Win2K Pro does not resolve external hosts unless given static IP

[Kenneth Courville]

I have a client with a small network of about 7 Windows 2000 Pro-based
PC's and a Windows 2000 Server configured as a DC.

Upon acquiring this client, I tried to steamline the network by
setting up the DHCP service on the DC and properly configuring the DNS
service forwarders with the ISP's DNS servers.

For some reason, all of the workstation except for one cannot resolve
external hosts like www.yahoo.com. I can use the NSLOOKUP tool to
resolve the host to an IP and ping/browse the IP just fine. Resolving
internal hosts seems to work fine as well. They are able to map the
the server shares and browse the network.

However, if I assign static IP information, external host resolution
works fine.

I can plug in my own laptop to their hub and browse the web with no
further configuration on my laptop, using DHCP-assigned ip info. This
leads me to believe that the problem is workstation-related.

Their previous administrator left under bad terms, and I'm afraid that
these PC's may have been sabataged somehow.

Does anyone have any idea on this? I can't find a decent DNS
troubleshooting doc.

Here's what a statically configured workstation looks like:
Windows 2000 IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : hostnamechangedforprivacy
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . :
clientdomainchangedforprivacy.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . :
clientdomainchangedforprivacy.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link DFE-530TX+ PCI
Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-05-5D-4B-BF-C0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.210
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.128
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.128

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht [MVP]]

In Kenneth Courville <[email protected]> posted a question
Then Kevin replied below:
: I have a client with a small network of about 7 Windows 2000 Pro-based
: PC's and a Windows 2000 Server configured as a DC.
:
: Upon acquiring this client, I tried to steamline the network by
: setting up the DHCP service on the DC and properly configuring the DNS
: service forwarders with the ISP's DNS servers.
:
: For some reason, all of the workstation except for one cannot resolve
: external hosts like www.yahoo.com. I can use the NSLOOKUP tool to
: resolve the host to an IP and ping/browse the IP just fine. Resolving
: internal hosts seems to work fine as well. They are able to map the
: the server shares and browse the network.
:
: However, if I assign static IP information, external host resolution
: works fine.
:
: I can plug in my own laptop to their hub and browse the web with no
: further configuration on my laptop, using DHCP-assigned ip info. This
: leads me to believe that the problem is workstation-related.
:
: Their previous administrator left under bad terms, and I'm afraid that
: these PC's may have been sabataged somehow.
:
: Does anyone have any idea on this? I can't find a decent DNS
: troubleshooting doc.
:
: Here's what a statically configured workstation looks like:
: Windows 2000 IP Configuration
:
: Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : hostnamechangedforprivacy
: Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . :
: clientdomainchangedforprivacy.com
: Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
: IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
: WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
: DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . :
: clientdomainchangedforprivacy.com
:
: Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:
:
: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
: Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link DFE-530TX+ PCI
: Adapter
: Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-05-5D-4B-BF-C0
: DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
: IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.210
: Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
: Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.1
: DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.128
: Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 10.0.1.128

It would help a lot if you would give an ipconfig /all from a client that
uses DHCP.
But what is the DNS address in DHCP option 006 and the gateway address in
option 003?

 

[Ken]

I'm not at the client anymore to get you a screen print
of that, but I configured DHCP to hand out only
10.0.1.128 for the WINS and DNS servers. This is the ip
for the domain controller. DHCP hands out 10.0.1.1 as
the gateway.

Another thing that is very weird... I found that I can
make a change in the TCP/IP settings on a workstation
configured to use DHCP, the workstation will resolve
external hosts properly, I'll reboot the PC, and then it
will not work again.

Examples of these changes are:
- In the WINS tab, changing the NetBIOS setting from Use
DHCP... to Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and then changing
it back.
- Changeing the DNS server to a different IP like the
ISP's DNS server and then changing it back.

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

I'm not at the client anymore to get you a screen print
of that, but I configured DHCP to hand out only
10.0.1.128 for the WINS and DNS servers. This is the ip
for the domain controller. DHCP hands out 10.0.1.1 as
the gateway.

Another thing that is very weird... I found that I can
make a change in the TCP/IP settings on a workstation
configured to use DHCP, the workstation will resolve
external hosts properly, I'll reboot the PC, and then it
will not work again.

Examples of these changes are:
- In the WINS tab, changing the NetBIOS setting from Use
DHCP... to Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and then changing
it back.
- Changeing the DNS server to a different IP like the
ISP's DNS server and then changing it back.

Kind of confusing since this is erratic...

Is there a forwarder being used? Try changing that to 4.2.2.2 to see if it
works.
Also insure Secure Cache Against DNS Pollution is checked (DNS properties).
Any services on the workstations turned off?

Check the HOSTS files on the workstations, make sure they haven't been
altered. Almost sounds like that funky QHOSTS virus, but not really sure, so
just in case check it. Also look to make sure in the reg that the HOSTS file
being used is the one in the default system32\drivers\etc folder and not no
other one in the system.

--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory