Can I authenticate to a specified DC?

[Niavlys]

Hi, does someone know a way to force a W2K Pro client to authenticate to a specific DC?

 

[norristechs]

use the login name of DOMAIN\USERNAME or specify it on the logon dialog box.

 

[grshopper]

If anyone knows a trick for this I would like to know as well, but if I remember from my Active Directory class, the domain controller that you authenticate to is random. ---------------------------------------
A+ Certified
Microsoft Certified Proffesional
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[felixfong]

The only one I know is with the LMHOSTS file with the line:

192.192.192.1 NAME_OF_DC #PRE #DOMOMAIN

Run "nbtstat -R" after that.

 

[brontosaurus]

The only way I know of is via Sites. Clients will always authenticate with a DC in their own Site. This, of course, assumes that you have multiple subnets to put your DC's on....

 

[Niavlys]

Yes I have 3 different sites with multiple subnets in each. I know that clients always authenticate within the site randomly but I want to authenticate to one specific DC. If it's not possible (that's what I think) I will resign.

Thanks!

 

[brontosaurus]

Send me your resume...
It ain't possible.

 

[Niavlys]

OK, here we go...

SiteOne
11 DCs with approx. 150 clients (W2K pro, Win9x)
1 subnet

SiteTwo
Antenna Bridges.
9 DCs with approx. 800 clients (mainly Win9x
9 different subnets

SiteThree
ADSL Link
12 DCs with approx. 700 clients (mainly Win9x)
12 diffent subnets

All 3 sites connected with a SiteLinkBridge, all subnets created in appropriate site.

So I want a client in SiteThree to connect to his own DC in the building they are in.

Do I have to create one site per DC?

Thanks!

 

[brontosaurus]

Don't kill the messenger....yes.

 

[Niavlys]

What do u mean?

 

[brontosaurus]

Well, in site 3, if you have 12 DC's spread out amongst your campus, and you have 12 subnets available, then the only way to do this for 2K clients is to put each DC on it's own subnet and create a Site for it. Now, you mention that most of your clients are Win9X. I believe that the Directory Services Client allows for Win9X machines to choose their DC without having to create sites....have you checked that out?

 

[Niavlys]

Never checked that out, it would be a good thing to test but I never had to install DS client on 9x machines so I don't know if I'm gonna run through this. Anyway, I'll let you know.