duplicate name exists on the network - any ideas?

[ML.net]

Hello Folks,

Here's the situation. I have a single AD domain with 3 domain controllers
all the same network segment. The servers are named differently, for
example - server1, server2 and server3. I'm running AD integrated DNS for
the domain and the domain name is nwtraders.com (no this isn't a MS cert
question but rather in a lab setting!) I would like to map a drive from a
client to a server and use an alternate name. So instead of using

net use * \\servername\sharename (which works)

I would rather use,

net use * \\prefferedname\sharename (which reports a duplicate name exists
on the network)

All I'm doing to is creating a new A record in the DNS zone called
preferredname. For example,

nwtraders zone file:
Server1 (A) 10.0.0.1
Server2 (A) 10.0.0.2
Server3 (A) 10.0.0.3
preferredname (A) 10.0.0.1

I also tried using the local Hosts file but still same problem...

I can ping both prefferedname and server1 and get a reply with the same IP
address. Any ideas as to why this isn't working? Any ideas as to what would
work here?

Thanks in Advance, your help is appreciated,

ML

 

[ML.net]

Let me also say that this is an isolated network segment and the name I
choose could be anything and I still get the duplicate servername error.

 

[Herb Martin]

.... I would like to map a drive from a

client to a server and use an alternate name. So instead of using

net use * \\servername\sharename (which works)
I would rather use,
net use * \\prefferedname\sharename (which reports a duplicate name exists
on the network)

So just add the name in DNS or even in WINS (as a static entry)
depending on your client base.

All I'm doing to is creating a new A record in the DNS zone called
preferredname. For example,

A record is fine, since this is an alias you might prefer a CNAME
but for this situation A vs. CNAME is mostly a matter of style AND
do you intend the Name to follow the existing name (if it moves) or
the existing ADDRESS (if it changes.)

I also tried using the local Hosts file but still same problem...

What problem? Both work for providing aliases. Note that Hosts files
are NOT hierarchical so if you want a name of the form "machine.domain.com"
just enter that text string and it will APPEAR to operate like a
hierarchical
name.

I can ping both prefferedname and server1 and get a reply with the same IP
address. Any ideas as to why this isn't working? Any ideas as to what would
work here?

What isn't working? You can ping but you mention no
problems?

At what point and on what machine do you get "duplicate" name?
Give the precise error message and circumstances?

Are you having authentication issues?

 

[ML.net]

Thanks for the respone Herb...

The drive mapping isn't sucessful if I use the alias. There are no other
authentication problems to speak of. Everything is working like it should.
Another user in a different newsgroup pointed me to a Q article which may
fix my problem. It is:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=281308

I'm planning on trying it and posting the results.

Thanks,

ML

 

[F]

are you attempting to setup your machines to have a
simple network alais or to be able to respond to multiple
netbios names? if the later of the two, please post your
solution if you find one.

- F

 

[Herb Martin]

Apparently that would account for it. Most of the time when
I authenticate with non-default machine names, I also include an
EXPLICIT authentication, e.g.,

net use e: \\Mail.LearnQuick.com\F$ * /user:RealMachineName\UserName

Oddly enough it works even more reliably with an IP in place of
that ServerName in the UNC.