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Resolved Question

Windows 7 Can't connect to Domain Contoller

Jul 31, 2014 3:35AM PDT

I am having a hard time connecting to our Domain from our new computer that we are installing on satellite office. We have just recently moved buildings and brought some of the old computers to the new building they work fine.The new computer were set up in our main office and connected to the Domain there. When I went to set them up in satellite office I get error message. That they can't connect to the domain. We can remote Desktop to the DC but not actually connect to the Domain.

Here is the error message:

"An Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) for the domain "MSC" could not be contacted. Ensure that the domain name is typed correctly. If the name is correct , click Detail for Troubshooting information.

The Domain name "MSC" migh be a NetBIOS domain name. If this is the case, verify that the domain name is properly registered with WINS.

The following error occured when DNS was queried for the service location (SRV) resource record used to locate an Active Directory Domain Controller for domain.

The error was "DNS name does not exist"
(error code (0x0000232B RCODE_Name_Error)

The query was for the SRV record for Idap._tcp.dc>msdcs.MSC

-The DNS SRV records requered to locate a AD DV for the domain are note registered in DNS. These records are registered with DNS server automatically when A AD DC is added to a domain. They are updated by the AD DC at set intervals. This computer is configured to use DNS servers with the following IP addresses.

4.2.2.2
8.8.8.8

-One or more of the following zones do not include delegation to its child zone.

MSC
-(the root zone)
Here are the details.

Windows 7 Professional machines.

Domain Controller- Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 SP 2

VPN-Sonic Wall TZ100

HP Procurve Switch.

Let me know if you have any questions. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

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TM81MT has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Solved
Aug 18, 2014 4:05AM PDT

Thanks everybody for the information. Everything was really helpful.

Here is how I solved it.

I went back to each machine and set the WINS server address to my DC. I did this thru a netsh command and then went and changed my firewall setting inside the satellite branch to my DC address.

So my sonicwall was setting my default DNS settings to 8.8.8.8. Then I had to let my workstation know where to sign up for my domain (WINS server).

Let me know if you have any questions if you have having the same problem.

Thanks,
Tim

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Answer
Is it the same domain controller
Jul 31, 2014 9:52AM PDT

Is it the same domain controller? You didn't happen to have a secondary domain controller for the satellite office and then the primary domain controller for the main office or anything like that?

The first thing I'd probably do is check all of the network related settings on one of the systems that works and compare those against the settings on a system that doesn't work. Those DNS settings seem a bit odd for a domain config. They may well be correct, but seem a likely place to start. If you can't find any differences at all, I would probably take one machine and remove it from the domain, dropping it back to a workgroup/homegroup, then add it back to the domain. This assumes you have the necessary access to add a system to a domain. If not, why are you tackling this issue instead of one of the network admins?

I'd also say it's probably worth checking the config on the firewall and switch to make sure you aren't subnetting based on MAC address or anything like that which might also explain the problems.

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Answer
Sounds Like You Need To Use Static IP Settings? But....
Jul 31, 2014 1:08PM PDT

...you haven't told us the type of connection you're using at the satellite office. Are your computers connected to a simple modem and router through a telephone or cable company? Or did your company setup a direct line into their domain? If connected through a telephone or cable company, it's best to use a VPN into the company network.

On the other hand, if the satellite office is setup with a direct line to the company network, and if there is a dynamic IP address being used in the network settings, it will be given the IP address available at the satellite location, which may be causing the issue. Instead, especially if there is a secondary domain controller at the satellite office, you may need to manually change the TCP/IPv4 settings so they don't "Obtain IP address automatically" . You'll need to know and create the IP address for each machine, the Primary DNS server, Alternate DNS server, subnet mask, etc. for your primary, or secondary domain controller. Simply typing in a domain name won't allow it to be found.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Is this all in the same building?
Aug 1, 2014 4:16AM PDT

Or between two different buildings? If the same building and using wired access, are you sure there's a bridge between the two areas of the building?