Active Directory Domain Contoller could not be contacted

[Garacesh]

An Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) for the domain "domainname" could not be contacted.

 

Ensure the domain name is typed correctly.

 

If the name is correct, click Details for troubleshooting information.

 

An error occurred when DNS was queried for the service location (SRV) resource record used to locate an Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) for domain "domainname".

 

The error was: "No DNS servers configured for local system."

(error code 0x0000267C DNS_ERROR_NO_DNS_SERVERS)

 

The query was for the SRV record for _ldap._tcp.dc_msdcs.domainname

 

We get this somewhat frequently with our laptops around the building. Seemingly ramdon, no obvious pattern. A machine will refuse logons, so we'll jump on as the localadmin, drop off the domain, rejoin to the domain and hey presto, ability to login is restored. But every now and again, you drop it off the network and suddenly it can't find the DC anymore. I absolutely despise the lobourious task of reimaging these machines each time this happens, because the teachers like to 'save up' faulty laptops so I always end up with multiple to do at once. I don't suppose anybody has a fix, do they?

Edited September 13, 2012 by Garacesh

[ADMaster]

Can you give some more background about your wireless setup and laptops?

We used to have a hodgepodge of wireless and some of our buildings would pick up on neighboring buildings wireless, this could be a possible cause. We now have unified SSID’s with a controller, and all the laptops get the wireless settings via GPO.

I have never seen the errors you mention, but I get the message “there are no logon servers to service your request”

The typical culprits are the wireless switch has been turned off. I recently discovered the laptops have a fn key that will also let you turn off the wireless. I need to investigate this more, I think that is the cause of half of my wireless logon issues.

Some combination of making sure all the wireless is turned on, and a gpupdate /force usually does the trick. There are a few ocaitions were removing the machine from the domain and reading are needed.

Some of our laptops go a month or more without use, they seam to have the most problems and I have always suspected machine account password issues, but a quick search leads me to believe that is not the case.

Password Age for Machine Accounts do not expire - Action plans and problem solving - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Bottom line, wireless logon is a pain in my backside, check these settings.

GPO always wait for network

GPO configure wireless to auto connect

Make sure wireless is on software and hardware switches.

Gpupdate /force

I can look at some of my GPO settings when I get in tomorrow.

 

Hope this helps.

[Garacesh]

We get the 'No logon servers' when the wireless is turned off, too. A lot of our laptops have either FN+[Key, usually F5], in the case of one set, simply pressing F12, or a physical wireless switch on the side. These things are the first thing we check when wireless drops, and 7/10times that's the issue solved. Flick a switch, press some buttons, or logon as localadmin and re-enable the wireless controller. Simple.

 

Sometimes it isn't though. 2/10, the wireless is turned on and fine so rejoining it to the domain usually does the trick. But then 1/10 drop it off the domain and it can't find it again. Reimage it and it can, but it's such a headache to reimage them. I actually have 4 now that need reimaging because of this, although I suspect the higher frequency of them relates to the long period of inactivity during the holidays.

 

Our laptops are set up to always remember the wifi password, which then allows them to connect to the DC, download their relevant policy and then allow the students to log in. If you login with the local admin on a machine where the wireless is okay, but it won't connect to the domain, the wireless says 'Limited Connectivity'. Disconnecting and reconnecting from the wifi doesn't fix the problem.

[british_government]

@Garacesh is that on windows 7 clients? We get that combination of issues a lot, some times students disabling the card using softkeys, but as you say others the thing will just not connect without a re-image, another fix which sometimes works though is connecting with a network cable, rebooting, logging on and running gpupdate /force to refresh all the policies and then rebooting and the client will connect wirelessly

[Garacesh]

Yes, they're all Windows 7.

 

I'll check if any of these 4 I have haven't come off the domain yet, but I think they all have, so I'll keep that in mind for the next time wireless is on but login fails and try it before pulling anything off the domain. Thanks.

[jinnantonnixx]

Are your wireless drivers up to date?

 

There are an awful lot of things to check under AD, but do check

 

Computer Config>Administrative Templates>System/Group Policy>Wireless Processing Policy>

Allow processing across a slow network connection = Enabled

Do not apply during periodic background processing = Disabled

Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed = Enabled

 

 

We've also set this:

Startup policy processing wait time Enabled

Amount of time to wait (in seconds): 120

Edited September 14, 2012 by jinnantonnixx

[Garacesh]

Okay, so I have one right in front of me now. It's been freshly imaged, and I was downloading Windows Updates from our WSUS, all was going well.

Successfully installed, reboot, the usual - BOOM! There are no login servers. Logs in as localadmin, 'Connections are available', it's connected to our Wifi, full-strength signal, but also says 'Limited access'. If I click on it, it definitely is connected, as it offers me a disconnect button.

 

I haven't tried dropping it off the domain yet, I know as soon as I do, it won't find the AD DC and I'll be back to squre 1. So I plugged in an network cable and rebooted. Tried to logon with a network user, no logon servers. Logs in as localadmin and there's nothing different. It's as if the network cable doesn't exist. It's not recognising there is a physical connection at all. I've tested this very same cable and port on an alternate laptop and it worked fine. It's still the wifi bars with an orange 'sun' in front.

 

Also gpupdate /force results in nothing after reboot.