DHCP
Was wondering if there's any performance implications/disadvantages when using a LAN who obtain's its individual IP addresses from a DHCP ?

Right now DHCP runs on our Win2k Server, but I'm thinking of just giving each PC a private IP addr (eg. 192.168.0.x) - its only a small LAN of 20 PC's.

DNS
Not really sure what the definition of a DNS server is or how it works, apart from knowing its job is to translate ip addresses to url's? Anyway during the win2k server install I seemingly had no option but to run its DNS server.

Like I said we have a small LAN with private IP addresses, which are about to be linked to the internet via our firewall and adsl router. Is there any need to run a DNS serber on the LAN or would I just simply point each PC's DNS config to our ISP's DNS servers?

-DV

DHCP, I doubt the traffic created will be noticeable on your small LAN. The cool things are that you can centrally manage your client ip settings. Like changing the ip's for the DNS server settings on your client. You can have static ip's through the use of reservations.

DNS, If you run Win2k in Active Directory mode then the DNS server is there to stay.

Depending on the AD part above. You don't really need to have DNS servers on your network. You could point the clients to the external DNS servers of your isp. If you are running AD then a web proxy may be an easier option.

H

If you use a local DNS server it will cache repsonse it recives from the Internet. So it can resond to a client quicker than if each client resolves every address. Also you may need internal addresses/names resolvinbg at some point - which our DNS could then do aswell.

Prob not a huge diff on a 20 user LAN.

I think it would be safe to say its good practice to use DHCP and a local DNS server would be recommended.

Deano

Yes and Yes

Agreed, besides if your using AD DNS is required anyway.

DHCP is nice and easy to configure and reservations can be made if certain clients need fixed IP's

Thing is, we don't particularly use active directory. Is there any way to turn it off and DNS ?

You can turn it off, but what do you mean you don't run it particularly? You either run or you don't.

H

Ok, maybe's I should say "I really don't understand what active directory is!"

All printers and devices are shared through normal windows networking on the LAN.

Care to explain why active directory and DNS are linked ?

Ok, here's the short short short answer...

Active Directory uses DNS to represent domains, computers and other objects by resource records. Client pc's uses AD to locate domain controllers and DNS to locate IP addresses providing a certain service.

With AD printing is still done the same as the normal sharing method. AD just holds a record of it.

Good luck with the new internet pipe :) Any more questions fire away.

H

Well we've only got a single domain controller on the LAN, so active directory is pro'lly overkill, hence our lack of need for it. Is there a big switch marked 'TURN OFF AD AND DNS' ?

Theres a "big switch" called "dcpromo" :) This removes AD for you.

But before you do that, consider if it will have any effect on your current setup. Administrative things like shares, user accounts, permissions and the like have to be sorted out again.

I say if it works fine, don't touch it ;) But I see no problems with your size of network. It's just time cosuming. But as always, anything that MS tells you will be fine, might not be.

H

But on reading what I've written above, I assumed AD is installed ?!?!

H

Yes AD was installed - I simply followed the prompts when installing Win2kServer fresh off the cd.

Thing that bothers me is that the workstations get their dns from the webserver, meanwhile the the main win2k server has dns running too! Is this likely to clash. Seems to run fine, its just I'd like it as polished as possible.

-DV

Do you mean you have an ip address for an internal and an external dns server setup on the workstation?

Here at work I run Win2k, have 2 internal dns servers and 2 external servers setup in my ip stack. This allows me to get out via the firewall as my default gateway. This may cause problems with AD as the client workstations try and register itself in the DNS.

The easiest option I think would be to use a web proxy.

What do you think?

H

Enable DNS forwarding in DNS Admin on the Win2000 Box is one option.

Load DNS Admin applet
Right click your Server > Properties
Forwarders Tab

Any requests it can't find in it's own DNS database will get forwarded to your ISPs DNS.

Alternatively, this PC is part of our AD. I have my primary DNS set to be our internal DNS box and then have secondary DNS pointing to my ISP.

Hi Chris :)
that is an option, but IMHO ;) I don't ever fancy putting our AD server on the net. MS may have designed it for that purpose, but with all their flaws and bugs, I just don't fancy it.

H

I agree with ChrisB, when I was working in the consulting division, best practise was to issue DHCP addresses for PC's but deffinately use static IP's for servers etc.

Phil

DNS = A internet service that translates domain names, into IP Addresses.
Because most domains are alphabetic its easier to remember.

IF one DNS Sever cant translate an addresss it passes it onto the next server until correct ip is returned.

Our DNS isn't on the 'Net. It only serves internal requests, the outside world doesn't know it exists.

You have to add manual records to resolve www, ftp etc for your domain if they reside on an external server as it doesn't forward these requests but otherwise works a treat.

Edit to say...

Use a DHCP range for desktop PCs ie 192.168.x.32 through 192.168.x.64. Then use fixed addresses for the server, printers, routers etc - stuff you always want to be able to find without looking.

[Edited by ChrisB - 7/10/2002 10:26:40 AM]