Unable to access company web page from within Domain

[z28Barry]

Hello.
I removed a Linux server and replaced it with a Windows 2003 Server.
Our domain is registered on the net and our Email and Web page is hosted offsite with that domain name.
I brought up the new sever with the registered domain name (mydomain.com) and have almost everything needed running smoothly.
The problem is when we try to access our Web Page (

http://www.mydomain.com)

from within our domain; we get an error message or page not found.
I know it’s there because I’ve accessed it from home no problem.
I am pretty sure it’s a DNS problem but don’t know how to tell it that our Web Page is not hosted on our Server and to let requests from within our domain go out onto the net and get it.

Thanks, Barry.

 

[dangermouse68]

The domain a website belongs to (

http://www.mydomain.com)

is not the same as a Windows domain (mydomain). Is the domain of your internal network really the same as your website domain? They can be simliar, the Windows domain would be without the .com.

What happens if you ping your

http://www.domain.com,

do you get the IP address of the new 2003 server?

Also, did the linux server host your website and the 2003 server has replaced it? You may just need to adjust your internal DNS entry for your website.

 

[dangermouse68]

Then again, check to make sure that the firewall on the 2003 server allows your internal traffic.

 

[z28Barry]

The Linux server was nothing more then a file server and a Nat server.
What I setup on the Windows 2003 server is as follows:
- AD
- DNS with MX records to get to our email host.
- DHCP
- NAT
- File Server
- Print server
Pretty basic setup with a small amount of workstations that have no problem accessing the Internet or retrieving E-mail from our outside host.
All the workstations can see all the others as well as the server but only have access to what I allow them to.
Can I rename the domain without any problems?
Don't want to reinstall everything with a different domain name.

Will try the Ping and IP address test when I go in tonight.
I prefer to work after all have gone home, so I can run around all by myself without interference from workers.

 

[z28Barry]

Did a lot of reading at TechNet and their answers are long and the processes are involved.
Blew away my TEST NETWORK and gave it a “dot local” vs “dot com” domain name.
I still had minor problems accessing our official web page, so I blew it away again.
I then brought up the sever with a totally unrelated name and bing bang boom, I was able to access our official Web Page.

Now I really do not want to blow away the production server to rename it to get it accessing our Web Page.
So if anyone knows a quick and painless way to do it, I would be more then appreciative.
I was thinking that a “DNS Forwarder” of some sort may bypass the problem.

Thanks, Barry.

 

[dangermouse68]

OK, there might be a couple issues, but I don't think you need to blow away your production server.

What did you use for DNS before you put the 2003 server in?

Can you access your website via it's IP address? (i.e.

http://192.168.1.1)

Do you still have the Linux server that you can power on, but keep off the network? Or do you have the NAT configuration documented so that you don't need the Linux server? Would need to verify that NAT'ing is configured and working the way you would like. Are you able to browse the rest of the internet?

You may just need to add an "A" record to your DNS server that points to your

http://www.mydomain.com

on the net.

Also, I'm not sure why you would need MX records on your DNS, if your hosting offsite. Your Internet provider should have those.

 

[z28Barry]

I believe the Linux server was doing the initial DNS but had a secondary DNS listed off site.
Can't access the web page with the IP address for the web page.
Nat is up and running on the 2003 server, Linux was configured similarly.
Nat is configured and running smoothly.
Workstations can access the Internet as well as download email from off site host.

I think the MX record helps to bypass our domain name and go out onto the Internet to get our email.
Being that the email address is “me@mydomain.com” is similar to our domain name "mydomain.com", which confuses the sever and thinks that we are hosting internal email.
That's just a guess, but the MX record allows the email from off site host to be downloaded.

Thanks, Barry.

 

[dangermouse68]

If you can't access your website with the IP, then maybe it's not just a DNS issue (could be your host doesn't allow access to the IP address). However, you're workstations can get to the internet, just not your site?

An MX record just tells incoming email where your mail server is at (and is usually setup on your provider's network) it shouldn't be doing anything for the client.

Have you checked your DNS on your 2003 server for a record that points to your

http://www.mydomain.com?

Do the workstations point to your 2003 for DNS? If not, try pointing them to an external DNS server like 209.126.137.108, or your providers DNS server/s. Then try to access your site.

You may just need to have your DNS server pointing to an external DNS server.

 

[z28Barry]

If you can't access your website with the IP, then maybe it's not just a DNS issue "
All the workstations can access what ever they want, just not our Web Page.

"An MX record just tells incoming email where your mail server is at "
Without the MX record, I couldn't get any email, incoming or outgoing.

"Have you checked your DNS on your 2003 server for a record that points to your

http://www.mydomain.com?

"
Not sure where to check this at, looked at just about every setting in DNS and haven't seen anything like that.
A little help would be great.
Some kind of DNS Forwarder?

"Do the workstations point to your 2003 for DNS? If not, try pointing them to an external DNS server like "
Yes, the first DNS entry is the Server itself, pointing at the Nic connected to the internal network.
Second DNS is pointed at an external DNS server that is supported by out Internet Provider.


"{You may just need to have your DNS server pointing to an external DNS server."
I am thinking this is exactly what’s needed, but how.
Some kind of DNS Forwarder?

Thanks again, Barry.

 

[dangermouse68]

Barry,

I'm not sure where to do this at within the DNS application but ...


From a KB article on MS site:

Do not configure the DNS client settings on the domain controllers to point to your Internet Service Provider's (ISP's) DNS servers. If you configure the DNS client settings to point to your ISP's DNS servers, the Netlogon service on the domain controllers does not register the correct records for the Active Directory directory service. With these records, other domain controllers and computers can find Active Directory-related information. The domain controller must register its records with its own DNS server.

To forward external DNS requests, add the ISP's DNS servers as DNS forwarders in the DNS management console. If you do not configure forwarders, use the default root hints servers. In both cases, if you want the internal DNS server to forward to an Internet DNS server, you also must delete the root "." (also known as "dot") zone in the DNS management console in the Forward Lookup Zones folder.

For the complete article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;825036

 

[dangermouse68]

Barry,

I've been looking into how to this, and found something that might work for you.

Open your DNS Management application, the go to Foward Lookup Zones/mycompany.com (highlight this folder). In the right pane, right click and click on New Host (A). A new window opens, type in

http://www as

the name (the FQDN should be

http://www.mycomany.com),

then enter the Internet IP address of your webserver.

Maybe do the same thing for your mail. Depends on what the DNS name of your mail server is.

Chris

 

[z28Barry]

Thanks Chris, you da man!

The A-Host record seemed to work after a short amount of time.
Went in this morning and tried the A-Host record thing and it didn't work immediately but after returning in the evening I logged onto the reception computer and Our Web page popped up.

Either the A-Host record worked or the magical Server Fairy fixed it for me.

Thanks again for all the help.
Barry.

Now onto the next question in a new thread.

 

[dangermouse68]

Glad it's working Barry!!!

It might have taken some time with AD. Do you have any other AD servers running?

I'm not an AD guy, but I know it needs to replicate, not sure what it would do if there's nothing to replicate with.

Anyway, good job!!

Chris

 

[z28Barry]

It's a stand-alone server.
Nothing but a small amount of workstations and an all in one printing station.
Very Basic starter system.

The only errors come from DNS when I look in Event Viewer.
Trying to replicate with what ever it can find.
The explanation of the error say basically the following.
"DNS server attempted to replicate, could not find a server to replicate with, if no replication server present, ignore error" or something to the sort.

Thanks again, Barry.