desperately needed help with Windows 2003 Server

[edhan]

Hi

Found myself stuck in this strange problem.

Setup the Windows 2003 Server and having 4 other computers as workstations. Windows 2003 Server is setup as a File Server to do sharing for the 4 workstations. The Server is connected to a Giga Switch and a Router for Internet. It is setup as Active Directory and File Server but having the DNS & DHCP removed since I am using the router as the DHCP. This Server is setup with a static IP Address: 192.168.1.2 whereas the router IP Address is: 192.168.1.1 and the rest of the workstations are ending with 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The problem I am currently facing is that the Server is unable to ping any of the workstations. But all the workstations can ping to each others except the Server. Also, the Server is unable to access Internet but able to do the Windows Security Update (icon appearing at the right hand bottom corner taskbar).

When the workstations (XP Pro, Home and Windows 98) are configured ONLY as TCP/IP, unable to find the Server. But when enabling the IPX/SPX/NetBios, under Network Places, I will be able to see the Domain to login. But this seems to be unstable as it can simply get disconnected while doing file sharing or amending a file.

I sincerely hope anyone can shed some light how I can resolve this problem without the need of re-installation of the Server.

Regards
Edward

[prplhaz999]

You need to have Dns on if you desire to connect to the internet and to ping other pc's using hostnames. Try pinging the clients by their IP address. If this does not work, you may have other issues to worry about as well. Active Directory should not be working at all, this is because active directory will not work without dns.

[edhan]

Originally Posted by prplhaz999

You need to have Dns on if you desire to connect to the internet and to ping other pc's using hostnames. Try pinging the clients by their IP address. If this does not work, you may have other issues to worry about as well. Active Directory should not be working at all, this is because active directory will not work without dns.

Thank you for your explanation. I have installed the DNS but still unable to ping. Only activating the IPX/SPX/Netbios, I will be able to view Server from workstations but still unable to ping.

I am really confused.

[sp_100]

If you need Active Directory, kill DHCP on your router and install and properly configure DHCP, DNS and AD on your server, and let it assign IP addresses to your stations. In this case clients will be getting all the necessary information (IP, DNS, router, etc.) from the DHCP Server.

If you do NOT need AD, remove all the Server “roles” from the 2003 box, and either set all computers (incl. the server) to get IPs from your router (router DHCP enabled), or assign them static IPs.

Reboot few billion times, and you should be OK.

Hope this helps.

[wildfiction]

I have a similar problem. My recent new installation of windows server 2003 cannot ping the router. Other computers on the network (XP machines) can ping the router and use the internet etc.

I've disabled the DHCP and DNS server services on the server 2003 machine but other server functions are still running.

What appears interesting is that I'm guessing that the server gets an initial response (during boot) from the router because it has a correctly assinged Default Gateway value and DNS Server values.

Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.