DNS over the WAN link

[Guest]

I need to convince a customer that they need one DNS (and DHCP) server at
every site in order to resolve names to IP and be able to see workstations
throughout the WAN. As it is, they can only see them if they hard code the IP
as opposed to using DHCP. They think it's a router issue. I say it is a DNS
issue. I want to configure one DNS and one DHCP at every site. Any articles
or white papers on this will be appreciated. Feel free send your response to
my email: (e-mail address removed). Thanks

 

[K_R]

I need to convince a customer that they need one DNS (and DHCP) server at
every site in order to resolve names to IP and be able to see workstations
throughout the WAN. As it is, they can only see them if they hard code the IP
as opposed to using DHCP. They think it's a router issue. I say it is a DNS
issue. I want to configure one DNS and one DHCP at every site. Any articles
or white papers on this will be appreciated. Feel free send your response to
my email: (e-mail address removed). Thanks

you certainly can find routers that contain DHCP servers, and can solve
this problem quite easily

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

In

I need to convince a customer that they need one DNS (and
DHCP) server at every site in order to resolve names to
IP and be able to see workstations throughout the WAN.

See, as in Network Places?
You will need WINS for that if you have multiple subnets, NetBIOS broadcasts
cannot cross a router.

As

it is, they can only see them if they hard code the IP as
opposed to using DHCP. They think it's a router issue. I
say it is a DNS issue. I want to configure one DNS and
one DHCP at every site. Any articles or white papers on
this will be appreciated. Feel free send your response to
my email: (e-mail address removed). Thanks

If they are using Active Directory, DNS is required and all domain members
must use it, not an ISP's DNS. If the router is handling DHCP it is probably
assigning the ISP's DNS, if DDNS clients are not using the local AD DNS
server they cannot register in DNS. Also, if the have Win9x clients they
don't support DDNS and the router won't be able to register those clients in
DNS like Win2k DHCP will.

 

[Guest]

Kevin, your answer comes very close. The network is running all Windows 2000
servers and workstations. So, WINS wouldn't help there. Each physical site
has its own subnet: 192.168.1.0, 192.168.2.0, 192.168.3.0 etc... There are
Cisco routers between the sites. There is a DNS and a DHCP for internal name
resolution at the 192.168.1.0 subnet. Other sites lack DNS and DHCP servers.
Other sites cannot do name resolution. But if you manuallt hard code their
IPs, then they can see the 192.168.1.0 network and be seen by 192.168.1.0
network. Any white papers on a situation like this? Thanks,

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

In

Kevin, your answer comes very close. The network is
running all Windows 2000 servers and workstations. So,
WINS wouldn't help there. Each physical site has its own
subnet: 192.168.1.0, 192.168.2.0, 192.168.3.0 etc...
There are Cisco routers between the sites. There is a DNS
and a DHCP for internal name resolution at the
192.168.1.0 subnet. Other sites lack DNS and DHCP
servers. Other sites cannot do name resolution. But if
you manuallt hard code their IPs, then they can see the
192.168.1.0 network and be seen by 192.168.1.0 network.
Any white papers on a situation like this? Thanks,

DHCP has nothing to do with name resolution unless DHCP is responsible for
DNS registration. Since your clients are all Win2k, it is not necessary for
DHCP to register for you, but the clients must point only to the internal
DNS server.

You do need WINS for Network places, but not for Active Directory. Network
Places uses NetBIOS broadcasts or WINS and NetBIOS broadcasts DO NOT cross
routers. If you do not use WINS, you will have to publish your shares in
Active Directory using the FQDN of the network servers. Then the shares will
be found in Directory Services. I would recommend a DNS server at each site
with the AD domain zone integrated into Active Directory. This won't help
Network Places but when Authenticating to the domain, DNS is where Domain
Controllers store their service location records. Unless it is done this way
you can expect very long start up and logon times.