings, you will want your clients to point only to the Windows 2000
machine for DNS and to the NAT box as the default gateway.

Hope this helps

Oli
 
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