Hosts & LMhost files? How do I set them up?

[ftoddt]

W2k Servers, Active Directory with intergrated DNS, and W2k & XP pro clients. Some of the clients are having difficulty even with DNS of finding the domain controllers. I would like to edit their host files to help them find the domain controllers and/or other servers in the LAN. Since this is an interal issue, I am not sure which host file to edit and exactly how to configure the host file. Do I use the host file or the LMhost file? If my internal domain controller is called DC with a intenal ip of 169.254.1.100, and my file server is FS-1 with a intenal ip of 169.254.102, what would the lines look like in the host file.
I hope this is not a common question because I cannot do a search on this site at this time.
Thanks
Todd

 

[Jump1ng]

Here is an extensive article from MS about using LMHost files

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windowsnt/4/workstation/reskit/en-us/lmhw.mspx

It's writting for NT4 but it works the same for 2k.

 

[minxca]

Why do you use 169.254?? to change the network ID with 10.x.x.x or the other private network ID so you can see right away if your client pick up the IP from DHCP or not.

 

[ftoddt]

The 169.254.?.? was inherited. I assume that it was pre Windows 2000 Nt network without DHCP. I can only assume that administrator who moved to Windows 2000 server decided to keep the old numbers and has them setup in DHCP to be issued to clients. I have thought about going to the 192 series but since it works, I could find no good reason to go there yet. Your reason to see if the client picks up the IP is interesting. I have gone to the clients and if and verified that the 169.254.?.? has indeed been picked up by the client. I assume it is by DHCP. Are you saying that it may not be by DHCP?
Thanks
Todd

 

[dkediger]

It's going to be better in the long run to make that switch rather than deploy hosts files. With the public IPs in use internally, there probably is some goofiness going on with DNS.

You *really* want to avoid using hosts, particularly with the AD/DNS integration at your fingertips.