Question : Incorrect (?) Logon Server Selected

I recently noticed that a number of accounts do not log on to our local logon server (W2000 Server) but logon to another logon server on a different subnet (and in a different city). The client machines are running W2000. We are connected to the remote server via ISDN. The problem is account specific, not machine specific. I have looked at the accounts under 'active directories and users' and there is no obvious difference between the accounts.

Why is this happening?

Answer : Incorrect (?) Logon Server Selected

If this is during the morning, during prime login time, this would be normal. In a Windows 2K environment, the DC will redirect logon traffic to another DC if it thinks that it can't handle the logons within it's specified parameters. It's not abnormal for clients from different subnets to logon to a domain controller on a different network in the same domain if the logon traffic is high and if the domain controller thinks it will time out before it can reply to the logon request. It will pass off the logon request to another server, no matter where it is.

Now, on the other hand, if it is a logon that takes place other than during normal login times when there is little logon traffic, this might be abnormal as the clients first logon request should go to the nearest server. I have seen a couple of bugs where certain people would log onto the domain and authenticate to a different DC, but I haven't been able to pinpoint why yet. To help alleviate this type of thing, make sure that you go into AD Sites and Services and set up your subnets and sites. Once you have the subnets set up for the domain, most of your logon traffic will stay within the subnet. Also, it's a good thing to have Global Catalog servers in each location that has a slow link so that clients that are advertising for services don't create negative network traffic and cause problems with other clients logging in as they query the network for resources after they have logged in.