I have to keep restarting DNS on Server

[lobby]

Hi guys,

 

I have setup a network with 7 users who connect in a peer fashion to the windows 2008 r2 server.

The problem is that the workstations keep losing access to webpages however I can still link up to them remotely via the internet.

 

The only solution I have found so far is by rebooting the server or by restarting DNS on the server.

 

I could really do with some advice if anybody can advise please?

[kmount]

Hi,

 

Do all computers lose access at once?

 

Does the server lose access?

 

How is the internet connection provided?

[lobby]

The internet is provided by a netgear router and i have pointed the server to the gateway address of the router. The server is running dhcp and I have disabled dhcp on the router.

The network card of the server has the gateway address of the router 192.168.1.1. I have also added the dns address to the network card for both the server 192.168.1.2 and the router 192.168.1.1.

 

All the workstations stop working with the web at the same time, normally after around a day. The server however does allow me to use the web but I think only since I added the router ip to the network card dns.

 

I'm sure it's something to do with the dns but I'm out of my depth I think.

 

Please save me some sleep :-)

[kmount]

OK.

 

First thing, don't set the router IP on your server's nic, set it up in Forwarders under the DNS Server Configuration itself. (otherwise things will get a bit fruity internally with funny results).

 

Leave the PCs getting DHCP from the server and passing out the router's IP as the gateway but the servers for DNS.

 

This in itself may fix your problem because the server will now be using the 'router' as a place to look for DNS answers it doesn't know about, so in turn clients will ask server and if server knows it'll answer or it'll ask router then answer. (router will ask ISP, ISP will ask root servers etc).

 

If it doesn't, we need to establish whether from a client first:

 

- nslookup can the client look up a public website (from the server)

- nslookup if the above fails, ask the client to ask the router directly with nslookup (server 192.168.1.1) and see if this works.

 

Answers to the above will help us find out who's at fault.

 

Sleep is good.

[lobby]

A Big Thank you, I shall adjust the settings and let you know. Just for clarification though. When I set the workstations back to dhcp do i also leave the dns and gateway alone? Thanks

[lobby]

Just another problem. I have already setup a forwarder for the server itself as type host A to it's own address 192.168.1.2.

Do I need to change this? or how do I add the router address to the forwarding zone please?

[kmount]

Hi,

 

The forwarder on the DNS server should point to your router or your ISPs DNS servers. (this is a configuration that basically means if *I* can't answer a question, who do I ask?) - Configure a DNS Server to Use Forwarders

 

On the workstations I'd recommend the gateway is the router 192.168.1.1 and the DNS is your server 192.168.1.2, this can be handed out via DHCP or static depending upon your preference though DHCP is probably easier.

[lobby]

Brilliant, all is looking good. I will no for sure in the next day or two :-) Once again Thank you and have a great weekend

[kmount]

No prob, you too.

 

If it goes titsup hopefully we'll know what component isn't playing.