Question : Windows 2003 Domain Controller without DNS

Hi,

I am running a small network with a Server 2003 domain controller.

For various reasons I want to have my hardware router do the DHCP and DNS rather than the server.     Is this possible with a domain controller?    I have tried this and found that the clients can't find the domain controller.   Is there some way to configure the router or the clients to see the DC?

Thanks,


Lee.

Answer : Windows 2003 Domain Controller without DNS

First, you have to understand these technologies.

1.  DHCP uses leases - if you set a long lease duration (say a week), your server could be down for at least 3.5 DAYS (or more) and before the clients start losing IP connectivity (assuming they are left on).  a 7 day lease automatically renews itself halfway into the lease - meaning at the 3.5 day mark.  You can also have multiple DHCP servers PROVIDED you use different ranges of IPs for each.  Set the server Scope to 192.168.1.50-125 and the Router's to 192.168.1.126-200.  Now which ever answers first will give out the address and there won't be any IP conflicts because each uses a different range.  All that aside, Windows really could care less what you run DHCP off of.  Unix, Linux, a Router, whatever.
2.  DNS on the other hand is crucial to Windows Active Directory and user authentication.  9 of 10 login problems (delayed logins, failure to login, or failed GPOs, etc) are due to misconfigured DNS.  You MUST have a Dynamic DNS server - I've said it before... any idea why?  Here, again, you MUST HAVE A DYNAMIC DNS SERVER.  Does it have to be Windows... NO.  But I doubt your router qualifies as a DYNAMIC DNS Server.  If you want to do this properly, then you need a SECOND server, running Active Directory and DNS.  You can use an Active Directory integrated zone so your DNS records are up to date on both servers.  Then, if one server goes down, you can still log on to the network since you have two servers and your DNS doesn't go down.  BESIDES, You can use/specify MULTIPLE DNS servers, just make sure the Windows server is the primary.