Clients using WAN server rather than local.

[firthm]

Hi Everyone,

This may be an easy one or may not.

I recently added a domain controller to one of our remote offices to facilitate local authentication, DFS for file shares, local DNS etc...

It all works well so far and i'm hoping continues to, AD replicates etc and roaming profiles are replicated via DFS. Great.

However, I have a hunch that the existing PC's on-site are actually still using the settings etc for my DC's over the WAN. There are no authentication logons in eventvwr on the local DC and some machines take a long time logging on because they are getting their roaming profiles from the WAN DC.

So far I have created the server, and located it in the right site in AD Sites & Services. This site is setup with the specific subnet for these clients.

Are there any changes I need to make client-side to get them to see the local server instead of the WAN ones?

If I connect to things like \\domain.local, they pull up the correct (local) dc.

THanks for any advice!

Mike

Michael Firth
Network Infrastructure Officer

~If it's not broke, break it and LEARN~

 

[jfwebber]

What DC's are your global catalog and dns servers? Does each site have a global catalog and are the clients configured to use the dns server in that site?

 

[firthm]

Good Afternoon,

Thanks for the quick reply.

The clients aren't yet pointing to the server as their primary DNS server, however when trying to resolve the issue I did change this so they were pointing at the local server for DNS.

The DC at the site is not currently configured as a global catalogue, I guess that could be the problem?

Thanks,
Mike


Michael Firth
Network Infrastructure Officer

~If it's not broke, break it and LEARN~

 

[jfwebber]

Try making both DC's a global catalog and see if that helps out.

Jim W MCSE CCNA
Network Manager

 

[jcy1978]

Authentication & overall performance will be better if the local domain controller is used as opposed to going across the WAN. You'll need to configure the subnet at the remote office within AD Sites & Services (and create the branch office as a separate site from the main) - it's outside of what I can type/explain here, but a Microsoft or Google search will get you going, and your users will really appreciate the improved performance.

John C. Young
jcy@nevermind.org

 

[firthm]

Hi Guys,

I got this one fixed, in the end!

It was a bug in Windows 2003 R2's DFS-R service.

If this happens to anyone, you need to apply Microsoft update KB 898900.

However, this fix is included in Windows Server 2003 SP2.

NOTE - You will have to update your XP clients AS WELL as all 2003 servers.

Mike

Michael Firth
Network Infrastructure Officer

~If it's not broke, break it and LEARN~