2000 Server: What's the Benefit of "Server Options"

We've got a 2000 Server set up as our DC, and it seems to work ok (no major issues), but the other day I was looking around a saw "Server Options" from the DHCP Administrative Tool. There are a ton of settings to set, but I don't know what the benefit would be of setting them.

Things like Time Server (it already gives NT clients the time), Name Server (again, it's working as is), etc. Should I fill in the fields and just use the local machines IP?

Thanks for any info

These fields represent additional information that can be given to DHCP clients. DNS is usually a good one to set up as otherwsie you have to set the DNS address on all your clients which is a bit silly if you're dynamically allocating IP addresses.

However, if your clients are all fine and you're not having any problems then the first corollary of Murphy's Law applies - if it aint broke, don't fix it.

Mike

Well, part of the reason I ask, is because I just enabled a VPN on our ISA server. After making the change, the machine got a 2nd IP address. Now, all of the 9x clients in our office ping the WAN IP instead of the standard LAN IP.

I was wondering if setting one of those DHCP params would alleviate the need to put the ISA server's LAN IP in the hosts file for the legacy clients. As far as I can tell, the NT clients are fine.

Server Options is an area for global configuration, which applies to all scopes unless a specific scope over writes a certain entry.

Sounds like name resolution is incorrect ... have you checked WINS and DNS entries ? Hosts files shouldnt be used for your configuration .....

If I've understood you correctly, you're pinging your ISA server by name and the address being reported is the WAN address. Does this occur only when you establish a tunnel or immediatley after booting your 9x clients?

I would suggest you get hold of a copy of cyberkit - www.cyberkit.net -, install it on one of your 9x clients and have a nose around with nslookup to see what's happening in name resolution. Using tracert (also in cyberkit) to see what path you're using to your ISA server might help as well.

At a wild guess, I suspect you're not looking at your local DNS for initial name resolution.

Mike

I got Cyberkit, and noticed that when I stop the RRAS service, the 9x clients ping the LAN (x.x.x.2) IP instead of the x.x.x.32 IP they ping when it's running. Is RRAS listening on the wrong adapter?



Well, I was playing with the VPN from a couple of the LAN PCs, not PCs across the internet, so that may have something to do with it. It's never been connected to via an internet machine. But yes, if RRAS is running, as soon as they boot, they ping the wrong address.

Also, I forgot to add that the DC doesn't run WINS. Just something to add to the mix.

Sorry for the delay in replying, got a bit distracted.

If memory serves me, RRAS has it's own DHCP server to cater for remote access clients so I suggest that you disable this for a start and configure RRAS to use your main DHCP server to provide addresses for remote clients.

You can quickly check whether RRAS is providing addresses by seeing what addresses your main DHCP server has handed out - if it hasn't handed out the address actually being used by one of your 9x clients then you know you've got another DHCP server on the LAN. You could also use the network monitor (with a suitable filter) to have a shufty at the DHCP traffic on the LAN when you lease an address.

Mike