Hi,

I am a newbie in regard to Server installations, but am very knowlegable in general about other aspects of system setup, computing etc. I am having a real issue though with trying to get my clients to connect to the server. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

I have SBS 2003 Prem installed and running on a Dell SC1420. It installed without a problem.

I have 2 NIC cards. One internal and one in a PCI slot. Both are Intel Pro 10/100/1000 MT NIC cards, and both seem to be working fine upon inspection via SBS 2003

The first NIC is for internet connectivity, and is connected via a Cable modem, into a Linksys Router (Broadband Router w/ 2 phone ports for Vonage). Then it hooks into NIC1. The Linksys router is setup w/ DHCP. This must be working OK, since i get Inet connectivity, and i am here typing this to you on a browser open in SBS.

The problem i am having is with the LAN. I have the second NIC as my Local Server connection. It was assigned an IP by SBS of 192.168.16.2. In the properties of that NIC card (in TCP/IP), it has that IP address as its static address and also as the Primary DNS Server.

When i ping that IP address in the commpand prompt of SBS, i get immediate replies.

DHCP is running and active on that IP address. It says DHCP is running, and has an active address pool for distribution (192.168.16.1-192.168.16.254), and has available leases from .10-.20. In DHCP ist says the Router is at 192.168.16.2, as well as DNS Servers, and WINS/NBNS Servers. Node is )x8. Domain name is ABC.local (abc is changed from real name).

I tried to ping 192.168.16.10 or .11 to check, i get replies from .10 but timeouts from .11. If i look in the Address Leases of DHCP, 192.168.16.10 has a different icon (computer icon) and different name vs. others (like 0011502575c5.ABC.local) all the others (Ip's .11 through .20 have an icon that looks like a computer and a teleephone, and has the same name - ABCdellsrv01.ABC.local.

I have also setup 1 user account, and one computer account as per the SBS User setup wizard. When i go back into Manage Users, i see my account there (along with Admin and Guest). When i go into Manage Client computers, i see the computer i added PLUS another computer which is my username with 01 appended to it. Both have same attributes as Workstation or Server. The name of the Computer i added is the same name as the Win XP client i am trying to get connected.

I have an ethernet wire running from NIC 2 to the WAN port on the back of my Belkin Pre-N router. I have 1 Win XP client plugged in via ethernet to the LAN 1 port on the router to test with.

The routers address is 192.168.2.1. I have DHCP disabled on the router (as SBS requested to do so in installation). No other options are changed in router (dynamic IP, firewall, security, etc.).

The router does work, as it was a few minutes ago when the network was DHCP enabled and running from Cable modem to Linksys Router to Belkin Router to Clients in a peer-to-peer arrangement outside of SBS.

Back to this config w/ SBS, when i go to the client, i get no response at all on IE. The status of that TCP/IP line is DHCP enabled (i assume that SBS will provide the IP addresses). Strange, but i also now cannot reach the Router (Belkin) admin page (i could under peer-to-peer and will be able to if i go back and hard code the IP address before i turn DHCP back on) even keying in it's IP address (192.168.2.1). When i ping the router, or SBS (192.168.16.2), i get Destination Host is Unreachable as an error.

Clearly i've missed something here. PLEASE HELP, as i've spent 3 days testing different configs, bought an SBS book from Microsoft which didnt tell me anthing i didnt already either know or have tried, and this is very frustrating and time consuming.

Thanks for you help,

Steve W.

Your network should be configed as such...

Internet -> Linksys Router -> SBS2003 Internet NIC -> SBS2003 LAN NIC -> Switch -> Lan Computers

DHCP should not be run on any router appliance. Enable DHCP on the SBS2003 LAN NIC for the LAN. SBS2003 Internet NIC should use the Linksys LAN IP as a gateway. The client computers should use the SBS2003 LAN NIC as their gateway. Also the network the SBS2003 Internet NIC should be different than the network its LAN NIC is assigned to. Finally, the only DHCP clients in your config should be the LAN computers. Both NIC's on the SBS2003 server should be static. The SBS2003 server should reference itself for a DNS server, but then within the DNS setup forwarders for internet name resolution. Clients should also be set to the SBS2003 server as their DNS server.

"It happens."

Thanks Heropsycho.

