How do I add clients to Windows Server 2003? Via Internet? I have a HP Procurve Switch and not sure how to add clients.
Hello,I am working for a company that has all computers hooked up to a HP Procurve Switch. I know networking and have worked on other networks. However, I've never worked with a switch before. I created a server and am able to connect the server to Internet. Now I want to add the other pcs.Each PC is wired directly to the switch. Each PC has internet connectivity. Now I want to create a network domain. I am using Windows Server 2003. We have AT&T as the internet provider, so they are handling DNS and DHCP for now. The person that put this switch in place is no longer with the company and not available.Of course, the current environment is not documented in the slightest. I have no idea of the range of IP addresses. I am not really sure where to go from here. I would normally create my server, create my IP range, DNS,DHCP, etc. I then would plug in a router and then have each PC join the newly createddomain.How would I add clients when they are all connected via a switch?Can the PCs even be able to see the domain across the switch? Is there a way to add the clients going across the internet?If this is not the right forum for this question, I apologize and ask that someone let me know which forum would be more appropriate.Thanks.Tony
August 28th, 2009 2:24pm

Hi,First of all tell us about the Model of the switch.The only thing that may be a problem is with VLANs or something but you should check it first.HP procurve Switches have Web interface .If you wish and if you can reset the switch and start the network from begining .It's recomended to read Procurve manual before do anything :)
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August 28th, 2009 3:41pm

HI,It is a ProCurve 4000M Switch.Thanks.
August 28th, 2009 10:33pm

You simply plug the server into the switch. That is the easy bit. The tricky bit is that your current setup is not compatible with a domain setup. You cannot use the DHCP server from your Internet router. it will give the clients its own address for DNS and act as a forwarder to resolve DNS names. This won't work with AD. You will need to disable or reconfigure the DHCP service on the router. If you can reconfigure it, change the DNS setting to be the domain controller's IP address. (The server should have a static IP). If you cannot configure it, disable the DHCP function and run DHCP on the DC. If you can't do that, you will have to configure everything manually (or get a new NAT router that you can configure). Set up the network to use the router as the default gateway but the DC as the DNS server. Configure the local DNS server to forward to a public DNS server. (The DNS server at your ISP will do). eg Internet | NAT router 192.168.1.1 | DC 192.168.1.11 dg 192.168.1.1 | clients 192.168.1.x dg 192.168.1.1 dns 192.168.1.11 Bill
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August 29th, 2009 6:16am

Bill,Thanks for such a detailed response. Just to be sure we are talking the same thing, when you say router, you mean our company's HP switch?I was thinking I would need a static IP address. That is what I've done before. I will need to look up forwarding to a public DNS server. I don't think I've done that.Let me do my research and I will let you know how that worked.Thanks again!Tony
August 29th, 2009 3:28pm

What sort of device does AT&T supply for your Internet connection? Usually you will have a "router" (which is usuallysome sort of NATdevice) which connects your network to the Internet. This is the device which is the default gateway for your LAN and which provides DHCP and DNS relay. It will be somehow connected to the switch. The switch just provides a connection between your LAN machines.Bill
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August 30th, 2009 3:48am

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