Running parallel domains

[Nordina Lalmond]

I am running an NT4.0 domain. We decided to setup a new
2000 server with a new domain that would run AD. This
second domain is within the ip segment that we are running
the NT4.0 domain but the new Domain is a totally different
domain name. When I setup the Windows 2000 server to run
AD my XP boxes started having problems. The XP boxes are
part of the NT4.0 domain but when I connect the new server
running the new Active Directory Domain the XP computers
experience problems finding the original domain that they
are joined to. Has anyone seen this before or any
suggestions?

 

[Simon H]

What is your IP config across all your boxes (the NT servers, Win2K servers
and the XP clients)? On your XP clients do you resolve the NT Domain via a
hosts or lmhosts file (in system32\drivers\etc) or via WINS? Is the Win2K
server specified in a DHCP scope as a DNS and WINS provider?

You might get this problem if the Win2K server (with its AD annd DNS) is
providing DHCP to the XP clients. If these clients are on a seperate
(routed/switched) broadcast domain (from the NT server) they will be unable
to resolve the IP address of the NT server (they will attempt via broadcast)
unless a name resolver for the NT domain is explicitly provided by DHCP, or
the NT server name is provided by a hosts / lmhosts lookup file on the XP
client.

You could test a solution by putting entries for the NT server in the
lmhosts file on an XP client . Check the lmhosts.sam file (sample file) in
the client's system32\drivers\etc folder for the correct syntax. Make sure
you save this as lmhosts (no file extension) NOT lmhosts.sam.

Then run a cmd session and issue the command 'nbtstat -R', to purge and
reload the name cache on the XP box. Then try to connect to the NT server.

If this works, reconfig the Win2k DNS or WINS to provide name resolution for
NT server's name.

Simon

 

[Nordina Lalmond]

Thanks for the info. However, before setting up the
Windows 2000 server the XP boxes were receiving their
configurations from the NT box which was running DHCP.
They already had the config in their hosts/lmhosts files
to point to the NT4.0 box for the correct domain and they
pointed to the NT server for WINS. Nothing in our config
points to the new server. Everything is in the same ip
segment. No routers or bridges. The new server is
configured with DNS but nothing is set to use it. If I
unplug the new server everything works fine. Once I plug
it in and reboot the XP boxes then the XP boxes lose their
ability to find the Domain controller even though their
lmhosts/hosts files have entries to point to the NT server
for the correct domain. Ideas?