I tried what you said, and got a bit farther, but still no total luck. so if you (or anyone else) can assist further, i would be most appeciative.

I did the following:

1. Turned of DHCP in both routers
2. Put in static addresses for both NICS. Here is the ipconfig /all results:

Ethernet adapter Internet Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-43-23-52-6F
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Ethernet adapter Server Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : iSeries 1000/100/10 Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-02-55-53-3A-2D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.16.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.16.2

3. Insured DHCP is running on the TCP/IP address of the LAN NIC. It says RUNNING in DHCP and ACTIVE on Scope- "Scope [192.168.16.0) SBS Scope"

4. Took note of each router IP address (Internet NIC) 192.168.15.1, and (LAN) 192.168.2.1.

When i first made the changes (pre-boot to client), IE worked on SBS and the client and I was able to key "http://192.168.16.2" on client, and get to SBS page. Tried to click on "Netowrk Connection Wizard", got to next page, clikced on only option, clicked on install activeX control, and then it says the wizard will continue, but no reposnse. So i figured, let me boot XP Pro and start from fresh.

Then i booted the client again, and now i cant get anything on it. Pinging shows no response (Host not reachable).

I went into the client and changed its IP address to 192.168.2.2 on NIC and made the default gateway the router's ip address (192.168.2.1). I was able to get to the Belkin Router admin page, the Linksys (inet) router admin page connected to cable modem, and to SBS2003 main page (192.168.16.2), but no where else on inet. The LAN (Belkin) router home page said it HAD a connection (I was surprised).

On the summary page, it said:

Router IP address 192.168.2.1
WAN IP address: 192.168.16.10
Default Gateway: 192.168.16.2
DNS Address: 192.168.16.2

So, the router see's SBS connection. If DHCP is enabled on SBS to 192.168.16.2, then why cant the clients pick up an IP address from SBS when they boot up? DHCP is disabled on the router.

Last, now when i try to go to http://companyweb, (either on SBS, or clicking on option via SBS web page on client) it says it cant find it. Yet, the Inet is up and running. It was able to find it about 10 min ago before i rebooted Server.

I also had some questions on your instructions:

1)You said the NETWORK on the SBS internet NIC should be different then the NETWORK the LAN NIC is assigned to. What do you mean different network?
2)You said the SBS2003 server should reference itself for DNS. Where do you set that up? You said within DNS, setup forwarders for inet name resolution. I went into DNS, saw forward and reverse lookup zones - which one to use, if not both, or if thats wrong, where?

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks again for your help. Really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Steve W.

Why are you using two routers?

"If that [soiled bed] sheet is a [holy] manifestation, then I'm working on a miracle in my Jockey's!"

I am using two routers because i HAVE two routers. Was using the Linksys becuase i have to with Vonage, and the Belkin to allow wireless to other clients who have access on peero-to-peer network.

Wanted to use it for SBS LAN network. Belkin Router (Pre-N) can be switched into an access point, but thought Router, with DHCP disabled, would do the trick. I dont have a standalone switch.

Thanks for your help again. If im missing any info, let me know.

Thanks,

Steve W.

Yeah, I'd switch it to an access point/switch.

"If that [soiled bed] sheet is a [holy] manifestation, then I'm working on a miracle in my Jockey's!"

ok i have linksys routers i have 2 routers connected and a 8-port workgroup switch and i have vonage phone system so if you want to get on the phone i tell you how to set it up the right way ..for the time being just connect your linksys router with the vonage phone system then will go from there to hook every thing else up.. on that router clear all static settings click save return to same page set DHCP to atomatic figurations this will get you on line for the time being to you get ahold of me meet me on yahoo messenger ill give sreen name at the end of this message..once you set those settings i told you to do make sure you click on save at bottom of page for each setting yopu do.. then completely unplug the power cord from the router and the cable modem wait 5 minutes plug the power cord back in on the router wait 5 minutes then plug your power cord back in on the cable modem wait 5 minutes to make its atomatic settings before get on line..AND MAKE SURE YOUR COMPUTER IS SHUT DOWN BEFORE YOU UNPLUG YOUR ROUTER AND MODEM OR NIC CARD WONT SET RIGHT YOU'LL HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN.....ILL BE WAITING THERE FOR YOU AT YAHOO HERE IS MY SCREEN NAME ( ACE_69_63 )