DNS, Root Server, Forwarder, Recursive Queries

[Tershia]

I have one Win2000 server with a router for internet access. In order for Win2000 clients to resolve DNS & access the internet - on the clientthe gateway needs to be the router IP with the server IP for DNS. The server needs Forwarders enabled and the IP address of the router added. My server was configured as a Root Server, which means Forwarding is disabled, so I deleted the root folder in DNS, configured the Forwarder. This resulted in the clients thinking that thier browsers we're caching sites. After testing the server I found that recursive queries we're failing so I disabled them. The clients are now reaching the Router, but web pages still can't be displayed. Can anyone help!!!!

 

[brontosaurus]

when you said the "server needs forwarders enabled and the IP address of the router added" , that doesn't mean that you added the router's IP as a Forwarder, does it? That would be a problem. You need to add a DNS server(s) from your ISP in the Forwarders tab. Also, where did you turn off recursive queries? At the server level or on the Forwarders level?

 

[Tershia]

Hi

Yes I put the Router IP address as the Forwarder and I turned off recursion by ticking the tick box under the Advanced tab in the Properties window

 

[ShackDaddy]

Well, the router isn't a DNS server and can't be set as a forwarder, so you needed to just set your router as your default gateway (duh ) and configure your ISP's DNS servers in the forwarding list.

Sounds like you've done quite a few things to your DNS server, and you might want to uninstall and reinstall it so that you can have your cache.dns file with all the root-servers available (assuming it's missing, does your 'root hints' tab still show a list of root servers?) I'm not sure why you 'deleted the root folder' (or even what that meant). Your server didn't need to be set up as a root server even if you are dead set against allowing it to make recursive queries. It can be set up with the defaults, then merely configure it to enable forwarding and disable recursion. No need to start deleting stuff.

ShackDaddy

 

[Tershia]

I have configure 2 other networks with the router as the forwader and they have worked perfectly, thanks! As for putting the ISP DNS server as the forwader, the xp, & w2k machines still don't have internet access! I deleted the root folder because you can't have your root server use forwarders. Yes I know that the server shouldn't have been set up as a root server and no I don't have a problem with the server using recursive queries. I think the best bit of advice you have given shackdaddy is to unload and reload the DNS service.