Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

[cferns1]

Hi,

Im not sure if I put this in the right section or not but hey this is to do with Networking.

I am trying to set up a small home server using my dad's old HP G70 (im 16 by the way), and have installed Windows Server 2012 Datacenter on it and made a local domain named "HOMEGROUP.local" and promoted that to a domain controller.

The problem I am facing is connecting client computers to the domain. When I type "HOMEGROUP" into the domain section of Computer Properties on my Windows 7 laptop it comes up with a prompt to log in and when I type in all of the right details it waits a bit then tells me that there was a problem connecting to the DNS server.

Is this because the laptop is Windows 7? I thought I made the forest functional level to be Windows Server 2008, which is Windows 7, surely? And if it wasn't compatible wouldnt it come up with "Unable to communicate with the server's AD DS", instead of prompting me to log into the server?

Sorry if I appear stupid to some of the people here, this is my first time doing anything with networking and would love the experience to apply it to when I get a job.

On a small side note I have a WD MyCloud NAS thats connected to my home network. Could I use that to store things like Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirects?

Thanks for your time!

Cameron

[manikyath]

if its for home use only, just set up a samba share (right click a folder -> share) with some basic permissions.

 

the whole domain stuff REALLY isnt worth the work if its not at least at small-medium company level.

[unijab]

you have to set the client to use the DC as it's DNS server to join the domain

[cferns1]

you have to set the client to use the DC as it's DNS server to join the domain

How do I do that?

 

Is it in the DNS Application?

Thanks!

[dalekphalm]

Hi,

Im not sure if I put this in the right section or not but hey this is to do with Networking.

I am trying to set up a small home server using my dad's old HP G70 (im 16 by the way), and have installed Windows Server 2012 Datacenter on it and made a local domain named "HOMEGROUP.local" and promoted that to a domain controller.

The problem I am facing is connecting client computers to the domain. When I type "HOMEGROUP" into the domain section of Computer Properties on my Windows 7 laptop it comes up with a prompt to log in and when I type in all of the right details it waits a bit then tells me that there was a problem connecting to the DNS server.

Is this because the laptop is Windows 7? I thought I made the forest functional level to be Windows Server 2008, which is Windows 7, surely? And if it wasn't compatible wouldnt it come up with "Unable to communicate with the server's AD DS", instead of prompting me to log into the server?

Sorry if I appear stupid to some of the people here, this is my first time doing anything with networking and would love the experience to apply it to when I get a job.

On a small side note I have a WD MyCloud NAS thats connected to my home network. Could I use that to store things like Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirects?

Thanks for your time!

Cameron

I would try typing "homegroup.local". I know that with our Domains at work, we occasionally have to type the full domain name rather than the alias.

 

 

you have to set the client to use the DC as it's DNS server to join the domain

@unijab may also be right. You should create a DNS server on the same box as the AD Controller (Add the DNS role, if it's not already added). Then manually set the AD Controller's IP Address as a DNS Server for any computers you want to join. I'm not sure if this is strictly required or not. We use a 100% static IP Address system at work, so we always set the DNS Server anyway, since we don't have a DHCP server.

[cferns1]

Thank you dalekphalm I will try all of these things. The DNS and AD DS are both on the same machine because I am limited to one because there are no other spare machines, and I havent got a job yet. I have tried putting "HOMEGROUP.local", but it says "Unable to communicate with the servers AD DS"

 

Should I use the OpenDNS or the Google DNS to change the static IP to or does it not matter?

 

Thanks again

[leadeater]

Thank you dalekphalm I will try all of these things. The DNS and AD DS are both on the same machine because I am limited to one because there are no other spare machines, and I havent got a job yet. I have tried putting "HOMEGROUP.local", but it says "Unable to communicate with the servers AD DS"

 

Should I use the OpenDNS or the Google DNS to change the static IP to or does it not matter?

 

Thanks again

 

Your Windows 7 computer needs the DNS server IP Address set to the Domain Controller IP Address. See below, 192.168.10.1 being my DC and DNS server.

 

[BSpendlove]

Windows 7, right click on network at bottom right:

 

-> Open Network and Sharing Center -> Change Adapter Settings -> Right Click -> Properties -> Internet Protocol Version 4 -> Use Following IP Address...

 

 

Input preferred IP address, default gateway then as leadeater said, set DNS server ( shown in picture)

 

Spoiler

 

Also, when I join a client to a Domain, I just write: DOMAINNAME instead of DOMAINNAME.local

[Blake]

Hi,

Im not sure if I put this in the right section or not but hey this is to do with Networking.

I am trying to set up a small home server using my dad's old HP G70 (im 16 by the way), and have installed Windows Server 2012 Datacenter on it and made a local domain named "HOMEGROUP.local" and promoted that to a domain controller.

The problem I am facing is connecting client computers to the domain. When I type "HOMEGROUP" into the domain section of Computer Properties on my Windows 7 laptop it comes up with a prompt to log in and when I type in all of the right details it waits a bit then tells me that there was a problem connecting to the DNS server.

Is this because the laptop is Windows 7? I thought I made the forest functional level to be Windows Server 2008, which is Windows 7, surely? And if it wasn't compatible wouldnt it come up with "Unable to communicate with the server's AD DS", instead of prompting me to log into the server?

Sorry if I appear stupid to some of the people here, this is my first time doing anything with networking and would love the experience to apply it to when I get a job.

On a small side note I have a WD MyCloud NAS thats connected to my home network. Could I use that to store things like Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirects?

Thanks for your time!

Cameron

1. make sure you have a static IP on the server.

2. install DHCP on the server, disable dhcp on you router.

3. configure dhcp to make your DC the primary DNS server on all networks. make your dc the authoritative dhcp server.

4. run ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew on all clients. If you have any clients that you manually configured the DNS on, just clear that setting.

5. make sure you can ping the ip and the FQDN (i.e. if the server is called server and the domain is called domain, and the tld is local, ping server.domain.local) of the DC.

6. join them with a domain admin's credentials.

[cferns1]

Thanks guys its working now, thought I put a comment on earlier!!

Also, is there any way I can configure my WD MyCloud on the server as a user store?

Thanks again!

[baxtmann]

can you remote desktop over the network into the server? cause if you cant, it could be a networking error.

[cferns1]

can you remote desktop over the network into the server? cause if you cant, it could be a networking error.

Yes I can, at one point though it came up with the little yellow error symbol next to the ethernet, but I could still remote desktop to it.

Thanks anyway

[Blake]

Thanks guys its working now, thought I put a comment on earlier!!

Also, is there any way I can configure my WD MyCloud on the server as a user store?

Thanks again!

Yes, you should be able to set roaming profiles as \\MyCloud\share\%username%

[cferns1]

Yes, you should be able to set roaming profiles as \\MyCloud\share\%username%

Ok thanks will try that when I start the server back up again!!