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John Nork

Dual Purpose Wired/Wireless Laptop DNS Problem

We have several laptop computers that are workstations on a wired Server Essentials office network.  We have broadband Internet in the office, and the laptops work successfully there in terms of Internet access.  However, the laptops are also used in a traveling capacity where they access wireless networks outside of the office (e.g., home, airport, hotel, bookstore, restaurant, etc.).  In this environment the laptops cannot access any sites on the Internet, even though they show a strong connection to the local wireless network.

My theory is that the traveling laptops are not getting DNS service.  As you know, in an Essentials network, the server's IP address must be specified as the DNS source for all workstations.  When traveling, the (then) wireless laptops are not able to locate the server's IP address because the Essentials server is back in the office and cannot be reached by the laptops when they are traveling.  

I am able to work around this problem by manually changing the DNS value on the laptops to using the default DNS service provided by the router in the off-site wireless network ("Obtain the DNS server address automatically" in the IP v4 properties settings).  However, when the laptop is returns to the office network, I have to go in and restore the previous DNS setting, which points to the Essentials server ("Use the following DNS server address - 192.168.1.2").

Surely office and traveling use of laptops is very common.  The users of these laptops are not technical and have no desire to be.  What we are looking for is a simple way to use the laptops in both the office and off-site situations without having to drill down into things like DNS server, IP v4 settings, etc.  

Would another option (at least somewhat simpler) be to enable/disable the Ethernet adapter and the wireless adapter as needed through Windows?  In other words, enable the wireless adapter and disable the Ethernet adapter in Windows when we want to use the laptops on the road, and vice versa when they are in the office.

Alternatively, is there a way to lock one DNS server value in for the wired Ethernet connection and another for the wireless adapter?  If so, how would the computer then "know" which configuration to use?

Thanks very much for any assistance you can give for this recurrent , frustrating problem.

 

John

asked08/08/2018 18:14
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Last Activity 08/09/2018 15:28

1 Answer(s)

  • Mariette Knap

    I think Robert wrote an explanation for this issue here Unravelling the mystery of Client DNS with Essentials family Servers | Title (Required)

    answered 08/08/2018 19:15
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    John Nork

    Thanks for directing me to these resources.  I have printed both the Robert Pearman and Sean Daniel articles and will read them at home tonight.  In the meantime, I have a couple of quick questions to ask:

    Both of these articles are extremely long, dense and technical.  The problem I have described (using a Essentials-connected laptop on a free standing basis, outside of the office, as laptops are prone to be) is not uncommon.  To be honest, I hear about this difficulty almost every time we use a laptop as an Essentials workstation (normally done at the user's request).  Is there a relatively simple, straightforward way that this problem can be resolved?  Does everyone who sets up a traveling laptop on an Essentials network have to grapple with these complexities?  All the users know is that they can't even get a decent Internet connection with their laptops anymore (a critical function for traveling staff that had no problems at all until their laptop was connected to their Essentials server office network).

    I also noted that both articles were written a number of years ago and apply to SBS 2011 Essentials.  Has this process been streamlined or simplified in a way that can be resolved more efficiently with recent/current versions of Essentials?  In that time, has Microsoft offered a solution that is easier to implement?  

    Thanks again for your assistance.

     

     

    Mariette Knap

    You do not have these issues if you install the DHCP role on the server and turn DHCP off on your router. If you do that the 'Windows Server LAN Configuration Service' is no longer needed. I never use the DHCP server of a router for numerous reasons and one of them is the issue you have.

    replied 08/09/2018 05:11
    John Nork

    Thanks very much for following up on this.  I have what is probably a "dumb" question to ask.  If I disable DHCP on the router (in favor of the Essentials server), what will happen to the wireless devices and guest laptops that are not part of (joined to) the domain/Essentials LAN?  They only use the Internet connection (shared broadband).  These devices presently get both DHCP and DNS from the router.

    replied 08/09/2018 14:27
    Mariette Knap

    There are no dumb questions, only the answers can be dumb.

    It really depends on the type router you have. There are some out there that provide a Guest Wireless Lan that can operate on a different subnet and completely separated from your wired network. If those Wireless devices are phones then there is really no need to have them on the same subnet as your Essentials Server I think or do those need to access shares and authenticate?

    replied 08/09/2018 15:02
    John Nork

    The router is from Comcast, and it does not (unfortunately) offer a segregated guest network option.

    Dumb question #2:  If we set up the laptops to get DHCP from the Essentials Server, won't the problem of trying to use them out of the office for Internet access continue (because the laptop will not be able to locate the Essentials DHCP server, since it is no longer in the office)?

    replied 08/09/2018 15:28
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    replied 08/08/2018 21:32
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