DNS setup question(s)

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Tcs

We have two domains, our old and new. We created the new one and
started the migration about 6 months ago. All users are in the new
domain, as it was created [primarily] to handle our then new exchange
server. (Migration from Lotus Notes.) We have several servers on the
new domain and about a half dozen clients. The remaining 200 or so
clients are still on the old domain.

I'm trying to use a .vbs script to enumerate all the computers in my
domain. (The old NT4 domain has 2 DCs, and the new w2k3 domain has 2
DCs.) My PC is in the new domain.

Whenever I try to run my scripts (I've tried several [alledgedly]
working scripts) they all error out. At someone's suggestion, I ran
just a two line script, one should shold have returned the domain
name. It didn't. Instead, I got an error:

The specified domain either does not exist or could not be
contacted.

From the feedback I've received, the finger is pointing to DNS being
setup incorrectly. For one thing, I've found that our Exchange server
still has its old IP address, rather than its current address. But I
don't believe this is the biggest and/or immediate problem.

One thing I see, which I don't know is correct (it's been about 5
years since I've played with DNS, and apparently I don't remember
everything I should have), is that when I run ipconfig/all on my PC, I
see 2 DNS entires, both of which belong to our ISP. *Our* 2 DNS
servers are listed as WINS servers. I was told to do this on a new PC
I was setting up in my cubicle due to a "Duplicate name exists on the
network" error msg I was getting when trying to join the domain. Even
for computer names I *knew* didn't exist. And since it was a new
"drom sctratch" install, not a ghost image, there was no SID
issue/problem.

Should not ou 2 DNS severs actually be listed in DNS, and *not* WINS?

Thanks in advance,

Tom
 
Tom,
Most defiantly!
Your DNS server(s) should be listed in all your clients otherwise they can’t
register with your DNS server and thus can’t be resolved by other clients.
The WINS servers are probably the same as the DNS servers in your case but
you should check that you have WINS installed on at least 2 of your servers.
You should use DNS and WINS. DNS resolves host names while WINS resolves
NetBIOS names.
 
Okay. I modified my setup on my PC. I added our 2 DNS servers into DNS. I
wasn't sure if they would be added to the two existing entries from our DHCP
server, or replace those 2 entires. They replaced them. So now I have *no* ISP
server IPs. But that doesn't seem to make any difference. My gateway is still
the firewall, and I'm having *no* problem getting to whatever I want on the
Internet.

Is there *any* reason I would need to have our ISP's DNS servers in our/my DNS?
My experience would seem to indicate that's a "no". (FWIW - at home, where I
have no domain, my router handles DHCP. My DNS entry is my router, as is my
gateway. And I have no problem getting to the Internet.)

Thank you! I do appreciate the help.

Tom

Tom,
Most defiantly!
Your DNS server(s) should be listed in all your clients otherwise they can’t
register with your DNS server and thus can’t be resolved by other clients.
The WINS servers are probably the same as the DNS servers in your case but
you should check that you have WINS installed on at least 2 of your servers.
You should use DNS and WINS. DNS resolves host names while WINS resolves
NetBIOS names.


Tcs said:
We have two domains, our old and new. We created the new one and
started the migration about 6 months ago. All users are in the new
domain, as it was created [primarily] to handle our then new exchange
server. (Migration from Lotus Notes.) We have several servers on the
new domain and about a half dozen clients. The remaining 200 or so
clients are still on the old domain.

I'm trying to use a .vbs script to enumerate all the computers in my
domain. (The old NT4 domain has 2 DCs, and the new w2k3 domain has 2
DCs.) My PC is in the new domain.

Whenever I try to run my scripts (I've tried several [alledgedly]
working scripts) they all error out. At someone's suggestion, I ran
just a two line script, one should shold have returned the domain
name. It didn't. Instead, I got an error:

The specified domain either does not exist or could not be
contacted.

From the feedback I've received, the finger is pointing to DNS being
setup incorrectly. For one thing, I've found that our Exchange server
still has its old IP address, rather than its current address. But I
don't believe this is the biggest and/or immediate problem.

One thing I see, which I don't know is correct (it's been about 5
years since I've played with DNS, and apparently I don't remember
everything I should have), is that when I run ipconfig/all on my PC, I
see 2 DNS entires, both of which belong to our ISP. *Our* 2 DNS
servers are listed as WINS servers. I was told to do this on a new PC
I was setting up in my cubicle due to a "Duplicate name exists on the
network" error msg I was getting when trying to join the domain. Even
for computer names I *knew* didn't exist. And since it was a new
"drom sctratch" install, not a ghost image, there was no SID
issue/problem.

Should not ou 2 DNS severs actually be listed in DNS, and *not* WINS?

Thanks in advance,

Tom
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