Hi,

I've encountered a number of occassions on different company networks and
different companies whereas the querying of active directory don't work some
of the time, and most of the time when the clients are Vista computers. For
example, \\domainname.int\domaindfsroot\dfspath gives path not found error
and at this moment, ping domainname.int will gives host not found error.
Then if I do a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, it will start to work
again. When the problem appear, adding a computer to the domain will give
domain not available error and user cannot log on saying domain controller
not available. How do I go about to make it is stable, as I use dfs-r
extensively. If DNS query for active directory fail, all dfs-r cannot be
located.

Ideas and suggestions?

At this moment I am working on a domain where there is only 1 DC, running
Windows 2008 Standard and 7 clients (4 XPs, 3 Vistas). The DC is the DNS
server.

Sing Chung

Thanks, James,

I did ipconfig /all to check the validity of ip address on those problematic
clients, they are correct. I also check at the DHCP server (which is the
same server as the DNS server), the ip address together with router and name
server information given are correct. The funny thing is the problematic
clients (such as the one I am using now) can be OK initially (that it can
locate the domain path \\domainname\domaindfs\path, for example) but after a
while it can't. Then I need to do ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew
again to make it can.

"James Yeomans BSc, MCSE" <JamesYeomansBScMCSE@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote in message news:5F25CB56-191C-4CE3-99BD-9F7000A3A22A@microsoft.com...
> Hi there it sounds like your clients are not picking up an IP address
> properly first time round, thats why it starts to work after releasing and
> renewing it. Can you confirm the IP settings on a machine when its not
> working by running ipconfig /all ?
> Chek that it has a valid ip, mask, gateway and dns servers and that the IP
> isn't in the 169.254.x.x range as that is an ap that will appear when a
> dhcp
> request fails.
> --
> James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE
>
>
> "Hii Sing Chung" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've encountered a number of occassions on different company networks and
>> different companies whereas the querying of active directory don't work
>> some
>> of the time, and most of the time when the clients are Vista computers.
>> For
>> example, \\domainname.int\domaindfsroot\dfspath gives path not found
>> error
>> and at this moment, ping domainname.int will gives host not found error.
>> Then if I do a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, it will start to
>> work
>> again. When the problem appear, adding a computer to the domain will give
>> domain not available error and user cannot log on saying domain
>> controller
>> not available. How do I go about to make it is stable, as I use dfs-r
>> extensively. If DNS query for active directory fail, all dfs-r cannot be
>> located.
>>
>> Ideas and suggestions?
>>
>> At this moment I am working on a domain where there is only 1 DC, running
>> Windows 2008 Standard and 7 clients (4 XPs, 3 Vistas). The DC is the DNS
>> server.
>>
>> Sing Chung
>>

Hi there it sounds like your clients are not picking up an IP address
properly first time round, thats why it starts to work after releasing and
renewing it. Can you confirm the IP settings on a machine when its not
working by running ipconfig /all ?
Chek that it has a valid ip, mask, gateway and dns servers and that the IP
isn't in the 169.254.x.x range as that is an ap that will appear when a dhcp
request fails.
--
James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE


"Hii Sing Chung" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've encountered a number of occassions on different company networks and
> different companies whereas the querying of active directory don't work some
> of the time, and most of the time when the clients are Vista computers. For
> example, \\domainname.int\domaindfsroot\dfspath gives path not found error
> and at this moment, ping domainname.int will gives host not found error.
> Then if I do a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, it will start to work
> again. When the problem appear, adding a computer to the domain will give
> domain not available error and user cannot log on saying domain controller
> not available. How do I go about to make it is stable, as I use dfs-r
> extensively. If DNS query for active directory fail, all dfs-r cannot be
> located.
>
> Ideas and suggestions?
>
> At this moment I am working on a domain where there is only 1 DC, running
> Windows 2008 Standard and 7 clients (4 XPs, 3 Vistas). The DC is the DNS
> server.
>
> Sing Chung
>

Ah, if you are using : \\domainname\......\... then i think you will be
using netbios rather than dns, to resolve the name. Do you have a wins server
available on the network and does dhcp assign a wins server to the clients?
Also check the network connections have netbios enabled and that dhcp is
assigning them a node type. Might be wrong but its worth a try. Let me know.
James.
--
James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE


