Vista domain join problem

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In the past I have successfully performed domain joins/disjoins over a PPTP
VPN connection for WinXP. I have been unsuccessful in joining a Vista
Ultimate machine to the same domain. I receive an error informing me that
the format of the domain name I am using is incorrect (the domain name is an
unregistered private one of the form: companyname.llc, reflecting the LLC
status of my company). I don't know if this is the source of the problem or
not, but I also cannot reach network shares either.

Even though I can establish the VPN connection from the Vista machine and
establish RDP connections to remote hosts, I cannot access network resources
via UNC paths - the error indicates the network path cannot be found - could
this underlying problem also be the reason I cannot join the machine to the
domain?

Is there some inherent security in the Vista OS that I need to configure to
permit the resolution of UNC paths and join the machine to the domain?

Thanks for any solutions you may offer.

J
 
Sound like name resolution issue. Can you ping the DC by using FQDN?

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
In the past I have successfully performed domain joins/disjoins over a PPTP
VPN connection for WinXP. I have been unsuccessful in joining a Vista
Ultimate machine to the same domain. I receive an error informing me that
the format of the domain name I am using is incorrect (the domain name is an
unregistered private one of the form: companyname.llc, reflecting the LLC
status of my company). I don't know if this is the source of the problem or
not, but I also cannot reach network shares either.

Even though I can establish the VPN connection from the Vista machine and
establish RDP connections to remote hosts, I cannot access network resources
via UNC paths - the error indicates the network path cannot be found - could
this underlying problem also be the reason I cannot join the machine to the
domain?

Is there some inherent security in the Vista OS that I need to configure to
permit the resolution of UNC paths and join the machine to the domain?

Thanks for any solutions you may offer.

J
 
Yes, I can ping the RRAS and any other remote host by name or FQDN; UNC paths
are not found, however.
 
Have you use browstat to check the status of master browser?

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
Yes, I can ping the RRAS and any other remote host by name or FQDN; UNC paths
are not found, however.
 
JCB said:
In the past I have successfully performed domain joins/disjoins over a
PPTP
VPN connection for WinXP. I have been unsuccessful in joining a Vista
Ultimate machine to the same domain. I receive an error informing me that
the format of the domain name I am using is incorrect (the domain name is
an
unregistered private one of the form: companyname.llc, reflecting the LLC
status of my company). I don't know if this is the source of the problem
or
not, but I also cannot reach network shares either.

Even though I can establish the VPN connection from the Vista machine and
establish RDP connections to remote hosts, I cannot access network
resources
via UNC paths - the error indicates the network path cannot be found -
could
this underlying problem also be the reason I cannot join the machine to
the
domain?

Is there some inherent security in the Vista OS that I need to configure
to
permit the resolution of UNC paths and join the machine to the domain?

Thanks for any solutions you may offer.
Click to expand...


Do you have a WINS server in the domain? Is the VPN connection set to use a
DC on the domain for DNS and to use the WINS server for the domain? Is
NETBIOS enabled on the VPN connection? When trying to join the domain are
you using the NETBIOS name of the domain or the full name?
 
Kerry,

I do not have a WINS server in the domain; the VPN connection uses the
domain DNS server; Netbios is disabled on all adapters for all machines in
the domain; I used the FQDN (i.e., companyname.llc) and provided credentials
for a DomAdmin using (e-mail address removed), as well as companyname\name, and
name along with the password - in all cases the same error is received.

I checked to be certain the ISP DNS servers were not conflicting and they
weren't - to be sure I flushed the DNS cache before attempting the join, then
pinged the DC by name and IP; I also established an RDP session by name to
the DC, yet the domain join failed; lastly, I created the computer account in
AD computers/users rather than let it be created during the domain join
process. Nothing worked successfully.
 
THEY'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

Kerry, because everything else I tried failed, I ended up enabling NetBIOS
over TCP/IP on the adapters for both the DC and the machine I was attempting
to join to the domain. The domian join was immediately successful AND UNC
paths could be reached. Once joined, I disabled NETBT and the UNC paths were
once again unreachable!

Why is it that MS has encouraged removing WINS/NetBIOS from our domain, and
now with the "latest and greatest" (sic) VISTA, it is again required!!!???

Give me a friggin' break!

Nevertheless, thank you for your suggestion to look at enabling NetBIOS on
my NICS so that I could join the domain; problem solved.

J
 
I don't know why this is but I've run into the problem even without using a
VPN. I recommend you setup a WINS server and enable NETBIOS. Many things
will work better, Exchange and joining the domain are two. Enabling WINS
uses very little resources and it cuts down on broadcast traffic. Despite
the "best practice" of disabling NETBIOS things just work better when it is
enabled.
 
Kerry,

I don't dispute what you are saying about WINS/NetBIOS with Exchange and the
domain join problem, but I have NEVER experienced this with WinXPSP1 or
SP2...so what has MS done which apparently requires NetBIOS in VISTA, and
more importantly, why???
 
JCB said:
Kerry,

I don't dispute what you are saying about WINS/NetBIOS with Exchange and
the
domain join problem, but I have NEVER experienced this with WinXPSP1 or
SP2...so what has MS done which apparently requires NetBIOS in VISTA, and
more importantly, why???
Click to expand...


I don't know what the difference is. I do know that even with XP the network
will work better with a WINS server and NETBIOS.
 
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