networking help

[Banko]

First Off I know nothing about Networking! I'm just a dumb webdesigner, who happened to get one too many requests for a local webhosting provider.

I have 3 fresh installations of Windows 2003 Enterprise Server, 4 work station computers, and 2 static ip addresses.

I was told to setup as follows but dont know how:

Computer Names
------------------------------------
NS1.mydomain.com -- Primary DNS for websites & local Internet through NAT
(internal ip: 192.168.0.1)
(external ip: 142.165.239.13)

NS2.mydomain.com -- Secondary DNS for websites & local internet through NAT
(internal ip: 192.168.0.2)
(external ip: 142.165.239.14

DC1.mydomain.com -- Domain Controller / DCHP Server
(internal ip: 192.168.0.254)

Can someone please walk me through doing this on the 3 fresh systems, and of course when and how to install PLESK on the DNS(s)?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Ryan11433]

Plesk is unsupported on domain controller.

 

[Banko]

Where in my entire post did i say i wanted PLESK on my domain controller? I want it on ns1, then ns2 will backup ns1

 

[Ryan11433]

DC1.mydomain.com -- Domain Controller / DCHP Server
(internal ip: 192.168.0.254)

if I were thinking wrong I can set up your 3 server for $100.00 and setting up DNS.

To remind you I am not a SW-Soft's employee.

 

[Banko]

Thanks for the offer, but the reason why I came to the forums was to learn how to do it. However, just a few hours ago I finally came got almost everything working that i wanted, and i came back to post the answer to all those wishing to setup their own network.


Server 1 Setup:
----------------------

This is the domain controller for your network, for managing computers and services. It will not be hosting PLESK.

* This computer will require only one network card.
Please connect it to a hub with nothing else going into the hub
* Set the ip address to 192.168.0.254
* Set the mask to 255.255.255.0
* Other fields blank for now
* If you have other network cards disable them before going on.

* Click Start -->Administrative Tools -->Configure Your Server Wizard.
* Fill in your domain name then click next twice.
This will set the computer up as the following:
domain controller / DNS / DHCP with your static IP being 192.168.0.254

Finish the wizard it will take awhile so be patient.
Restart the computer when prompted

* Connect your second server with Windows 2003 to the hub
* This will be your primary DNS for internet and websites hosted by PLESK
* This computer requires two network cards.
*The second network card should be connected to the modem (or a second hub if you are going to have more than one static ip address such as a secondary dns server ns2.yourdomain.com)
* Open Network Connections and rename the cards to something distinctive.
* Setup the second card with your static ip information that will host the sites.
* Setup the first card for auto detect for now.
* click start --> Right Click My Computer and hit properties then click on the computer name tab.
* Click the change button and name your computer NS1 and put it on the domain you just setup
*You will be prompted for the administrator password from the domain controller.
*Click OK it will make you restart
* Install PLESK prerequisits AND NOTHING ELSE (DNS is optional as PLESK comes with BIND)
*Install PLESK then restart your computer.
*Go back to your domain controller now and open DHCP under Administrator Tools
* Add the your new server into the services and give it the ip address 192.168.0.1
*Go back to your NS1 Server and change your local network card to:
ip: 192.168.0.1
mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway : blank
DNS: Your Static IP address from your other card for hosting sites
* Click on routing and remote access under administrator tools
* Click configure and enable routing and remote access
I only installed NAT, as i dont know what PLESK conflicts with but im sure the members here can tell you of any conflicts if you want any of the other options.
* After the wizard go back the domain controller and add 192.168.0.1 to its secondary dns for its network card.
You should now have internet on your domain controller or any other computer you add to the hub.
* you can go back to the ns1 computer and configure PLESK the way you like now as everything should be up and running

*As for setting up the secondary DNS Server NS2 I am about to do that right now. I am going to try running through the same steps for NAT and adding to the network, so all the computers on the network can use ns1 and ns2 for their dns servers for internet. You dont need to install plesk on this server. I will post my results here when im finished the ns2 server but i recommend asking questions here for best practices.

My objective was to have 2 DNS servers providing internet to my local computers and hosting the websites. This method keeps my domain controller off the internet (I removed the reference in the network card to my name servers and put 192.168.0.254 referring the computer to itself, as i dont actually want internet access on the domain controller) All other computers can have access but i dont want that one too.

The way i set it up the jobs are pretty much balanced between all the servers to aviod overload (I THINK?) Experts please add things that people should add to their networks and point out any errors i have made if any.

-------
| Modem |
-------
|
|
-------
| Hub |
-------
| \
| \
|NS1| |NS2| |DC1| |WS1| |WS2|
\ \ / / /
\ \ / / /
-----------------------------
| Hub2 |
-----------------------------

 

[Ryan11433]

my server were setup that way already but every few days the internet ip doesnt automatically renew ip because of 2 dns ip from internet and locally

 

[Banko]

dont actually understand ? have your reserved an ip address specifically for the computer so that does not happen?

In case you have not just open up the DHCP and if you want to make regular computer reservations just click actions then make reservation and goto the computer and give it the static ip information you setup for it.

If its for a server, just right click the server option and let it know what functions the server is offering and agian go back to the computer and put the ip information taht you reserved for it

 

[Ryan11433]

nevermind

 

[JackL]

Banko

Also it seems your configuration works it is not what Microsoft said to be "best practice":
1. One DC is not fault tolerant configuration -- "There must be at least two DC per domain"
2. Name servers for name resolution to work must be located in different subnets -- see http://iana.org
3. Any intruder has got access to your Plesk server will get access to your DC - "Web servers must be located in DMZ"

John S.G.