Proper DNS Settings for Windows Server Running DNS Server

Situation:

Erratic behavior when trying to access the internet or active directory items.

Problem:

You may have put your ISP DNS addresses in your TCPIP DNS settings on the server.

Solution:

On your server, you should only have 127.0.0.1 in your TCP/IP DNS properties.  You add the ISP DNS numbers in the forwarders tab in the DNS MMC snap-in and also delete the root hints for the "." zone.  That is well documented on Microsoft's site.  Go to a cmd prompt and run nslookup.  Enter a workstation name.  ie. station1.  It should resolve.  Next, try an internet site that you can't reach.  If it resolves, you don't have a DNS problem.  In this case, you need to lower the MTU settings on your server.

See this Microsoft Article ID 900926 and look at Method 3 for an explanation of how to change the MTU for a particular network card.  You can also look at my other page on how to use ping to determine the correct MTU size.

Last updated December 12, 2006.

Jeff Borders