Stand alone DNS ISSUES !!!!!!

[Ven]

Hi! All,

In my office I have a merak mail server running on a windows xp pro and
another server for some application running on a Windows NT.

Previous I.T person added in a windows Server 2003 and started running DNS
on it.. The 2003 server is a member server. Host records are added for each
domain configured in the Mail server.

Eg:
domain : xyz.com
host record: pop.xyz.com
IP 192.168.1.111
smtp.xyz.com
192.168.1.111

Till a couple of days it was OK. But recently a user is having issues with
the outlook. When he did send/receive - error - "server name cannot be
found"
We can ping the dns server and pop and smtp pings are returning the internal
IP of the mail server. The outlook is configured with the pop.xyz.com and
smtp.xyz.com.
If I change the settings to the IP of the email server, then he is able to
send/receive mails immediately. This is fine as long as the user is in
office, but when he takes his notebook to home, he needs to change the
settings in outlook to reflect the WAN IP of the Email Server.

How Can I resolve this issue?? The reverse lookup is also not configured on
the dns. And DNS keeps prompting that there is no domain.
I also noticed that when installing and configuring the DNS the windows 2003
server was not connected to the internet, I dont see any other records.

For the desktop users its fine - because I configured the host file to map
the pop n smtp to the internal IP of the email server.

I see this problem for laptop users only.
Someone pl help n guide me in this regard.
Thank you

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

Hi! All,

In my office I have a merak mail server running on a windows xp pro
and another server for some application running on a Windows NT.

Previous I.T person added in a windows Server 2003 and started
running DNS on it.. The 2003 server is a member server. Host records
are added for each domain configured in the Mail server.

Eg:
domain : xyz.com
host record: pop.xyz.com
IP 192.168.1.111
smtp.xyz.com
192.168.1.111

Till a couple of days it was OK. But recently a user is having issues
with the outlook. When he did send/receive - error - "server name
cannot be found"
We can ping the dns server and pop and smtp pings are returning the
internal IP of the mail server. The outlook is configured with the
pop.xyz.com and smtp.xyz.com.
If I change the settings to the IP of the email server, then he is
able to send/receive mails immediately. This is fine as long as the
user is in office, but when he takes his notebook to home, he needs
to change the settings in outlook to reflect the WAN IP of the Email
Server.
How Can I resolve this issue?? The reverse lookup is also not
configured on the dns. And DNS keeps prompting that there is no
domain. I also noticed that when installing and configuring the DNS the
windows 2003 server was not connected to the internet, I dont see any
other records.
For the desktop users its fine - because I configured the host file
to map the pop n smtp to the internal IP of the email server.

I see this problem for laptop users only.
Someone pl help n guide me in this regard.
Thank you

If you plan on using DNS internally, then that server MUST be the only one
in the client's IP properties. Point only to the internal one and setup a
forwarder to resolve external names.

291382 - Frequently asked questions about Windows 2000 DNS and Windows
Server 2003 DNS
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=291382

323380 - HOW TO Configure DNS for Internet Access in Windows Server 2003
(forwarding) :
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=323380

--
Regards,
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services
Microsoft Certified Trainer

Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

Having difficulty reading or finding responses to your post?
Instead of the website you're using, try using OEx (Outlook Express
or any other newsreader), and configure a news account, pointing to
news.microsoft.com. Anonymous access. It's free - no username or password
required nor do you need a Newsgroup Usenet account with your ISP. It
connects directly to the Microsoft Public Newsgroups. OEx allows you
o easily find, track threads, cross-post, sort by date, poster's name,
watched threads or subject. It's easy:

How to Configure OEx for Internet News
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=171164

"Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times." - Mark Twain

 

[Guest]

pop.xyz.com and smtp.xyz.com.

These have to be registered on the internet. Are they? With those private
nonroutable ip's it looks like you only have email internally not externally.
Perhaps you do have them registered but were using your ISP to forward mail
to your internal server. If the isp lost the dns mx record that forwards
external email to your server mail won't get to your server.

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

Carefully Read inline please.

In

Hi! All,

In my office I have a merak mail server running on a windows xp pro
and another server for some application running on a Windows NT.

Previous I.T person added in a windows Server 2003 and started
running DNS on it.. The 2003 server is a member server. Host records
are added for each domain configured in the Mail server.

Eg:
domain : xyz.com
host record: pop.xyz.com
IP 192.168.1.111
smtp.xyz.com
192.168.1.111

Till a couple of days it was OK. But recently a user is having issues
with the outlook. When he did send/receive - error - "server name
cannot be found"
We can ping the dns server and pop and smtp pings are returning the
internal IP of the mail server. The outlook is configured with the
pop.xyz.com and smtp.xyz.com.
If I change the settings to the IP of the email server, then he is
able to send/receive mails immediately. This is fine as long as the
user is in office, but when he takes his notebook to home, he needs
to change the settings in outlook to reflect the WAN IP of the Email
Server.

How Can I resolve this issue?? The reverse lookup is also not
configured on the dns. And DNS keeps prompting that there is no
domain.
I also noticed that when installing and configuring the DNS the
windows 2003 server was not connected to the internet, I dont see any
other records.

IF you are looking for the cache, the DNS console must be in Advanced View.

What is the purpose of this Win2k3 Member server with DNS?

All members of an AD domain must use only DNS servers that can resolve the
AD domain (Usually the DC) . Unless this member server has a conditional
forwarder for the AD domain, a Stub zone for the AD domain, or a Secondary
zone for the AD domain, it cannot be used for DNS by an member of the AD
domain.

For the desktop users its fine - because I configured the host file
to map the pop n smtp to the internal IP of the email server.

Hosts files will work, but they add extra work and configuration to keep all
clients up to date, but the member clients still must use the internal AD
DNS only.

I see this problem for laptop users only.
Someone pl help n guide me in this regard.

Point all clients to the AD DNS servers, and add the aforementioned zone to
the internal servers. You can make it require less administration time if
you don't use one xyz.com zone, instead use two zones, pop.xyz.com and
smtp.xyz.com, then add one host record to each zone, leave the name field
blank and give them the IP address of the mail server. By doing this, those
two names are resolved by the internal server, and the rest of xyz.com gets
resolved by the external servers. This prevents you from having to create
any additional records in xyz.com.

You could also, use the Win2k3 member server as a caching only DNS server
for the internal servers to use as a forwarder.



--
Best regards,
Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]
Hope This Helps

===================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group"
via your newsreader so that others may learn and
benefit from your issue, to respond directly to
me remove the nospam. from my email address.
===================================
http://www.lonestaramerica.com/
http://support.wftx.us/
http://message.wftx.us/
===================================
Use Outlook Express?... Get OE_Quotefix:
It will strip signature out and more
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/
===================================
Keep a back up of your OE settings and folders
with OEBackup:
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
===================================