We have an existing server running SBS2011 Standard. We've purchased a new server and it's running Windows Server 2012 R2 and I'm trying to connect to our existing domain. Every time I try it says "The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted".

However if i try a domain name that obviously doesn't exist and try to join that it responds straight away and says it failed so it's clearly communicating with something.

What do I need to do to be able to connect to the existing domain? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

Please check:

- is domain controller reachable on network (ping)

- when enter domain name, try to write full name, for example - mydomain.local  

• Proposed as answer by Gerardas 1 hour 42 minutes ago

Hi,

Please check DNS ip configuration on Windows 2012 R2. It should be ip of your primary domain controller or nearest domain controller.

-Umesh.S.K

Domain controller is reachable.

Tried the full name, sadly no luck.

Changed the DNS ip to that of the controller but sadly it still won't join.

I seem to remember being able to somehow join a domain by getting a web link from the server. Is that possible at all?

• Edited by doof205 17 hours 23 minutes ago

Can we have ipconfig /all from your DC and client machine please?

-Umesh.S.K

Domain controller:

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : SVR01
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . : mercury.local
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : mercury.local

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HP NC326i PCIe Dual Port Gigabit Server A
dapter #2
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 2C-41-38-7D-66-C9
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::28c:ee8:cbf2:393e%13(Preferred)
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::9961:17b4:ef26:ddb7%13(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.20
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::28c:ee8:cbf2:393e%13
                                       192.168.0.1
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HP NC326i PCIe Dual Port Gigabit Server A
dapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 2C-41-38-7D-66-C8
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{41547885-9A38-48D3-A420-78B0CD542B02}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{4816EDEC-E238-4C4E-9531-B876D5CDCA9F}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

• Edited by doof205 16 hours 58 minutes ago

New machine:

C:\Users\Administrator>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : SVR02
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Ethernet 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom BCM5716C NetXtreme II GigE (NDIS
 VBD Client) #35
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 84-2B-2B-73-97-B5
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom BCM5716C NetXtreme II GigE (NDIS
 VBD Client) #34
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 84-2B-2B-73-97-B4
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::fcb7:6978:be29:c87a%12(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.10(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.20
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 209988395
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1D-3E-C2-B4-84-2B-2B-73-97-B4

   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
                                       8.8.8.8
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{D3DB2F36-BB58-4A0F-9B7E-CC1DEBF97FC2}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:9d38:6ab8:1004:25f:3f57:fff5(Prefe
rred)
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::1004:25f:3f57:fff5%15(Preferred)
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 452984832
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1D-3E-C2-B4-84-2B-2B-73-97-B4

   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Bingo, got it working. Not entirely sure which combination of changes made it work but using domain.local worked! Thanks guys!

Hi doof,

Its glad that you have solved your problem. When you add a server to a domain, it needs the DNS server to resolve the domain name. If you want to learn more about how DNS works, you may refer to the following link:

How DNS works:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Cc772774(v=WS.10).aspx

Best Regards,

Anne He