"Hii Sing Chung" wrote:

> Thanks, James,
>
> I did ipconfig /all to check the validity of ip address on those problematic
> clients, they are correct. I also check at the DHCP server (which is the
> same server as the DNS server), the ip address together with router and name
> server information given are correct. The funny thing is the problematic
> clients (such as the one I am using now) can be OK initially (that it can
> locate the domain path \\domainname\domaindfs\path, for example) but after a
> while it can't. Then I need to do ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew
> again to make it can.
>
> "James Yeomans BSc, MCSE" <JamesYeomansBScMCSE@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote in message news:5F25CB56-191C-4CE3-99BD-9F7000A3A22A@microsoft.com...
> > Hi there it sounds like your clients are not picking up an IP address
> > properly first time round, thats why it starts to work after releasing and
> > renewing it. Can you confirm the IP settings on a machine when its not
> > working by running ipconfig /all ?
> > Chek that it has a valid ip, mask, gateway and dns servers and that the IP
> > isn't in the 169.254.x.x range as that is an ap that will appear when a
> > dhcp
> > request fails.
> > --
> > James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE
> >
> >
> > "Hii Sing Chung" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I've encountered a number of occassions on different company networks and
> >> different companies whereas the querying of active directory don't work
> >> some
> >> of the time, and most of the time when the clients are Vista computers.
> >> For
> >> example, \\domainname.int\domaindfsroot\dfspath gives path not found
> >> error
> >> and at this moment, ping domainname.int will gives host not found error.
> >> Then if I do a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, it will start to
> >> work
> >> again. When the problem appear, adding a computer to the domain will give
> >> domain not available error and user cannot log on saying domain
> >> controller
> >> not available. How do I go about to make it is stable, as I use dfs-r
> >> extensively. If DNS query for active directory fail, all dfs-r cannot be
> >> located.
> >>
> >> Ideas and suggestions?
> >>
> >> At this moment I am working on a domain where there is only 1 DC, running
> >> Windows 2008 Standard and 7 clients (4 XPs, 3 Vistas). The DC is the DNS
> >> server.
> >>
> >> Sing Chung
> >>
>

Sorry, James,

I used the \\domainname.int\...., the dns name, not the netbios name. Yes,
indeed no Win server and no netbios in use. Sorry for the typing ommission.


"James Yeomans BSc, MCSE" <JamesYeomansBScMCSE@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote in message news:5D71FD27-6288-499A-8889-B70DA3F18FB3@microsoft.com...
> Ah, if you are using : \\domainname\......\... then i think you will be
> using netbios rather than dns, to resolve the name. Do you have a wins
> server
> available on the network and does dhcp assign a wins server to the
> clients?
> Also check the network connections have netbios enabled and that dhcp is
> assigning them a node type. Might be wrong but its worth a try. Let me
> know.
> James.
> --
> James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE
>
>
> "Hii Sing Chung" wrote:
>
>> Thanks, James,
>>
>> I did ipconfig /all to check the validity of ip address on those
>> problematic
>> clients, they are correct. I also check at the DHCP server (which is the
>> same server as the DNS server), the ip address together with router and
>> name
>> server information given are correct. The funny thing is the problematic
>> clients (such as the one I am using now) can be OK initially (that it can
>> locate the domain path \\domainname\domaindfs\path, for example) but
>> after a
>> while it can't. Then I need to do ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew
>> again to make it can.
>>
>> "James Yeomans BSc, MCSE" <JamesYeomansBScMCSE@discussions.microsoft.com>
>> wrote in message
>> news:5F25CB56-191C-4CE3-99BD-9F7000A3A22A@microsoft.com...
>> > Hi there it sounds like your clients are not picking up an IP address
>> > properly first time round, thats why it starts to work after releasing
>> > and
>> > renewing it. Can you confirm the IP settings on a machine when its not
>> > working by running ipconfig /all ?
>> > Chek that it has a valid ip, mask, gateway and dns servers and that the
>> > IP
>> > isn't in the 169.254.x.x range as that is an ap that will appear when a
>> > dhcp
>> > request fails.
>> > --
>> > James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE
>> >
>> >
>> > "Hii Sing Chung" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> I've encountered a number of occassions on different company networks
>> >> and
>> >> different companies whereas the querying of active directory don't
>> >> work
>> >> some
>> >> of the time, and most of the time when the clients are Vista
>> >> computers.
>> >> For
>> >> example, \\domainname.int\domaindfsroot\dfspath gives path not found
>> >> error
>> >> and at this moment, ping domainname.int will gives host not found
>> >> error.
>> >> Then if I do a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, it will start to
>> >> work
>> >> again. When the problem appear, adding a computer to the domain will
>> >> give
>> >> domain not available error and user cannot log on saying domain
>> >> controller
>> >> not available. How do I go about to make it is stable, as I use dfs-r
>> >> extensively. If DNS query for active directory fail, all dfs-r cannot
>> >> be
>> >> located.
>> >>
>> >> Ideas and suggestions?
>> >>
>> >> At this moment I am working on a domain where there is only 1 DC,
>> >> running
>> >> Windows 2008 Standard and 7 clients (4 XPs, 3 Vistas). The DC is the
>> >> DNS
>> >> server.
>> >>
>> >> Sing Chung
>> >>
>>

