Windows 2003 Server Network problem

[cygan]

Hi all. I have recently installed win 2003 sbs premium on one of the servers at my client's place which is a mix of win 98, win XPhome/pro and 3 machines running win 2k serverwin 2000 server. I have a DHCP server running on one of the machines assigning IP addresses from 192.168.0.120 thro' 192.168.0.140. There are about 40 machines which have been manually assigned ip addresses. All machines have been configured for a workgroup say"ABC". Ima facing 2 distinct problems. The first one is that Win 2k3 server has been designed to operate in a domain.therefore it is not allowing to assign a workgroup. I had to therefore assign a domain abc.local. Can anyone tell me how to configure it for a workgroup.?

Secondly, whenever I connect the 2003 machine on the network a strange thing happens. I can see only about 7-10 computers on the network in the win2003 machine.The 3 win2k servers can be seen. The balance are a mix of win98 and winXP machines. I can access the 3 servers, but I cannot access some of the machines seen . Can help me with this: why all machines are not visible and how to get around this?

I have even stopped the DHCP & DNS services on the win2003 machine but to no avail.
Does this have something to do with Active Directory? I dont know what components of the Active directory have been installed by default, but I haven't tampered with the Active Directory settings.

Please help. It is very urgent.

 

[bunker]

I have no experience with small business server but I can tell you that I've put many server 2k3 boxes in a workgroup without any issues.

 

[cygan]

I tried so but win2k3 does not allow me to specify any workgroup. It requires a domain. I even contacted Microsoft, but they say that you have to configure win2k3 with a domain. Can you explain how you have specified the workgroup. WhenI try changing from domain to workgroup, the option is inactive.

 

[stash]

Your post is very hard to follow. Are you trying to join a vanilla (not SBS) 2003 server to a workgroup? First, why? Second, this should work fine.

You can't put an SBS2003 server in a workgroup, so if that's what you're trying to do, it will fail. I don't know if the option gets greyed out, but if you do manage to get it into a workgroup, the machine will shut itself down after a few days.

 

[cygan]

Dear Stash,

It is a win 2003 SBS. Even the Microsoft people told me that: that the server shall shut down after a few days if assigned to a workgroup. Why is that so?
I am doing the same because all the 65 pcs are configured for a workgroup. i am not sure whether other machines will be able to access the server unless the server is assigned to a workgroup. XP can access different work groups under Microsoft windows network, but win98 machines cannot do so, so I think. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Please let me know, whether my win98 and xp clients can access the server if they are configured for a workgroup, and my server has to be necessarily configured for a domain. Is there any simple way out?

 

[RebateMonger]

SBS client PCs don't have to be joined to the Domain to make use of SBS's resources. You might need to install Microsoft's AD client for Windows 98 to make use of some services, but that's simple and free.

The preferred configuration is for the SBS Server to be your Root Domain Controller (and, in fact, it demands it). You then join your other Servers to the SBS Domain as member servers (USING THE WIZARD IN SBS!). You can make them DCs if you wish, but may not want to.

Life is easiest if SBS is the DNS, DHCP and WINS Server for the Domain. That way, you only have to monitor one box for all your critical networking functions. And SBS Monitoring will keep tabs on it all for you and sends you an email if there are problems.

 

[cygan]

Thanx RM, but pls. let me know one thing. When I connect the sbs on the network, only 7-8 clients are visible in the network of the Sbs..The 3 win2k servers can be seen. The balance are a mix of win98 and winXP machines. I can access the 3 servers, but I cannot access some of the machines seen . Can help me with this: why all machines are not visible and how to get around this?

I have even stopped the DHCP & DNS services on the win2003 machine but to no avail.
Does this have something to do with Active Directory? I dont know what components of the Active directory have been installed by default, but I haven't tampered with the Active Directory settings.

 

[LOFBenson]

Join the other 60 machines to the domain. If you didn't want a domain you shouldn't have rolled out SBS. The reason you arn't able to see other nodes in network places is that SBS is probably competing with another master browser on your network. I'm surprised you got a 60 node workgroup, including window 98, running w/o having these problems earlier w/o a WINS server.

 

[bunker]

Originally posted by: stash
Your post is very hard to follow. Are you trying to join a vanilla (not SBS) 2003 server to a workgroup? First, why? Second, this should work fine.

You can't put an SBS2003 server in a workgroup, so if that's what you're trying to do, it will fail. I don't know if the option gets greyed out, but if you do manage to get it into a workgroup, the machine will shut itself down after a few days.

This is why I had no clue, never touched sbs.

To answer the bolded part, since you're not sure why you would put 2k3 in a workgroup, I did it for our web servers in the DMZ since there is no domain out there for them to join. 2k3 web edition does not allow you to run it as a DC.

 

[kevnich2]

Why would you put SBS 2003 on a 65 computer network configured in workstation mode?? Anything over 10, put on a domain. Managing that thing would be next to impossible. And yes, it's SBS causing your issues. If you don't want a domain (with that many I can't see any reason not to) remove the sbs server from the picture. My recommendation is just to join all computers to the sbs 2003 server in a domain and things will drastically improve.

 

[stash]

It is a win 2003 SBS. Even the Microsoft people told me that: that the server shall shut down after a few days if assigned to a workgroup. Why is that so?

Because it is a violation of the license. SBS is designed for a very specific purpose, and if you can't work within the SBS license, SBS is not for you.

I have even stopped the DHCP & DNS services on the win2003 machine but to no avail.

You really don't want to do that, especially DNS.

 

[RebateMonger]

I have a question...related to the O.P.'s.

I have to admit to never having put a Windows 98 computer on a Server 2003 network. (I don't intend to, either....). But what DOES the DSClient do? I understand it makes Windows 98 Active-Directory-aware. Some things it allows include searching AD, changing passwords on the DC, and participating in DFS?

Would somebody mind telling me what effect DSClient (on the Win98 boxes) would have on the O.P.'s network? What can he do with his Win98 clients that he can't do without DSClient installed.

Thanks for any insight. I'm guessing I ought to spend a little time in a Virtual PC Windows 98 window and play with DSClient, too.

 

[spikespiegal]

If you didn't want a domain you shouldn't have rolled out SBS

Best post in this thread.