"Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name..."

[Guest]

Event log contains the following error:

"Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name for your computer network. Return value (10022)."

Attempting to access any of the Active Directory Administration Tools produces the following error:

"The configuration information describing this enterprise is not available. An invalid argument was supplied."

I'm assuming this is why our network is acting quirky (e.g. won't resolve Internet addresses, lost ability to print to network printer, some services won't start, etc.)? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

Can you describe your DNS setup? A collection of "ipconfig /all" dumps from
your DCs/DNS servers, a member server or two and a workstation or two would
help.

Oli

 

[Guest]

[server]
Windows 2000 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : bartz
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . : rumery
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : rumery

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Cable Disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Kingston EtheRx PCI 10/100 Fast Ethernet Adapter(KNE120TX) #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-C0-F0-54-31-49


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Kingston EtheRx PCI 10/100 Fast Ethernet Adapter(KNE120TX)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-C0-F0-8B-3F-72

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1

[workstation]
Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : PHILSIEG

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 204.177.184.10

204.177.184.15

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.

Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :



1 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Realtek 8139-series PCI NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-50-BF-39-FB-CC

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.179

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 07 08 04 11:52:52 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 08 19 04 3:52:52 AM

 

[Guest]

Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : PHILSIEG

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 204.177.184.10

204.177.184.15

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.

Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :



1 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Realtek 8139-series PCI NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-50-BF-39-FB-CC

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.179

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 07 08 04 11:52:52 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 08 19 04 3:52:52 AM

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

I'm surprised your network is quirky. To be honest, I'm surprised it's
running at all.

That DNS configuration is never going to work.

I'm going to make an assumption here that you have two domain controllers.
Here's a good configuration:

Make your AD domain controllers DNS servers and switch to Active Directory
integrated DNS.

Disable the unused NICs in your servers.

In the TCP/IP config of every machine, include the DNS addresses of your two
local DCs *only*.

In the DNS configuration utility on each DC, create forwarders to your ISP's
DNS servers.

Use DHCP to configure TCP/IP for all your workstations. I would suggest
using DHCP for your members servers as well. In the DHCP config, make sure
that you only provide DNS entries for your internal DNS servers and *not*
your ISP's servers. Include your WINS servers if you're using them.

It looks like you're using your router to do DHCP. That's fine as long as
it allows you the flexibility to configure it appropriately, as described
above. If not, make one of your Windows boxes a DHCP server.

I suggest you go and buy a copy of Mastering Windows Server 2003 by Mark
Minasi et al (published by Sybex). It gives a readable introduction of how
to configure your network.

Regards

Oli

 

[Trust No One®]

I'm surprised your network is quirky. To be honest, I'm surprised
it's running at all.

That DNS configuration is never going to work.

< good advice snipped>

In addition it is probably a good idea for the OP not to use a single label
DNS domain name

 

[Guest]

Lovely. However:

1.) I'm not running two domain controllers.
2.) I cannot do ANYTHING with Active Directory settings of any kind because it barks the "Invalid argument was specified" crap at me.

*shrug* Thanks for your help anyways. I'm going to try a repair under the assumption some files got corrupt somehow. All I'm really looking for is a Band-Aid to this problem so it'll function for about a week before we upgrade desktop OSs, upon which I can setup the network the way I want instead of fixing how it's been left for me. Anywho, thanks again.

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

Actually, you shouldn't need to use and of the three AD tools to fix your
DNS.

I haven't come across that error message in relation to AD, but I wouldn't
be surprised if it was a side-effect of DNS issues. The error in the title
of this thread is definitely DNS-related.

Your plan of wipe and reinstall (and getting shot of Windows 98) sounds like
a good one to me. Doing some reading now will help you prepare for getting
it right next time.

I know what inheriting a badly-run network is like. Been there, done that!

Cheers

Oli