Cannot see or access Win2k3 Standard in domain

[riley3]

Hello,
We have a customer that is running Exchange 2003 (std) on a Windows Server 2003 (std) SP1 and they mistakenly ran the server configuration wizard this morning to turn on VPN when all they needed was Terminal Services. After they removed the VPN they could no longer connect to the server with Outlook or see other machines in the domain from the server. Also, no other machines could see the server in question. The server could still log on to the domain as usual and you could get email via OWA from any client in the domain but not with a direct Outlook connection. I cannot figure out how to solve the problem. I'm certain a switch got turned on with the VPN installation but I don't know which one. Also, there is SQL on the server that we can’t get to. Can someone help with this problem?
Riley

 

[riley3]

Thanks, it appears we've got the problem solved. The wizard (I think) turned off RRAS when the VPN was installed. When the VPN was removed I guess RASS stayed disabled. After turning on the RRAS service everything started coming up. Thanks again.

 

[riley3]

However, I forgot to add one other thing at the time. It's not been a real problem but we need to deal with it. We can't see the server in Windows Explorer or Network Places We can do a search on the computer name and it locates it right off. The shares are available and everything works ok. Just can't see it. We've looked and looked but can't figure out what to do. Can someone suggest where we might look to turn on or off whatever got switched? Thanks for any help you might be able to give me. Riley

 

[Spirit]

My Network Places collects its data from the Browser service, which relies on announcements from computers on your network.

I would start by checking the Event Logs for Master Browser errors. (This would be my first bet.)

Also you could give removing and reinstalling TCP/IP that cures an awful lot sometimes - but can also permenantly screw things - I've got the bags under my eyes from all nighters to prove it!

Also Make sure the DNS config is correct on the server.

Make sure that if this exists
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\Hidden is set to 0 (1 hides & 0 Doesn't)

Let us know how you get on.

Iain

 

[riley3]

Thanks Spirit for the quick response. I'll get over to the customer site sometime this afternoon and start looking and will report back.
Riley

 

[riley3]

Hello again,
The DNS will have to be checked on-site, later. The other suggestions can be checked remotely. I've looked back several days in the server's event log, both application and system, but don't see any browser errors. You're right about restalling the TCP/IP stack. I really don't want to do that, yet. The last item - the registry - the below list in the area you described are the only entries;
==============================
Default
AdjustedNullSessionPipes
autodisconnect
CachedOpenLimit
enableforcedlogoff
enablessecuritysignature
Guid
Lmannounce
NullSessionPipes
NullSessionShares
requiresecuritysignature
restrictnullsessaccess
ServiceDLL
Size
========================
The "Hidden" entry was not there - should it be added?
Riley

 

[Spirit]

No I had the opposite problem where clowns sorry users thought it would be funny to hide their machines from the domain by adding the reg entry.... real funny right up until the displinary hearing ha ha ha ha ha.

You could try adding it but I don't think that will sort the issue.

Also just retart the Computer Browser Services on the Server(s) and clients (Or make sure it is running!)

What happens when you ping from a client:
The Server name
The Server address

What happens when you ping from the server:
A Client Name
A Client Ip address

Ask one of the people on set to go to:
Start - Run - CMD (On XP)
Then Ipconfig /all
Ensure that they are pointing to the internal DNS server ( but my money is riding on the problem being the Master Browser)

Iain

 

[riley3]

Thanks again Iain for the help. I had tried the pings you suggested and we can ping both ways. I suspected the DNS way back in May when we first turned on the VPN and started this problem but they show the server with the correct name and address (internal). I'm not certain how to deal with the Browser Services. I'm familiar with it just never did anything with it. The domain controller is behind a MS ISA 2000 server (firewall & filter) with all clients and servers internal. We run our own DNS servers, internal and external and web sites, it this helps. The Browser Service appears to be the issue based on the information you have provided. Riley

 

[riley3]

One other thing, I'm not certain I was clear in my response - the server in question shows in both the internal DNS server and Active Directory and WINS.

 

[riley3]

Hello again,
We've still not solved this problem above. However, it appears to be related to the Routing and Remote Access Service. Exchange 2003 also runs on this machine and when the customer turned VPN on all Outlook clients were no longer able to connect. With about 60 users wanting their mail we did some quick forum checking and reading and ended up turning on RRAS. That let Outlook connect and mail started flowing. Not knowing a lot about this subject we assumed we had fixed the problem. As you know from the above posts we could no longer see other machines etc. There are six servers in their network and tonight while looking around in each of the server’s services I noticed all the other servers had the RRAS disabled. Obviously we did something we should not have done. But if I turn off and disable the RRAS on the server in question I'm sure mail will stop flowing again. But we may be able to now see the server from the network and the other way around. We may fix one problem but cause another. Can anyone give me some suggestions with this additional information we found tonight? Thanks for the help so far. Riley

 

[riley3]

I have some more information. When comparing the services in five other Win 2003 servers (a couple of ours and everal of his) RRAS is disabled by default. I would like to take RRAS back to disable but when we do Outlook/Exchange becomes an issue. I think RRAS in a disabled state would allow the server to be seen on the network. While comparing services this morning I noticed that Remote Access Connection Manager is also off in all the machines that I'm looking at except the one that's giving us the problem. Could that also be a problem? Also Remote Procedure Call Locator is stopped on all machines by default except the machine in question. Could that also be an issue? Thanks again for the help.
Riley
"Robert L [MS-MVP]" <noreply@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:%23nLdLf6wGHA.2204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
When you enabled the RRAS, it may register two IP addresses in the DNS and WINS. That will cause a name resolution issue. This troubleshooting may help,

name resolution and connectivity issues on RRAS A computer that is running Windows Server may have name resolution and ... clients can't access the RRAS server any more after a VPN connection is made. ...

http://www.howtonetworking.com/casestudy/rraswithdcdnswins1.htm

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on

http://www.ChicagoTech.net

How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on

http://www.HowToNetworking.com

"riley" <rileypetty@msn.com> wrote in message news:eDPTUv5wGHA.1216@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
Hello,
We mistakenly turned on VPN on a Win2003 Server running Exg 2003 & SQL 2K
and our user's Outlook could not connect to Exg. After we turned off VPN the
only way we could get an Outlook connection to Exg was to turn on RRAS. Now
the server in question cannot see the network and the network cannot see the
server. We can get to it by searching directly for it but we need to get to
it in the normal way. Our other four servers show RRAS disabled so we
obviously have something set wrong but cannot figure out what. I'm afraid if
we disable RRAS on this server we may be able to see the network but Outlook
may not be able to connect to Exg again. Can someone help us get back to
normal? Riley

 

[riley3]

This is embarrassing. We've solved the problem. Somehow during the VPN effort back in May the "Disable NetBios over TCP/IP" was set to disable. I had focused all my efforts around the VPN/RRAS and only when I was looking at the WINS panel did everything click. Not only was NetBios disabled but the WINS address was pointing to itself. I assume the VPN wizard had something to do with these settings. That area hasn't been opened since we built the machine early last year. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions and help. Riley