I believe this is a DNS issue

Hello.
I'm hoping someone here can help resolve an ongoing issue with a network,
that has already sucked many hours of onsite time so far.
The server is a Small Business Server 2003 - it's patched and BPA comes up
pretty much clean.
Some workstations, but not all, have a problem when booting from cold. They
boot and connect fine but cannot browse - any attempt will cause the browser
(ie or firefox) to hang. The fix is either to disable/enable the network
adapter or unplug the cable from the back of the machine, wait a few seconds,
and then plug it in again.
Whilst 'hanging' a cmd prompt can ping the outside world and resolve names
and the network connection to exchange and the shared drives is fine.

If none of that sounds like a DNS issue then forgive me, but the other
symptom is that they also experience (on the affected workstations) is the
slow 'applying computer settings' problem that we see when the DNS server
doesn't point to the SBS server (which it does here).

I think the problem started after a hardware firewall failed and we removed
it, now using NAT straight from the router.

I realise it's a strange problem and I don't expect a 'this is what's wrong'
answer - but clues and suggestions would be welcome.

many thanks
Simon

Hello Soundbyte,

Please post an unedited ipconfig /all from the SBS and a problem client.

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
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> Hello.
> I'm hoping someone here can help resolve an ongoing issue with a
> network,
> that has already sucked many hours of onsite time so far.
> The server is a Small Business Server 2003 - it's patched and BPA
> comes up
> pretty much clean.
> Some workstations, but not all, have a problem when booting from cold.
> They
> boot and connect fine but cannot browse - any attempt will cause the
> browser
> (ie or firefox) to hang. The fix is either to disable/enable the
> network
> adapter or unplug the cable from the back of the machine, wait a few
> seconds,
> and then plug it in again.
> Whilst 'hanging' a cmd prompt can ping the outside world and resolve
> names
> and the network connection to exchange and the shared drives is fine.
> If none of that sounds like a DNS issue then forgive me, but the other
> symptom is that they also experience (on the affected workstations) is
> the slow 'applying computer settings' problem that we see when the DNS
> server doesn't point to the SBS server (which it does here).
>
> I think the problem started after a hardware firewall failed and we
> removed it, now using NAT straight from the router.
>
> I realise it's a strange problem and I don't expect a 'this is what's
> wrong' answer - but clues and suggestions would be welcome.
>
> many thanks
> Simo

"Soundbyte" <> wrote in message news:049548DC-FF96-4A51-BEC4-...
> Hello.
> I'm hoping someone here can help resolve an ongoing issue with a network,
> that has already sucked many hours of onsite time so far.
> The server is a Small Business Server 2003 - it's patched and BPA comes up
> pretty much clean.
> Some workstations, but not all, have a problem when booting from cold. They
> boot and connect fine but cannot browse - any attempt will cause the browser
> (ie or firefox) to hang. The fix is either to disable/enable the network
> adapter or unplug the cable from the back of the machine, wait a few seconds,
> and then plug it in again.
> Whilst 'hanging' a cmd prompt can ping the outside world and resolve names
> and the network connection to exchange and the shared drives is fine.
>
> If none of that sounds like a DNS issue then forgive me, but the other
> symptom is that they also experience (on the affected workstations) is the
> slow 'applying computer settings' problem that we see when the DNS server
> doesn't point to the SBS server (which it does here).
>
> I think the problem started after a hardware firewall failed and we removed
> it, now using NAT straight from the router.
>
> I realise it's a strange problem and I don't expect a 'this is what's wrong'
> answer - but clues and suggestions would be welcome.
>
> many thanks
> Simon


Other than symptoms, you haven't provided any config info to specifically help. Please provide what Meinolf requested. That will give us a good start.

Just an FYI, what you mentioned about the firewall or router failing, is indicating to me that you are possibly using the router as a DNS address. If so, that's a big problem. The only DNS address on all internal machiens must be the DC(s).

Also, the ipconfig /all will give us other useful info that will help to diagnose it.

--
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

Please reply back to the newsgroup or forum for collaboration benefit among responding engineers, and to help others benefit from your resolution.

Ace Fekay, MVP, MCT, MCITP EA, MCTS Windows 2008 & Exchange 2007, MCSE & MCSA 2003/2000, MCSA Messaging 2003
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

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