can't log on to domain - DNS and DHCP issue

[canada]

Our church office is running windows small business server 2003. When I attempt to log onto the domain from an XP workstation I get the following error:
"The system can not log you on now because the domain (domain name) is not available"

here's what I've tried already:
the xp workstation is added to the domain and appears in active directory
the server has a static IP address
the server is pointed to itself for DNS
the xp workstation's DNS server is set to the server's IP address
the DNS service on the server is running
I created an LMhost file on the workstation that points to the server

my network is configured like this:

internet--->dsl_modem--->airport_exterme_router--->Dlink_switch-- >windows_server

The server is the DNS server but the router is the DHCP server. I tried to use the server as the DHCP server but I could not because my internet is PPPoE and the router must be configured to distribute IP addresses. I can not turn off DHCP in the router. My DSL modem does not have a firmware interface, so I can't put the PPPoE settings in the modem instead of the router.

If I get a new modem and save the PPPoE settins in the modem, will the modem have to act as the DHCP server?

Do I have to change my internet service to a cable modem in order to use my server as the DHCP server?

If I use my server as the DHCP server instead of the router, what happens to my wireless clients who access the domain via my wireless router?

[shayward]

Silly question (and I'm not a networking genius... I've set up a few DNS servers in my test-strap) but have you tried authenticating with the user name as [email]domainuser@domain.top ??

Also, does your domain name have a . in it? If it doesn't, weird things will happen. Like if you want to call your domain LifeChurch you can't... you have to call it LifeChurch.something for it to work.

I wanted to have a domain called gw (for my old company GeneaWorks) but I had to call my domain "dev.gw" to have a . in it.

[canada]

Thanks for the reply Shaun. no, I havent tried authenticating the way you suggested. Do you mean I should log on with my username as l?

my domain is set up as domainame.local

[riafekim]

You can also login with the following

domainname\username

You can also try taking the computer out of the domain and then back into it. I've done that in the past and that resolved it.

I'd check the event viewer on the server to see if there is anything strange.

[shayward]

Do you mean I should log on with my username as l?

Exactly.

riafekim's suggestion of using Win2kDomainName\UserName is also a good one, as well as removing the computer from the domain and re-adding it.

Is that you are:

1. setting up a domain for the first time?
2. suddently having trouble with no XP machines being able to log in to a formerly-functioning domain?
3. having trouble getting a single PC to log into an already-functioning domain that is allowing other XP computers to log in?

[riafekim]

I have a couple further comments and questions (anybody feel free to correct me if I am worng, it happens every so often)...

Originally Posted by canada

my network is configured like this:

internet--->dsl_modem--->airport_exterme_router--->Dlink_switch-- >windows_server

The server is the DNS server but the router is the DHCP server. I tried to use the server as the DHCP server but I could not because my internet is PPPoE and the router must be configured to distribute IP addresses. I can not turn off DHCP in the router.

That's odd I've never seen a wireless router where you couldn't turn DHCP off. Must be an Apple thing...

Originally Posted by canada

If I get a new modem and save the PPPoE settins in the modem, will the modem have to act as the DHCP server?

Do I have to change my internet service to a cable modem in order to use my server as the DHCP server?

If I use my server as the DHCP server instead of the router, what happens to my wireless clients who access the domain via my wireless router?

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what is serving your IP Addresses as long as they are sending out the correct settings. At my church I have it setup where the wireless router is the DHCP Server and I have had no problems.

I assume the the router is pulling a public address from the modem but serving private IPs (192.168.X.X or something similar) to the internal network?

[canada]

Originally Posted by riafekim

I assume the the router is pulling a public address from the modem but serving private IPs (192.168.X.X or something similar) to the internal network?

Yes. the PPPoE connection is in the router and it serves private 192.168 Ip addresses. The modem is old and does not have a firmware console to log into and establish a connection to the internet in the modem.

Regarding the router not being able to turn off DHCP, I thought that is because the PPPoE connection is in the router. The ISP username and password are in the router. The router will allow me to turn off DHCP but only if the PPPoE connection is not in the router. That's why I'm wondering if I need to switch to a cable modem.

Shaun, to answer your question, I am setting up a new domain for the first time and trying to log on with a test workstation. I have never been able to successfull log on to the domain at this point.

[Lucas]

I got this all thetime @ my school when I was a tech there.

take your PC off the domain, restart, add it to a workgroup, restart, remove PC from workgroup, restart, then add it back to the domain useing the path DOMAIN.NAME/Administrator

Time comsuing, yes, but you get used to it

[shayward]

If it were working otherwise, I would agree with Lucas.

Are you able to log into the server using a domain account?

[shayward]

I successfully installed a DC twice using the instructions here:

http://www.petri.co.il/how_to_instal...ndows_2003.htm

It may be worth seeing if you're missing any of the steps there. Microsoft's instructions are sometimes... lacking.

[riafekim]

The Petri site is great for taking tasks MS has made confusing and making them easy to understand. Whenever I run into problems I usually end up on his site.

[canada]

Originally Posted by Lucas

take your PC off the domain, restart, add it to a workgroup, restart, remove PC from workgroup, restart, then add it back to the domain useing the path DOMAIN.NAME/Administrator

I did this (except for the part about using the path DOMAIN.NAME/Administrator - because I'm not sure how to do that) but when I try to add the workstation back to the domain I get the error "Your computer could not be joined to the domain because the specified server cannot perform the requested operation"

The workstation appears in active directory on the server though. Gee, it seems the more I try to solve this problem the worse it gets!