Ok so from my cable modem I have a router which has my DHCP on it and obviously my ISP DNS and etc then it assigns adresses to my local network comps and uses the ISP DNS to resolve well that my idea.

So I put server 2008 on my network and I created a domain. However I turned DNS off and Do not have DHCP. Only because in the past i am an ameture and cant config it right. So i added one of my workstations to the domain and restarted liek it asked however the login took about 15 mins. Now I understand that this was the frst time i logged in but ................... I had this problem before everytime I go to log in to my domain it takes 10 min

The specs on my server
Dual Xeon
running 100 Mbps network
only AD & it is a domain controller

So I thought about it and have heard before that if i didnt have a DNS setup on it i couldnt even log into the domain but in fact it did login so i guess what im asking is

in the end i want my server to do everything and i want to get rid of my wireless router well turn into just a wireless AP so i dont lose wireless.

What if i enable DHCP on my server turn it off on the router. Then within my DHCP i will say point to this server for DNS and within my DNS server i can create a forwarder so anything that cant be resolved i will have pointing at my ISP DNS does all this sound logical or anyone have some ideas? Is the computer just because of the specs always gonna have clients login slow? Also 2Gb memory

At my school we setup a small network well the teacher did and we log in to his domain that he creates within the class room and seems to go pretty quick. So he doesn't have no massive server or switches so what is hanging up mine?

Learning in progress..........

You got it right.
You need DNS on your server to run properly.
You can install and configure DHCP too at the server and then it's a must to turn off DHCP at your router.

Well am i going to need a direct connection from cable modem to win2008 box in order for DHCP server to get ISP credentials correct? as for the real IP the ISP DNS? or can i go from cable modem to router with DHCP shut off the my server will somehow pick up isp real ip ISP dns E.T.C.?

Then the way I have it now is that router is DHCP but clients can still login to domain but it takes a long time lol which is what im trying to solve. Can you explain the concept of why the login to the domain takes so long? It has to do with something with my domain not having a dns correct? Also do i need to integrate AD with DNS to run faster or smoother or what is going to be the advantage?

Learning in progress..........

See this link to understand, why you need DNS service for Active Directory.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...

Your modem/router has to act as an DHCP client to get the IP Address and DNS server information of the provider.
So the router has the public IP and will route the traffic from and through the internet.

Your server, when running DHCP service and DNS service, will deliver the informations like standard gateway and DNS server to the client machines.

So all clients should use the windows server as the standard gateway and dns server.
If a client will surf the internet, it asks your server where to find e.g. www.google.com.
Your server will try to get it locally. If it is not found, it uses it's standard gateway, which is the routers IP address, to forward the traffic.

So my clients computers gateway will be the servers

the server gateway will use
"which is the routers IP address, to forward the traffic"

I thought im trying to get rid of my router :) so then what will the gatewya be for the server? is it just my cable modems ip address?

Also will have have to direct connect my server to the cable modem for it to get all the information needed to get out to the ISP or by it haveing DHCP will it notice info coming from cable modem and use it? Little confused so questions might look messed up. I want from cable modem to server then server have dhcp and lease ip to clients then if client searches www.yahoo.com then it will go throuigh server to cable modem and E.T.C.

right now my router is connected via wan port to cable modem this ensures it can route traffic out of my house. now can i accomplish the same thing without router and having cable modem connected to switch then from switch it will goto server? Really how is the cable modem gonna know where to send the WAN information like to the server which will do the work

Learning in progress..........

If your cable modem is really only a modem, it's working like a bridge. So the whole traffic and infos are forwarded to the server.
It's just like right now. The modem is forwarding all the infos to the router.
So when you connect the modem directly to your server, it will forward everyting to your server.
BTW: Your server must have 2 network cards to get this to work.
Also you need to configure your server to authenticate at your ISP, if you have to authenticate.
This happens mostly on DSL connections.

So I would suggest one network card connected to the switch accessable to the clients and the other network card connected directly to the modem.
Make sure, that you have installed and configured a Firewall and Anti-Virus software at the server, because Microsoft Servers are often be hacked or infected or both.

"So when you connect the modem directly to your server, it will forward everyting to your server."

So here you are saying that I do have to direct connect it? I cant come from cable modem to switch and then just happen to have my server 2008 connected to the switch? And it will notice my ISP ip and DNS and E.T.C.? which is what i thought cause how is the cable modem going to know where to send the data coming from ISP.

"Also you need to configure your server to authenticate at your ISP, if you have to authenticate."

Why would I need to authtenticate to my ISP? Im just learning here at home? I'm not going to be construting a forest or nothing.. Well I take that back im going to have a forest but it will be internal

"So I would suggest one network card connected to the switch accessable to the clients and the other network card connected directly to the modem."

Right the cable modem coming into one network card. Then on the second have my dhcp running on it so clients get a lease or ip or however you want to word it?

Make sure, that you have installed and configured a Firewall and Anti-Virus software at the server, because Microsoft Servers are often be hacked or infected or both.

So windows firewall is not enough? What freeare firewall do you know of that can do the job? Can I install it right on the server? As opposed to a seperate box in between modem and server? Cause i know there is a linux distro IPCop that can do this but I'm not at that leavel yet

Learning in progress..........

BTW thank you for all the help and support you are giving me

Learning in progress..........

-----------
"Also you need to configure your server to authenticate at your ISP, if you have to authenticate."

Why would I need to authtenticate to my ISP? Im just learning here at home? I'm not going to be construting a forest or nothing.. Well I take that back im going to have a forest but it will be internal
-----------
If you plan to have internet access for the clients, your server, that is acting as a router, has to authenticate to your ISP except you got a fixed IP form the ISP.
-----

---
So here you are saying that I do have to direct connect it? I cant come from cable modem to switch and then just happen to have my server 2008 connected to the switch?
---
You can do this, but the question is why doing that?
If the modem is connected directly to the servers nic, all clients and also all connections from the internet to your network must pass the server and in addition the servers firewall.
So you get the control on what happens to your network.

Is the windows firewall really a firewall?
I thing it isn't !!!
There are several free firewalls available at the internet.
E.g.:
PCTOOLS offers a free and easy to use firewall. It's ok for beginners in firewalling.

Another is ZoneAlarm, which is more comprehensive and you need more knowledge about firewalling.

Or you can still google for "free personal firewall" by yourself.

If you plan to have internet access for the clients, your server, that is acting as a router, has to authenticate to your ISP except you got a fixed IP form the ISP.

Well with this said if i have a cable modem as opposed to DSL that needs to be authtenticated i should be ok?

Learning in progress..........

You can take a look at the routers configuration, to figure out, which informations you need, to configure your servers internet connection properly.

You can take a look at the routers configuration, to figure out, which informations you need, to configure your servers internet connection properly

Well this in my mind would be a temporary solution
reason: I want to keep the IP coming fomr my ISP dynamics correct? Say the ISP changes my IP then I would have to update my server? to reflect those changes?

Learning in progress..........

I meant, you can take a look at the routers configuration to get the informations to authenticate correctly at your ISP.

The dynamic IP will alway be send to the device (router, server) that correctly authenticates.

Your ISP should have sended a letter to you with all the information you need to authenticate and use your internet connection.
So all infos you need will also be written down there.