Joining Domain issue with Windows XP.

  • Thread starter Thread starter frank s
  • Start date Start date
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frank s

Ok odd situaiton.
I have a 2000 Active Directory environment.
My windows XP workstation can only join the domain when I supply our older
WINS server information.
If I remove the the WINS information the XP workstation is unable to see the
domain.
To my knowledge WINS should not be required and the WINS server should be
removed from this environment.

Obviously the XP clients are able to ping main domain controller and DNS
server (same server)
I havent tried recently but I believe my Windows2000 clients are able to
join the domain without the WINs entry.
These XP clients are on a different VLAN from the Domain Controller, but
traffic seems to be traveling between the two just fine. Example once they
gain domain access using wins I can remove it and full conectivetly
continues.

Anyone know why my clients can not see the domain without wins initially?

Thanks in advance!
 
This kind of issues are mostly about DNS, Ensure your clients are having
correct TCP/IP DNS Settings information and are pointing to your DNS Servers
(Properly Domain Controllers) hosting the zone for your Active Directory.
Ensure you can resolve the fully qualified domain name from your clients.

Ex: eur.corp.example.com



--
Regards
Christoffer Andersson
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services


No email replies please - reply in the newsgroup
 
Remember that if you aren't using WINS (or some other form of NetBIOS name
resolution), you will need to enter the fully qualified domain name, unless
the DHCP server that your Win XP is getting its options from includes the
domain name, or if you manually enter it in the Computer Name settings in
System.

I suspect that you are only typing the flat domain name when you try to join
the machine to the domain. Obviously, if your Win XP machine isn't using a
DNS server that contains the SRV records for AD, you can forget about joining
it to the domain altogether.
 
chriss3 said:
This kind of issues are mostly about DNS, Ensure your clients are having
correct TCP/IP DNS Settings information and are pointing to your DNS
Servers (Properly Domain Controllers) hosting the zone for your Active
Directory. Ensure you can resolve the fully qualified domain name from
your clients.

Ex: eur.corp.example.com
Click to expand...

Unfortunetly before my time this domain was a singal lable domain. Instead
of domain.com they have it registerd as "domain"
I also noticed that when I ping "domain" .. system can not find host
information.
Where in the DNS tree can I add this.. assuming this is the problem.
Assuming this is the problem, I'm guessing the IP that should respond is of
the Domain controler holding the FSMO roles, and a DNS server.
 
Yes.
You should not really use single label domain names.

for an example, applying GPOs in a Single label name are a known issue, the
single label name does not work in a the DNS hierarchy. GPOs are applied
from the
domain sysvol share at \\domain.com\sysvol\domain.com\policies It is very
important if you want GPOs to work to use a domain with a "." in the name so
it can be resolved in DNS.

--
Regards
Christoffer Andersson
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services


No email replies please - reply in the newsgroup
------------------------------------------------
http://www.chrisse.se - Active Directory Resources

frank s said:
chriss3 said:
This kind of issues are mostly about DNS, Ensure your clients are having
correct TCP/IP DNS Settings information and are pointing to your DNS
Servers (Properly Domain Controllers) hosting the zone for your Active
Directory. Ensure you can resolve the fully qualified domain name from
your clients.

Ex: eur.corp.example.com
Click to expand...

Unfortunetly before my time this domain was a singal lable domain.
Instead of domain.com they have it registerd as "domain"
I also noticed that when I ping "domain" .. system can not find host
information.
Where in the DNS tree can I add this.. assuming this is the problem.
Assuming this is the problem, I'm guessing the IP that should respond is
of the Domain controler holding the FSMO roles, and a DNS server.
Click to expand...
 
Hello Frank,

nice name ;-).
Unfortunetly before my time this domain was a singal lable domain. Instead
of domain.com they have it registerd as "domain"
I also noticed that when I ping "domain" .. system can not find host
information.
Where in the DNS tree can I add this.. assuming this is the problem.
Assuming this is the problem, I'm guessing the IP that should respond is of
the Domain controler holding the FSMO roles, and a DNS server.
Click to expand...

when you are using a "single label" domain you need NetBIOS! I have
observed when you are disable NetBIOS on the XP clients you are unable
to join the domain.

In an Windows 2000 / 2003 environment you need the NetBIOS name resolution:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;837391

# the Network-Neighbourhood
# trusts to Windows NT 4.0
# logon requests from NT- and 9x-Clients
# SMS
# Outlook
# Exchange 2000/2003: OWA, System Manager
# Cluster
# all Management-Tools that show an Computerlist


When you are working without an WINS Server all the NetBIOS Name
resolution is done by Broadcast and broadcasts slowing down your network!
 
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