Anyone establish a Windows Server/AD network over wireless network ?

[compguy786]

Guys,

I am trying to establish a active directory network over my wireless. I have established a Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual server on my laptop using virtualbox. I established a domain by using dcpromo, but im still trying to make it "connect" to other machines on my network.

Anyone have any luck ? or it has to be completely wired ?

Thanks.

 

[spidey07]

Shouldn't make any difference other than the slow and unreliable nature of wireless.

 

[xSauronx]

Guys,

I am trying to establish a active directory network over my wireless. I have established a Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual server on my laptop using virtualbox. I established a domain by using dcpromo, but im still trying to make it "connect" to other machines on my network.


Thanks.

can you be more clear? if you want machines to join that domain then the DC has to be set as the first dns server for a given machine. is that virtualbox VM on your network or is it on its own network? i have not used virtualbox much but something like vmware, for example, would allow you to bridge your VM host nic to a VM guest to put it on the same LAN as the host, or would allow you to basically use NAT to give the guest access to the hosts network.

 

[Nothinman]

There's more to AD than just running dcpromo. Despite what people think, you need to have a good grasp of DNS and some basic networking to get it to work at all, let alone reliably.

 

[compguy786]

Interesting replies.

The Server is running on the same network, because it is able to see the laptop on the network, but the laptop can not see the server because i cant make it discoverable.

i will go through DNS settings and see what i can do. I know that AD is not easy work, but the only way i can start learning is by tinkering with it somehow. Now, in regards to the DNS being set, will this create a new DNS ? I can use my existing connection to run this at home ?

 

[imagoon]

Had no issue with the wireless in my building. I joined laptops via wireless fine as long as I connected and used the backup IT code to connect. Once they joined they would get their 802.1x cert, join the "real wireless network" and act like a normal wired machine. As stated above it is more likely that you are having DNS issues. IE a client can't join a domain if it doesn't talk to a DNS server that knows where it is.

 

[Nothinman]

Interesting replies.

The Server is running on the same network, because it is able to see the laptop on the network, but the laptop can not see the server because i cant make it discoverable.

i will go through DNS settings and see what i can do. I know that AD is not easy work, but the only way i can start learning is by tinkering with it somehow. Now, in regards to the DNS being set, will this create a new DNS ? I can use my existing connection to run this at home ?

The DC needs to be the DNS server configured for any client that needs to join the domain. So make sure DNS is installed, running and has the appropriate zones configured. You may want to set the DNS server on the DC to forward to your ISP's DNS servers or other public DNS servers such as those provided by Google or Level 3. If you run nslookup on the client can you resolve the DC's name and the domain itself?

 

[compguy786]

So far,

I have been able to establish the AD, and users in AD, and was able to log into them succesfully, and also have RD working now, over the network. The reason why i found out that i cant add to domain is because my laptop has home premium on it, and not enterprise, my others do however.

 

[Nothinman]

So far,

I have been able to establish the AD, and users in AD, and was able to log into them succesfully, and also have RD working now, over the network. The reason why i found out that i cant add to domain is because my laptop has home premium on it, and not enterprise, my others do however.

Ah yes, licensing is an issue you have to be cognizant of as well. Gotta make sure you may MS a little bit more if you want to use the software in a domain, whether it's for business or not.

 

[compguy786]

well,

i created a VM with enterprise on it. It is not able to talk to the domain controller either, it is able to remote in/out of the server....but not actually be added to the domain. In AD, i manually added the VM by its name....

 

[xSauronx]

well,

i created a VM with enterprise on it. It is not able to talk to the domain controller either, it is able to remote in/out of the server....but not actually be added to the domain.

how is networking set up in the VM? if it is using NAT then it is getting an address/gateway on its own network inside the VM

it should be bridged, which would make the VM network part of your regular LAN, and it should then be getting DHCP that can give it the AD server as its primary DNS server.

 

[compguy786]

how is networking set up in the VM? if it is using NAT then it is getting an address/gateway on its own network inside the VM

it should be bridged, which would make the VM network part of your regular LAN, and it should then be getting DHCP that can give it the AD server as its primary DNS server.

i think it might be NAT (that is by default)

I will try to bridge it. That should be bridged within the VM ? or externally ? i.e In host, bridge with VMware adapter etc ?

 

[xSauronx]

i think it might be NAT (that is by default)

I will try to bridge it. That should be bridged within the VM ? or externally ? i.e In host, bridge with VMware adapter etc ?

the vm host software should have an options for guest settings that will set the mode of the virtual nic in the vm guest.

ie, for vmware, in workstation/esxi you right-click the vm you want to edit, select settings, then change the settings on the nic.

you could probably just manually set the DNS setting in the guest OS to look at the AD server without having to change that, now that I think of it. just dont change other network settings other than the primary dns server.

 

[compguy786]

How an i manually change the DNS ?

 

[xSauronx]

How an i manually change the DNS ?

i am going to refer you to google on this but its a network connection/ tcp/ip setting. you can find instuctions for your OS pretty easily. you want to change DNS on your guest VM to point to the AD server.

im not sure what the purpose of you doing all of this is...but you should probably know how to change DNS settings on a pc, and you should probably get comfortable learning some things on your own.

 

[alkemyst]

Shouldn't make any difference other than the slow and unreliable nature of wireless when implemented poorly.

FTFY.

 

[compguy786]

i am going to refer you to google on this but its a network connection/ tcp/ip setting. you can find instuctions for your OS pretty easily. you want to change DNS on your guest VM to point to the AD server.

im not sure what the purpose of you doing all of this is...but you should probably know how to change DNS settings on a pc, and you should probably get comfortable learning some things on your own.

I knew how to change it all along, just needed to dig around windows a abit.

Even after i change it to something simple, it still wasnt working. I havent messed with it in a couple of weeks, but might fire it back up tonight.

Im only doing this to further learn on how the system works. You cant have knowledge on it unless you tinker around with it.

 

[soholingo]

Compguy,

Windows AD is DNS based and if you don't understand DNS you will have issues with AD.

Learn how DNS is supposed to work first, then focus on AD.

If I were in your shoes I would do this:

1. Build your DC, and make sure you include DNS in the build.
2. Point your DC's dns to itself. in other words your entry in dns can be 127.0.0.1 but I would use the servers actual ip address (123.123.123.123).
3. Play with DNS on this server, learn about root servers, cached dns entries, the different types of DNS records, etc... get comfortable with DNS and its effects.
4. Build a workstation and point that servers' DNS to your Domain controller (123.123.123.123).
5. If everything is configured correctly your workstaion should be able to be joined to the domain, and it should be able to surf the internet.
6. After you join the computer to the domain, check your dns and look up the new workstation.

I enjoy this stuff so if you have questions let me know.

Jay