IT Leadership: Installing DNS & DHCP Services

Today was not for the weak of mind and yet I managed. We continued our server installation focusing on DNS and DHCP. We did begin, however, by running the updates for Windows Server. This was a simple process. Our server booted up to the initial configuration options. It was simply a matter of turning automatic updates on (Option 2) and clicking on the Start updates button.

John and I also went back and ensured that IPv6 was turned off. We had noted on our server was choosing v6 as the default. Since we were using v4 static IP addresses, this seemed to be mandatory to our success.

Customize Roles (Option #3 - Initial Configuration Tasks)

Roles = Services. Installing the DNS is as simple as checking the DNS Services button. Although DHCP was in the same services box, we were advised to install one element at a time.

The second service we added was file sharing. We did this through the My Computer interface. On the c:\ drive we created a new folder and named it shared. Once this folder was created we right clicked on it and clicked on the Share tab. Once on this tab, we clicked the Advanced button and then checked off the Full Rights options. By checking off this option, we have given rights to all network users to read and write to this folder. The hazard is that they may also delete the contents in this folder. That is a risk we need to take.

The next service we added was the DHCP. There were several settings that were required for this service.

1. Setting the static IP Address for the server: 192.168.10.50

2. Enter parent domain: network 5769.local, preferred DNS Server: 142.66.33.100, alternate DNS: 142.66.33.101

3. Next, choose the default: WINS is not required for applications on this network.

4. Enter the DHCP Scopes:

Scope Name: J and S Workstations

Starting IP Address: 192.168.10.101

Ending IP Address: 192.168.10.253

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway: 192.168.10.254

5. Disable IP v6

6. Choose the default credentials

7. And....INSTALL.

Your DHCP can now be accessed by the Administrative Tools option on your Start Button. Changes to the DNS Scope can be made through this option as John and I discovered.

Drivers. Drivers can be frustrating for even experienced network technicians. From our install we were missing three drivers: PCI Serial Port, PCI Simple Communications Controller and the SM Bus Controller. After some Googling, we discovered that these were the three chipset drivers which could be found on the Dell Site. Link to Drivers

Our last step of the morning was to verify that our DNS and DHCP was working. We used the Knoppix (Linux based) boot CD to ping other workstations on the network. This was how we first discovered that we were having some issues with our DNS. Once that was fixed, we were able to ping and view other shared folders. Exciting!

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