The problem is only affecting specific computers, all of which are running
Windows Vista, with sp2, and the frustrating part is it is sometimes OK,
sometimes not OK, not specific patterns.

"James Yeomans BSc, MCSE" <JamesYeomansBScMCSE@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote in message news:5D71FD27-6288-499A-8889-B70DA3F18FB3@microsoft.com...
> Ah, if you are using : \\domainname\......\... then i think you will be
> using netbios rather than dns, to resolve the name. Do you have a wins
> server
> available on the network and does dhcp assign a wins server to the
> clients?
> Also check the network connections have netbios enabled and that dhcp is
> assigning them a node type. Might be wrong but its worth a try. Let me
> know.
> James.
> --
> James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE
>
>
> "Hii Sing Chung" wrote:
>
>> Thanks, James,
>>
>> I did ipconfig /all to check the validity of ip address on those
>> problematic
>> clients, they are correct. I also check at the DHCP server (which is the
>> same server as the DNS server), the ip address together with router and
>> name
>> server information given are correct. The funny thing is the problematic
>> clients (such as the one I am using now) can be OK initially (that it can
>> locate the domain path \\domainname\domaindfs\path, for example) but
>> after a
>> while it can't. Then I need to do ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew
>> again to make it can.
>>
>> "James Yeomans BSc, MCSE" <JamesYeomansBScMCSE@discussions.microsoft.com>
>> wrote in message
>> news:5F25CB56-191C-4CE3-99BD-9F7000A3A22A@microsoft.com...
>> > Hi there it sounds like your clients are not picking up an IP address
>> > properly first time round, thats why it starts to work after releasing
>> > and
>> > renewing it. Can you confirm the IP settings on a machine when its not
>> > working by running ipconfig /all ?
>> > Chek that it has a valid ip, mask, gateway and dns servers and that the
>> > IP
>> > isn't in the 169.254.x.x range as that is an ap that will appear when a
>> > dhcp
>> > request fails.
>> > --
>> > James Yeomans, BSc, MCSE
>> >
>> >
>> > "Hii Sing Chung" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> I've encountered a number of occassions on different company networks
>> >> and
>> >> different companies whereas the querying of active directory don't
>> >> work
>> >> some
>> >> of the time, and most of the time when the clients are Vista
>> >> computers.
>> >> For
>> >> example, \\domainname.int\domaindfsroot\dfspath gives path not found
>> >> error
>> >> and at this moment, ping domainname.int will gives host not found
>> >> error.
>> >> Then if I do a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, it will start to
>> >> work
>> >> again. When the problem appear, adding a computer to the domain will
>> >> give
>> >> domain not available error and user cannot log on saying domain
>> >> controller
>> >> not available. How do I go about to make it is stable, as I use dfs-r
>> >> extensively. If DNS query for active directory fail, all dfs-r cannot
>> >> be
>> >> located.
>> >>
>> >> Ideas and suggestions?
>> >>
>> >> At this moment I am working on a domain where there is only 1 DC,
>> >> running
>> >> Windows 2008 Standard and 7 clients (4 XPs, 3 Vistas). The DC is the
>> >> DNS
>> >> server.
>> >>
>> >> Sing Chung
>> >>
>>