Active Directory Home Network

[Greg]

Hi,

I have 3 computers, one W2K3, one WinXP Home and one WinXP Pro.

What I would like to do is setup a domain on the W2K3 server (an Active
Directory) and then connect the WinXP Pro and Home computers to this
network.

To setup a domain I presume I would need IPs assigned to each computer.
Can this be done with IPs assigned by my router?

I realize there are a bunch of different steps to address the above.
What I am really concerned about is can this be done and if anybody
could point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Greg

 

[Chuck]

Hi,

I have 3 computers, one W2K3, one WinXP Home and one WinXP Pro.

What I would like to do is setup a domain on the W2K3 server (an Active
Directory) and then connect the WinXP Pro and Home computers to this
network.

To setup a domain I presume I would need IPs assigned to each computer.
Can this be done with IPs assigned by my router?

I realize there are a bunch of different steps to address the above.
What I am really concerned about is can this be done and if anybody
could point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Greg

Greg,

You can have a domain using either fixed IP addresses, IP addresses assigned by
your router, or IP addresses assigned by a DNS server that you make part of your
domain controller. AD and DNS are two functions of a W2K3 server, just two, and
they are not necessarily connected.

Note that you won't be able to join the XP Home computer to your domain.

 

[Ron Lowe]

I'm assuming you have a NAT router, with a built-in DHCP server, at
192.168.0.1, doling out IP addresses in the 192.168.0.x range.

Use DHCP from the server, rather than the router.

What I did in this situation was:

Assign the server a static IP address ( say 192.168.0.200 / mask
255.255.255.0 )
Point the server to the router at 192.168.0.1 as Default Gateway.

Set up the server as a WINS , DNS, DHCP server.
Configure DNS:
set up a forward lookup zone for your intended domain, eg 'homenet.local'
set up a reverse lookup zone for the 192.168.0.x subnet.
configure these zones to permit dynamic updates.
Configure TCP/IP on the server to point to itself only for DNS, WINS.
Configure DHCP:
create a scope say 192.168.0.2 thru 192.168.0.199
Set the scope options for:
router = 192.168.0.1
dns = 192.168.0.200
wins= 192.168.0.200
node type = 0x8
Shut down DHCP server on router.

Check clients can obtain DHCP lease from new server.
Use ipconfig to check clients all point to server for dns, wins.
Also check clients point to router as default gateway.

Clients and server should have Internet access at this point.

Once you have basic infrastructure sorted, and NO SOONER, go ahead and build
the domain.
Do this by running dcpromo on the server.
DCPromo will find the existing DNS forward lookup zone and use it.

After DCPROMO has done, you will need to go back to the DHCP server console,
where it will have disabled itself, and choose to Authorise the DHCP server
in AD.

Then go to the DNS server console, and change the forward and reverse lookup
zones Dynamic Update to 'Secure Only'.