Name resolution issues on W2K Pro

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Rob_Pag=E9?=]

I have two workstations running Windows 2000 Pro behind a linksys
firewall. Both worked great. Two days ago one of them started having
problems. Workstation 1 can not resolve any names on the internet.
As a result, e-mail hosted with ISP and web access is not working.
This workstation also can not print to an IP printer on the internal
network. I've been able to confirm that TCP/IP is working fine. I'm
able to ping the router and the ISP's 2 DNS servers. I've also
confirmed that the name resolution for items in the hosts file works
fine. I had problems with netbios name resolution but a re-install of
the windows client fixed this. If I run nslookup I get the following
error: Can't find server name for address x.x.x.x. No response from
server. However these servers work well from the second workstation.
I've uninstalled TCP/IP and reinstalled. TCP/IP settings are hard
coded on workstation. Client is not using DHCP anywhere. Workstation
has Novell client and IPX installed as well but those services and
protocals are working fine. This same workstation also can't print to
the IP printer but the second one can print without any problems. I
can ping the printer but not print to it. I'm thinking there is a
problem with the TCP/IP protocal stack but not able to figure out
where it is. It seems like a DNS problem but the printing problem
does not use DNS and this confuses me. I've checked the services
running on the workstation and DNS client service is running. I've
also tried flushing the DNS cache on the workstation to no avail. Any
assistance would be appriciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

I have two workstations running Windows 2000 Pro behind a linksys
firewall. Both worked great. Two days ago one of them started having
problems. Workstation 1 can not resolve any names on the internet.
As a result, e-mail hosted with ISP and web access is not working.
This workstation also can not print to an IP printer on the internal
network. I've been able to confirm that TCP/IP is working fine. I'm
able to ping the router and the ISP's 2 DNS servers. I've also
confirmed that the name resolution for items in the hosts file works
fine. I had problems with netbios name resolution but a re-install of
the windows client fixed this.

Which Windows client are you talking about here?

What sort of problems? What determination or article read suggested to
reinstall the WIndows client?

If I run nslookup I get the following
error: Can't find server name for address x.x.x.x. No response from
server.

This above is NOT a client issue. THis is a DNS server issue, or rather lack
of a zone issue. That message is saying your DNS server listed in the IP
properties does NOT have reverse entry. So if you are usin your internal DNS
(which is recommended in AD) then I would suggest to create a Reverse zOne
for your subnet and make sure YOUR DNS server has a PTR entry created.

However these servers work well from the second workstation.
I've uninstalled TCP/IP and reinstalled. TCP/IP settings are hard
coded on workstation. Client is not using DHCP anywhere. Workstation
has Novell client and IPX installed as well but those services and
protocals are working fine. This same workstation also can't print to
the IP printer but the second one can print without any problems. I
can ping the printer but not print to it. I'm thinking there is a
problem with the TCP/IP protocal stack but not able to figure out
where it is.

IF you remove the Novell client, does it work?

It seems like a DNS problem but the printing problem
does not use DNS and this confuses me.

I would have said the same thing. If connecting by IP, DNS is not even
involved.

I've checked the services
running on the workstation and DNS client service is running. I've
also tried flushing the DNS cache on the workstation to no avail. Any
assistance would be appriciated.

Is the DHCP client service running? That must be running in ALL
circumstances, DHCP or not. It's tied into the DNS client side resolver
service.

Thanks in advance for your help.

--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties and confers no
rights.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory

HAM AND EGGS: A day's work for a chicken; A lifetime commitment for a
pig. --
=================================

 

[Rob Pag?]

Followup to my original posting:

I found out that the workstation had been compromized by spyware. I
was not able to completely remove all the components and was forced to
do a re-install to clean it up. I will admit that I was also running
out of time to spend on fixing the problem and elected to do a
re-install as I could then guarantee the client a time when they could
get their workstation back.

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

Followup to my original posting:

I found out that the workstation had been compromized by spyware. I
was not able to completely remove all the components and was forced to
do a re-install to clean it up. I will admit that I was also running
out of time to spend on fixing the problem and elected to do a
re-install as I could then guarantee the client a time when they could
get their workstation back.

Spyware? Hmm. Unfortunate a reinstall was required. Did you try Adaware or
Spybot first? I had a client using XP Pro and she wanted me to reinstall the
OS because "all of these things were happening on it" in her words. After
running Adaware, I found 487 instances of spyware on it. Then updated her AV
software and ran a scan and found something else which it quarrantined.
After that it was good as new.

Sorry that you had to reinstall it.

--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties and confers no
rights.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory

HAM AND EGGS: A day's work for a chicken; A lifetime commitment for a
pig. --
=================================