W2K Domain Naming?? 2

[robprince]

I've setup my network with the domain name XXXXXX.biz, but I keep seeing posts saying that they have set up there domains with XXXXXX.pri or .local.

I thought you had to set up your domain as a fully qualified domain name?
Just wondering if I should rename my domain, or if there are any disatvantages to this?
AD/DNS/DHCP running on W2K SP3

Thanks Rob

 

[Antony13]

W2K domains need to have a DNS name, but it does not actually have to exist on the internet. MS recommends you register the name so there is no existing name on the internet in case you wish to publish it, but this is not a requirement. It is also recommended you do not call your domain name after the company name in case this changes over time, you don't then need to do the painful process of renaming the domain by either upgrading to 2003 Server or creating a new domain and migrating all accounts to it (though most companies ignore this sensible advice including the one I work for!).

Also, for some organisations, using a .local or .pri allows them to have separate DNS namespaces for their internal and external boxes allowing easier (more clearcut) administration.

So in answer, you don't need to rename yours as long as it fits your needs.

Cheers, Antony

 

[gasmask]

Technically, you can name your domain anything you want. But you should understand the distinction between internal and external namespaces. Your internal network will use your Win2k DNS to resolve hosts. If your Win2k can't resolve the host, it should forward the query to your ISP's DNS server.

If you have a registered internet domain name and a website, you could use the same name for your network. But your computers may have problems connecting to your external website. Hence, you could append a prefix unique to your organization followed by your domain name. Or you could use your registered name without the reserved top level domain by substituting an arbitrary abbreviation in its place.

For example. Your registered internet domain name is "company.com". For your internal network, you could use "home.company.com". Alternatively, you could use "company.local". Either of these would avoid name resolution conflicts when you access the internet from your intranet.