# Clients can't connect to internet through Windows SBS 2011 Server



## Mr Davo (Mar 16, 2009)

Hi Everyone,

I have a Windows SBS 2011 Standard Server and I am wondering how to reconfigure some settings related to the way that client computers connect to the internet.

Into my office I have two internet connections, both ADSL2+, and currently my Windows Server uses one of these connections.

I want to swap to the other internet connection, and toward this end I changed the servers Static IP address settings, and now the Server is able to browse the internet through the second connection.

However my client computers, both those using DHCP & those using DNS, cannot access the internet. I tried changing the Server Options under "DNS Servers" to the I.P. address of the second connection - however I see an error message.

Can somebody please shed some light on additional I.P. settings that I need to change in order to get my clients connected to the internet again?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo


----------



## BPCS (May 26, 2012)

It's likely you had the clients configured static as well with the old server ip as thier gateway. When you changed the server ip the clenits lost thier gateway the the net. Just a guess of course but very easy to check take a look at the client adapter ip settings.


----------



## Mr Davo (Mar 16, 2009)

Hi All,

For clarification I haven't actually changed the I.P. address of the server - only the I.P. address of the Default Gateway on the Server.

Traditionally when using Windows 2000 Server I would just change the Default Gateway on the Server and then all clients connecting to the server through DNS (with Static I.P. addresses) would be able to access the internet. For those clients connected through DHCP I would also go into "Administrative Tools > DHCP" - and then once in the "DHCP Manager"

1). Double click on the server / domain name, e.g.: myserver.mydomain.com
2). Double click on Server Options
3). Double click on DNS Servers
4). Remove the existing routers I.P. Address and then add the new routers I.P. address

At the end of the above process clients connecting to the server using DHCP would also be able to access the internet.

I followed the same process for Windows 2011 SBS Server (Standard Edition) - with one exception being that under my "server / domain" name there are options for both IPv4 & IPv6 - however neither my DNS or my DHCP clients can connect to the internet.

Additionally when changing the I.P. address (in Step 4, above) I get the following error message, whereas in Windows 2000 Server I did not receive an error message at all!

Invalid I.P. address

Finally both of my internet connections use identical hardware, both modem & router. The only thing that varies is the phone number and the ISP.

Any further help with this issue will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo


----------



## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Is your SBS server set up as a proxy server or are you using RRAS? There is no reason for the clients to connect to the internet THROUGH the server otherwise. Just set up DHCP you use the new router as a gateway and your clients will then get that info when you renew their IP address.


----------

