Yes, you need to disable DHCP on the router before you enable it on SBS.

Best wishes,
John Pattison

Thank you for this. I am not well versed in SBS 2008 at all, and I have what maybe a simple question.

I am working with a company using SBS 2008 and a sonicwall router/firewall. The people who set up the network set up the router as the DHCP and DNS server.

I want to set up the network properly and want to use the Server as DNS and DHCP server. But every time I enable the DHCP service (on the SBS), it turns itself off–do I have to disable DHCP on the router BEFORE I enable it on the SBS?

Thank you,

dp

We are a small non-profit running a Dell Poweredge T110 (4GB memory, 2.53GHz) with Win Server Standard FE SP2, SBS 2008. We were running a n older serve with SBS 2003 that had been maintained by various people with various ideas about a network. We chose not to migrate but start fresh. We were careful to follow setup, during which we realized we bought a bulldozer to do a shovel’s job. All we need is a spot to share files, add users, add computers (14 currently) and have each worker access their client machine remotely. We use google apps for email.

I’ve researched the problems we’re having and no clear answer has come forth. I’ve gone over the list here on this blog as well.

Here’s what’s happening. We have a linksys router, at 192~.1 DHCP turned off, ports 443, 987, 3389 (we didn’t install Exchange) forwarded to our SBS server at 192~.2. The router is in gateway mode and it’s set for a static IP address.

To get the clients to connect to the new domain we had to add (ourdomain).local to the dns in the TCP/IP properties and they connected no problem. None of the clients were able to get internet access until we added the router address 192~.1 to their list of DNS servers in the TCP/IP properties. There are times when the interenet zooms along, other times pages time out and won’t load. One worker brought in her laptop and it connects just fine.

Also, the clients lose their connection to the shared folder. I’ve also noticed when I log into the server using Remote Desktop, each 30 minute session the connection drops at least once if not twice but only for a few seconds.

I suspect we have DNS issues at hand. Should the client DNS servers in the TCP/IP properties only point to the server at 192~.2? When I do that I can ping the server, and the router, but not the web. What about the server TCP/IP properties? We’ve done nothing to config DHCP other than to turn it on. The DNS properties tab is… difficult to understand. We did try to add OpenDNS server to the Name Servers window using resolver1.opendns.com. I’m also reading an article on linking DNS and DHCP, and somehow, WINS (whew!).

I can’t figure out what we are missing. Some websites go over this but I find the jargon impenetrable.

Also, if someone can throw me some links on setting up staff to access their client desktops remotely that would be incredible. Using Remote Desktop is fine. We’re not worried about security as far as someone intercepting our event flyers. The accounting machine is a stand alone.

Thanks for even reading this.

cheers

-Rudy

Unfortunately, you’re bound to create a lot of trouble for yourself if you try to work around the SBS wizards. That’s not to say it’s impossible to get SBS running without the built-in wizards, but if you do then expect to be somewhat in a constant battle with SBS, and you’re probably better off just licensing Windows Server and Exchange directly. So my advice would be to use the wizards, them reapply any customizations such as DHCP reservations etc.

John R. Pattison

The wizard then proceeds to foul the existing DHCP by shutting it down without notice on the source server. And then activating it on the destination server, but not including the DHCP exclusions apart from the destination server itself. And assigning the entire IP range for DHCP use, and assigning the destination server as the only DNS server for DHCP clients.

There must be a reason for this. Why does Microsoft feel it is necessary to deliberately hijack and sabotage an already working DHCP configuration?

Sorry, but I don’t have any specific advice for you based on the information you have provided. Yes – you will need to turn off DHCP on the Cisco and put it on the server instead. And yes – the server’s DNS should point to itself. You shouldn’t have to put the ISP’s DNS server into the equation anywhere — just let Windows Server resolve DNS using route hints like it is configured to do by default. I agree with you that you should try to work through whatever problem is causing the connectivity test to fail before you move forward.

John

There is a cisco router which is handling dhcp and external ISP dns servers. The initial “Connect to Internet” detects the router, however it cannot configure it. I already have ports passed through and the router to the server ip, but it does not detect an internet connection.

The cisco lan ip is 192.168.2.1
and the server is 192.168.2.100

If I skip the connectivity test it sets up dns starting with 127.x.x.x

Is there a workaround for this?

Am I right in assuming that the server dns should point to itself, however do I have to go into the dns mgr to manually add the isp dns?

I realize that we also need to have dhcp turned off on the cisco – which isn’t a problem.. I just want to make sure that we get the setup correct the first time around without having to go back and fiddle with settings.

Thanks,
Robert

When I use nslookup, it points to the first server with its IP.