website address on win2k server

[dbromberg]

I would think this would be a simple enough problem, but I've asked it several times with no solution found. For some reason, on my new win2k server with iis installed, the web address that you type into your browser that receives the contents of the

http://wwwroot

folder (in inetpub) is rjpserv4.domainname.com (where domainname is the name of our web domain). I want it to be

http://www.domainname.com.

The only place rjpserv4 was typed in in the installation was as my computer name. I do not yet have active directory installed (as it has been giving me trouble). What do I do?


-dbromberg

 

[dbromberg]

Okay, it's a little different than I said. Right now, with active directory not installed, I don't get anything with rjpserv4.domainname.com either. When I had active directory installed before, I could get rjpserv4.domainname.com, but I wanted it to be

http://www.domainname.com.

Plus, is there a way to do this without installing active directory? It really has been a pain to me, when I install it I lose access to the internal domain all the computers on our network log onto (but that's another story).

 

[CharlieJax]

Users will access the IIS root on your machine via http.

Http works via TCP/IP

TCP/IP matches the name of the server to the IP address

If the name of the server is rjpserv4 then you will have to type that name, unless you have a DNS server that can provide an alias of "

http://www"

for that box, so that

http://www.domainname.com

= rjpserv4.

You could however create a virtual directory and have any traffic going to

http://www.domainname.com

go to that directory (which can be your

http://wwwroot

directory).

Start the IIS 5.0 Management Console from the Windows Start button by following menus Programs | Administrative Tools | Internet Service Manager.
From the Management Console locate the Default Web Site under the Internet Information Server tree. Right click Default Website and select New | Virtual Directory from the popup menu. The New Virtual Directory Wizard dialog will appear.
Click the Next button to move to the next dialog.
Enter prtracker for the alias to be used to access the virtual directory and then press the Next button.
In the next New Virtual Directory Wizard dialog enter the path name for the directory where file prtracker.asp is installed. Press the Next button.
In the next New Virtual Directory Wizard dialog check box Run Scripts and press the Next button.
Press the Finish button to complete setup.

Don't quote me on the virtual directory... but I belive it will work. CJ
- Jr. Rocket Man

 

[CharlieJax]

If that doesn't work, try the IIS Forum:

forum41 CJ
- Jr. Rocket Man

 

[dbromberg]

Not quite sure what 'prtracker.asp' is. Do I have to write it? Or is it an automatic sort of thing. And do I follow those instructions you gave to the letter, or is that an example you copied from somewhere. Where in your instructions do you specify the

http://www part?

-dbromberg

 

[Jackcipk]

It looks to me that you want to host your own website. If it is the case, you do not have to have AD installed in your server, but you do need to take a few more steps as follows:

I assume that you already have your domainname registered. At the time the domain is registered, you are asked to provide your ISP's DNS servers (usually 2 server names or their IPs). Having above been done, the first thing you need to do is to ask your IPS to make the DNS record pointing your domainname to your IIS Server's IP.

Secondly, you need to create a virtual server on your IIS Server, which can be done in the Internet Services Manager. Here is the details:

1. Start -> Programs -> Administrator Tools -> Internet Services Manager.
2. Right click the server name.
3. Select New -> Web Site and follow the wizard.
4. On the newly created site access its Properties.
5. On Web-Site tab, select Advanced.
6. In Advantaced Multiple Website Configuration. Add -> IP Address: (All Unassigned); TCP Port: 80; Host Head Name:

http://www.domainname.com

and click Ok.

Hope above is helpful. Let me know if you have further questions.

Jack

It's not about whether you can do it or not, it's about HOW
OK, Let's Do It !!!
jliu@Cipk.com

 

[dbromberg]

The domain name is already registered. I did the above to create the website you said. It still doesn't work. I have '

http://www.domainname.com'

(of course the domainname replaced with the real domain name) set as the host header name in the place you metioned. There was one thing you said: I need to ask my IPS to make the DNS record point to my server's IP. I haven't done that. Is this very important, necessary in fact? If so, I'll contact them and let them know. They should know the two DNS addresses though. A question, though- if they need to link something in the domain name to the ip of the server, why, when I had active directory installed, did the contents of the

http://wwwroot

folder appear on the web as rjpserv4.domainname.com?

-dbromberg

 

[Jackcipk]

1. You do need to set up the "A Record" in your IPS's DNS servers.

2. Make sure you entered your IPS's DNS servers with the domain register (where you registered your domain).

By the way, it may take upto 24 hours before the setting takes effect, depending how offen your IPS update the DNS records.

Jack
It's not about whether you can do it or not, it's about HOW
OK, Let's Do It !!!
jliu@Cipk.com

 

[dbromberg]

Apparently (I just asked our admin) the server's ip is part of a block of ip's that IS registered with AT&T (our provider) for the domain. We already have a mail.domainname.com on a separate server (an nt 4), so that's further proof that something is working. But nothing seems to be working on my win2k server, I can't get

http://www.domainname.com

or even what I was getting before: rjpserv4.domainname.com (this with active directory installed). What should I do now?

-dbromberg

 

[Jackcipk]

I think you will be okay once your ISP set up the A Record in their DNS servers.

Do a quick check after change is made: Open -> Programs -> Accessories -> Commend Prompt. Type in:

C:\>nslookup yourdomainname.com <enter>.
you will get something like this:

C:\>nslookup yourdomainname.com
Server: DNSserver.yourIPS.com
Address: 123.123.123.123 (IP address)

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: yourdomainname.com
Address: 222.222.222.222 (your Server's IP)

Make sure the Address (the last line) is your webserver's IP. As I said, it may take a while (upto 24 hrs) for the new setting to pick in after your IPS makes the change for you.

Jack It's not about whether you can do it or not, it's about HOW
OK, Let's Do It !!!
jliu@Cipk.com

 

[dbromberg]

Hope you're still reading this. This is what it returns now:

nslookup domainname.com

Server: mail.domainname.com (this is the existing server we have up)
Address: 100.100.100.3

Name: domainname.com

And that's it. I tried doing other nslookup's, to get a feel for what they look like and I get the same results for the top part (server and address) for anything I put in, and for the second part I get 'non authoritive answer' like you said followed by Name: and Address:, but I don't get that for domainname.com. I'll assume that means it needs to have the 'a record' put in. I'll try that monday.

-dbromberg