Users again

[UtwigMU]

So I tell aspiring junior sysadmin to perform a procedure from Microsoft KB article on some test server. When I walk past his desk I hear him swearing because it does not connect.

I see and he's typing "\\server_name" in Run dialog as was written in the guide instead of actual name of the server...

[MultimediaMan]

He was trying to get console access this way?

[cjolley]

what? You don't have a server named server_name?
I thought everyone did

[VJ]

So did I...
or at least one of "server_name", "hostname", "ipaddress", "mycomputer", "yourcomputer"...
I wonder if the Windows network settings let you call a computer "localhost"...

[MultimediaMan]

Actually, one thing you can do in a Server 2003 domain is to name a client PC to the short name of the domain. After you join the PC to the domain, much hilarity will ensue. Don't ask me how I know this.

[TransformX]

Still looking for the ANY KEY...

[cjolley]

Found it:

[Wulfman]

much hilarity will ensue

tell us!

mfg
wulfman

[MultimediaMan]

Basically the Domain gets confused due to the network stack: it doesn't come up with a "duplicate name" because the domain is not resolvable by name. BUT, when a windows computer queries the domain, it tries to resolve the using the network stack via the standard windows network search order: DNS, WINS, HOSTS, and LMHOSTS, Broadcast (lsasvr). ...and if something which has a real IP and is entered in DNS reponds (before the domain Broadcast), then the traffic will go to that name instead of resolve by other means. All of your broadcast domain traffic suddenly gets routed to the Name instead of the domain. The solution to this is to create a DNS entry for the Domain pointing to a domain controller.

[Elie]

LOL that is tooo funny, it seem that the younger generation are lacking common sense these days.

[cjolley]

Oh, I installed a pre release of Server 2008 on a PC in my office and accidentaly turned on the DHCP service, which promply started handing out 192.168... addresses to random computers on our vlan.
Which basically took them off the network
I didn't know it was running, so it took AGES for the network guys to figure out what was happening.
So, even us geezers aren't immune.

[Elie]

Yeah I brought the 3270 network down as well, when I incorrectly configured the TIC LAA in the Banyan server. It basically acted as a mainframe and every device on our network was pointing to the server instead of the real mainframe yikes!
Took a while to trouble shoot though. Again I am showing my age...Banyan days were fun hehe.

[MultimediaMan]

Oh, I installed a pre release of Server 2008 on a PC in my office and accidentaly turned on the DHCP service, which promply started handing out 192.168... addresses to random computers on our vlan.
Which basically took them off the network
I didn't know it was running, so it took AGES for the network guys to figure out what was happening.
So, even us geezers aren't immune.

dhcploc.exe for the win...

Server 2008 SP2 or R2 has a DHCP check function: if the server has DHCP enabled, it will check to see if it is the ONLY DHCP server available. If it is not, it will not authorize the Scope. GOOD idea.

[cjolley]

Oh great. NOW they do it.