98/ME clients lose connection

[bashir]

Seemingly after some idle time (I'm not sure), (ME & 98)
lose their logins. The symptoms are that nework
drives become unavailable. If you try to logout and log
back in, you get
the message "The domain password you supplied is not
correct, or access to
your login server has been denied". The same thing
happens if the machine
is on but logged out, say overnight. Rebooting the
workstation fixes the
problem.

This a small 10-node network. The fileserver was a
standalone NT 4.0
server and we had all simply been members of a workgroup
before. I replaced it
it to Windows 2000 server and installed Active Directory,
changing it to a
domain controller. On each client machine I changed the
settings to have it
log into the domain. The only difference is now the login
screen has three
lines - user, password, and domain, whereas before it had
only user and
password.
Thinking somehow Windows 2000 was causing an unintended
autodisconnect,
based on reading Microsoft's website, I executed the
following command at
the command prompt:

net config server /autodisconnect:-1

This didn't help, as when I came in this morning and
logged in (my computer
was running all night, but logged out) I got the above
message and had to
reboot.

Any ideas?
Thanks,
Bashir

 

[Marina Roos]

Got WINS installed on the server? W9x and ME still need that. Also options
044 and 046 (0x8) in DHCP-server, Scope options.
How many nics in the server?
Does the winipcfg from the clients show that everything is pointing to the
server-IP?

 

[bashir]

This also happens with a 98 machine with static IP.
We are not using the server as dhcp server.
our netscreen firewall provides dhcp service.
Wins is not configured.
thanks,
Bashir.

 

[Marina Roos]

You have a server, right? So let it do all the serving. And you need WINS.

 

[jazz]

why would you need a wins server with active directory? i'm seeing were it
would help in his situation but i thought the active directory services
should have negated the need for a wins server.

 

[Marina Roos]

W9x, ME and NT4 don't use DNS like W2K and XP. They need WINS.

 

[jazz]

thankyou for pointing that out to me. i totally over looked that

 

[bashir]

I just configured a Wins Server and i will let you know if this helps.
Thanks,
Bashir.

 

[bashir]

I just configured a Wins Server and i will let you know if this helps.
Thanks,
Bashir.

The issue of connection seems to be fixed however now some Windows ME
clients can not log on to the domain randomly.
the server rejects the password .
after 5-6 tries it logs you on.
this is becoming really anoying.
please some advise.
Thanks,
Bashir

 

[Marina Roos]

Does the ipconfig/all (or winipcfg) show that everything is pointing to the
server-IP? How many nics in the server?

 

[bashir]

Winipcfg points to the server IP.
Now it takes more the 5 6 tries on Win ME clients to log in to the domain.
Thanks,
Bashir.

 

[Marina Roos [SBS-MVP]]

Hi Bashir,

Can you please post the ipconfig/all from the server and the winipcfg from a
client?