Test setup with new forest

[lwinstead]

I need some help. I've currently got an operational Windows 2003 forest, with one domain. DNS, DHCP, and WINS all run off the one domain controller. This is the production forest/domain, so its live and is working properly.

I'd like to add an additional forest and domain for a testing environment. Call it a laboratory, workshop, whatever. I want to be able to play around with a fresh domain and not affect my production environment.

I know I can setup a new Windows 2003 server, and through dcpromo create a new forest and domain, but then I'm stuck. I'd like to have a completely separate network for this to run on, in order to setup DHCP services on the new DC, but I'm confused how to go about it. If I setup a new server, wouldn't it get an IP address from the existing DHCP server? If that's the case, how can I create a subnet for an additional forest?

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

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[lwinstead]

Once again, to answer my own question, all I needed was a simple (and the MOST simple worked in this case) broadband router to handle the "routing." In my case, I used an old Linksys (before being eaten by Cisco) broadband router, that has only one incoming and one outgoing port. Regardless of the number of ports, the thing is a router, and was able to NAT an IP in my production range into another private range for the new domain.

The hardest part was telling the router to work in Gateway mode instead of Router mode. Since I don't understand what the difference is and why Router mode wouldn't work, I have some future studying to do, but for now I said screw it, Gateway mode works, so I'll just go with that.

So far, everything is working exactly as expected. The only question I have now, is why does this secondary forest's domain show up when I browse network neighborhood/places?

...Otherwise everything is functional and good.

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