School boy DNS error, help needed

[JAB1a]

Hello,

I have recently updated our schools server and for some silly reason I decided to use a different name from our last domain. Are old domain was called 'Tavistock2.devon.sch.uk' and I had no problems, Now I have called our new domain 'tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk' which is the same as our proxy! (bad move). Before I did this i did not think of the consiquences that this would have when it comes to DNS etc.

 

Since I have done this no PC's will find:

imail.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk

proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk

staffproxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk

 

they are of course asking the server instead of the dns server pointing to the external sites because the server is fileserver.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk.

 

I am assuming I could use an IP address resolved from the addresses imail.*, staffproxy.* and proxy.* but I would prefere if I could just change something in the DNS server so there is no more problems, I think it would involve adding a forwarding address to DNS but not sure how or what to put.

 

Because of this problem I have had to change all the PC's proxy's to proxy.swgfl.org.uk and staffproxy.swgfl.org.uk so that they can access the internet and e-mails via outlook.

 

I hope I have made sense here and that the problem is posted in the right section.

 

Please just ask if I have not given the right or enough information for you to help me.

 

Regards

James

P.S

Domain controler: Server 2003 std sp2, active directory and DNS, DHCP running

ISP: SWGFL

Workstations: XP SP3, IE8, getting proxy from GPO

[JAB1a]

thank you jinnantonnix for your fast reply.

 

Basicly before I changed the local server 2003 domain name from tavistock2.devon.sch.uk the network worked perfectly and the proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk as the proxy worked fine for all the PC's, they could access the internet and use outlook (using the address imail.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk) without any troubles.

 

Now I have done the silly thing of changing our local server 2003 domain name to:

tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk

which is the same as our address for e-mails etc, since I have done this, using the proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk does not connect to the internet because it thinks our domain controler is the proxy so it dose not look outside of our local network. So to fix the problem I am just using proxy.swgfl.org.uk becuase then the pc's dont just sit there and wonder why the server is not acting like a proxy.

 

Does this make things alittle clearer? sorry I can see what the problem is but putting it into words that make sense is hard, lol

[DMcCoy]

thank you jinnantonnix for your fast reply.

 

Basicly before I changed the local server 2003 domain name from tavistock2.devon.sch.uk the network worked perfectly and the proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk as the proxy worked fine for all the PC's, they could access the internet and use outlook (using the address imail.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk) without any troubles.

 

Now I have done the silly thing of changing our local server 2003 domain name to:

tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk

which is the same as our address for e-mails etc, since I have done this, using the proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk does not connect to the internet because it thinks our domain controler is the proxy so it dose not look outside of our local network. So to fix the problem I am just using proxy.swgfl.org.uk becuase then the pc's dont just sit there and wonder why the server is not acting like a proxy.

 

Does this make things alittle clearer? sorry I can see what the problem is but putting it into words that make sense is hard, lol

 

just create name records with the external address of the service.

 

To get them you can do a nslookup to the external dns server

[JAB1a]

just create name records with the external address of the service.

 

To get them you can do a nslookup to the external dns server

 

Thank you DMcCoy but as i said in the first post 'but not sure how or what to put.' I am guessing you mean in the DNS snapin but in what part and what type of record do I use, new domain maybe? also how do I use the external DNS to use nslookup because as of the situation I am in if I use nslokkup proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk it just says there is no such domain which is the original problem I am having.

 

Sorry this all might be realy basic but I am having troubles with the details.

 

Thank you all for your time and help

[JAB1a]

It's done using the DNS tool/snap-in.

 

Find your domain in the Forward Lookup Zones.

 

You should see lots of Host (A) records. These hold the IP addresses of your machine names.

 

Add a new host record; add your proxy server's name, and its IP address and see if this works.

 

Unless, of course, I've completely misunderstood the problem. (Fairly likely).

 

Here's a document on DNS best practices DNS Namespace Planning

The second point it makes is posted below. Unfortunately this is the sort of trouble your seeing...

 

Thank you jinnantonnix,

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head with your reply, and of course muphies law Ive done the school boy error of naming my internal and external name space the same!. I will try and add the host name of the external proxy but as the document says I think I will still have conflicks resolving internal addresses.

 

Well this then realy only leaves me with one option that is sure fire to work, that is to change the namespace (domain) of my internal network to a subdomian of the external namespace like local.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk.

 

This now leads me to another quick question, does anyone know of and automated way I can re-join all the PC's to the new domain after I have created it?

 

I fear if I change the DC's domain name none of the DNS records will work anymore and I will always be fighting the old name&refferences of the old namespace.

 

Any help or idea's would be very appriciated.

 

Thank you again for all your time

[DMcCoy]

Leave the domain as it is.

 

Go to the domain in DNS, right click tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk - new host. Call it proxy, enter the external address of the proxy server. Now clients will resolve proxy.tavistock-pri.devon.sch.uk to the external address. No changes are needed.

[JAB1a]

Thank DMcCoy,

 

I am so glad to have a resource like this forum with people as good as you two. Thank you so much, saved me lots of work I hope, I am with that server on friday so I will try your suggestions.

 

If you dont mind then I will reply with my results on Friday to let you know how it all went.