# Solved: Problem with joining to Windows Server 2012 Active Directory.



## Ken76 (Mar 2, 2015)

How to I join Windows Server 2012 Active Diretory without putting manually Windows Server 2012:s ip adress at Preferred DNS server at the local computer? Can someone help me?


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

howdy and welcome. What are you trying to do? that screenshot is just your network properties.


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## Ken76 (Mar 2, 2015)

I a'm trying to join my desktop computer to Active Directory but doing so i'm force to manually typing the Windows Server 2012's (Active directory) ip-adress. I wan't it to work automatically without typing manually the ip-adress. How do I get it done?


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

just enter the domain name that you want to join at the computer name tab of sysdm.cpl.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Is the DNS address that you have to put in different then the DNS address that the computer picks up via DHCP? Is DNS correctly configured on the network? Usually this happens if DNS is not correctly configured. Do you have multiple DNS servers?


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## Ken76 (Mar 2, 2015)

No I have just one DNS Server.
Below you can see my Network configuration with the commando _*ipconfig /all*_
DNS IP adress I put manually is 192.168.1.10. Do you need some screenshots or log files from
the DNS server which explain more why this problem exists?


```
Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : TEST-PC
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . : X.local
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : X.local
                                       lan

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : lan
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82579V Gigabit Network Connection
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : EC-A8-6B-F5-5E-86
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::b517:c8e5:c599:a351%3(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.73(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 02 March 2015 15:27:37
   Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 02 March 2015 20:27:39
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 65841259
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1C-82-A2-12-EC-A8-6B-F5-5E-86
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.10
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.lan:

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


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

So both the DHCP assigned and the one you are manually entering are the same but it only works if you enter it manually? That doesn't make sense. Is the screen shot above with the manually entered DNS or with everything set to Auto?

Does this happen with every computer or just one? Has it ever worked correctly? Do all other computers show the same IPCONFIG results?

Was this computer on another network in the past? Have you tried doing a IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS before attempting to join the domain?

Looking at your results, your domains are called _X_ and _lan_? Is that correct? Is this a test environment, lab, live environment, or what? Do you have multiple domains running?


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## Ken76 (Mar 2, 2015)

This is only a test environment. I understand quite a lot of network and active directory but this DNS thing I don't understand that very well. All other computers as well demands that the DNS ip adress is manually typed and all show the same ipconfig results. 

All computers have newer been joined to another domain. 
I have only one domain which nane is X.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Check the DNS setup on the server. Make sure you have both a Forward and Reverse zones and that they are configured correctly. You seem to have a secondary DNS suffix of LAN, is that showing in DNS or anywhere else on the server? I think you need to remove that. Make sure that isn't set in the TCP/IP Advanced settings of either the workstation, or the server for that matter don't have any DNS Suffixes entered in manually.

Also do a NSLOOKUP on the server name on both the workstation and server. Then also do a DCDIAG /TESTNS on the server. (thats : DNS without the sapce instead of smiley face)

Also, to confirm, you can ping the server by name and by IP? And the computers will join successfully if you enter the DNS address manually?


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Also, when trying to join the domain, are you entering the domain as X or X.local?

You should also check all the Event Logs on the server.


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## Ken76 (Mar 2, 2015)

With commando nslookup DOMAIN-PC I got this message.

_*C:\Windows\System32>NSLOOKUP DOMAIN-PC
Server: localhost
Address: ::1*_
_*Name: DOMAIN-PC.X.local
Address: 192.168.1.10*_
_*C:\Windows\System32>*_

With commando DCDIAG /test:dns I got this message

_*C:\Windows\System32> DCDIAG /test:dns*_
_*Directory Server Diagnosis*_
_*Performing initial setup:
Trying to find home server...
Home Server = DOMAIN-PC
* Identified AD Forest.
Done gathering initial info.*_
_*Doing initial required tests*_
_* Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\DOMAIN-PC
Starting test: Connectivity
......................... DOMAIN-PC passed test Connectivity*_
_*Doing primary tests*_
_* Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\DOMAIN-PC*_
_* Starting test: DNS*_
_* DNS Tests are running and not hung. Please wait a few minutes...
......................... DOMAIN-PC passed test DNS*_
_* Running partition tests on : ForestDnsZones*_
_* Running partition tests on : DomainDnsZones*_
_* Running partition tests on : Schema*_
_* Running partition tests on : Configuration*_
_* Running partition tests on : X*_
_* Running enterprise tests on : X.local
Starting test: DNS
.........................X.local passed test DNS*_
_*C:\Windows\System32>*_

I tried both X and X.local but both demand manually typed DNS server IP.

I can ping succesfully both the server's ip and hostname. If I put DNS servers ip adress manually then
all computers join succesfully to Active Directory. I haven't put the DNS Server ip either the workstation, or the server TCP/IP Advanced settings. I didn't find any errors or warnings at the event logs.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

I'm still wondering where the:

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : X.local
*lan*

Is coming from.


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## Ken76 (Mar 2, 2015)

Now it seems to be working fine. For moment I don't know how I got it to work. But I will post the answer when I have figured it.

I run the ipconfig /all again and it shows.

```
Windows IP Configuration
   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : TEST-PC
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . : X.local
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : X.local
Ethernet adapter Ethernet:
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : X.local
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82579V Gigabit Network Connection
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : EC-A8-6B-F5-5E-86
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::b517:c8e5:c599:a351%3(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.12(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : tiistaina 3. maaliskuuta 2015 23.16.40
   Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : tiistaina 10. maaliskuuta 2015 23.16.41
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.10
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 65841259
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1C-82-A2-12-EC-A8-6B-F5-5E-86
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.10
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.EKHOLM.local:
   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : X.local
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
C:\>
```


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Also no LAN in the DNS suffix list now.


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