# Certain Website Won't Open or Ping



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Hi,

I have a client running a sbs server 2003 as domain server with windows xp machines for the workstations. 

They are unable to access a banking website that they use. It sometimes works but others time it doesn't . The rest of the internet seems to work just fine.

I tried to ping the site from the server and workstation and it is unable to find the host.

I searched other forums and didn't find any real results. Has anyone else had this issue? Ideas to remedy?

Thanks in advance for any help you could provide,

Lukeunlimited


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

supply the url for the bank so we can test if accessable.

post the results of a ipconfig /all from a workstation for review


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

www.bhcbank.com


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Here is a link to the ipconfig /all info -2012-04-27_1141 - LukeUnlimited's library


----------



## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

Looks like you are using the server to do this. Do you have DNS forwards configured correctly on the server's DNS server settings? This could cause what you're seeing (or not seeing).


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

djaburg said:


> Looks like you are using the server to do this. Do you have DNS forwards configured correctly on the server's DNS server settings? This could cause what you're seeing (or not seeing).


I'm not sure. The server was setup and configured by another outfit and since I've come in to maintain it. How can I check? How do I know it it's correct or not?


----------



## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

Check here. The forwarders can be their ISP DNS servers or a public DNS server like OpenDNS, 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220 .

You're taking over their IT administration? Might want to brush up on these things, pretty basic network setup stuff. Don't take it the wrong way since we all start somewhere, but it's more of a caution that you could be pulling your hair out without knowing to check the basics.


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

If forwarders were not in place it would be all web sites not just one intermittently.

Lukeunlimited I requested a ipconfig/all from a workstation. It appears you gave us one from the server. Please provide a workstation ipconfig/all. Thx.

Also from a workstation do a

tracert bhcband.com
tracert 74.53.199.219
nslookup bhcband.com

Post the results for review


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

I was getting ready to get the requested information for Wand3r3r and I check the website quickly on the server and it loads up...

What would cause a website to be intermittent like that?

I'll post the results shortly from the workstation.


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Something between you and it failed and is now up. Not uncommon on the web


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

2012-04-30_1050 - LukeUnlimited's library - ipconfig /all

2012-04-30_1052 - LukeUnlimited's library - tracert bhcbank.com

2012-04-30_1053 - LukeUnlimited's library - tracert ip

2012-04-30_1054 - LukeUnlimited's library - nslookup


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Appears to me you have invalid dns entries.

You list x.x.2.2 and x.x.2.1 for dns servers. Neither appears valid since the nslookup fails.

What is the ip of the sbs? That is the ip that should be pointed to for dns.
If x.x.2.2 is the sbs this means the servers dns server is not properly configured concerning a forwarder.


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

2.2 is the DNS server for the local domain. 2.1 is the old DNS server. 

I looked under in the DNS in the administrative tools section of the server but am not sure what I'm looking for other than forward lookup zones. 

Any direction would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

remove the 2.1 entry as it appears invalid
do a nslookup bhcband.com at the server. Same results?


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Just to be clear remove from the workstation?


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Looks like no forwarders are setup -- See Image

2012-05-01_0756 - LukeUnlimited's library


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

On the Server: 2.1 is not listed in the DNS in the Properties of the LAN Connection - Only 2.2 

Yes Same Result


----------



## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

Gotta setup those forwards to resolve names outside the network. In that picture you showed you could enter the IP for DNS servers of your ISP or a public one like OpenDNS. I provided those IP's previously...give those a shot. You'll probably find things work much better after configuring DNS properly. As long as all workstations are pointing ONLY to your server for DNS, the server points to the server (in NIC config), and the forwards are setup, you should be good to go.


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

djaburg said:


> Gotta setup those forwards to resolve names outside the network. In that picture you showed you could enter the IP for DNS servers of your ISP or a public one like OpenDNS. I provided those IP's previously...give those a shot. You'll probably find things work much better after configuring DNS properly. As long as all workstations are pointing ONLY to your server for DNS, the server points to the server (in NIC config), and the forwards are setup, you should be good to go.


Do you recommend ISP over Opendns?


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Opendns is restrictive. You are trying to access a site you can't now. I would suggest you use the ISP or Google dns servers until you have achived this goal.


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Ok so I updated the forwarding servers to google dns to test out and because I'm waiting to here back from my ISP

After updating the server and workstation were able to open the site bhcbank.com! Yay

However, when I do a nslookup on the server and workstation nothing has changed...is that a problem?


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Restarted Workstation to Test if that would fix anything. Workstation couldn't find domain controller! Went back in and turned off forwarders - Then it found the domain controller...what else could be going on?


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

Alright so I have my ISP DNS Servers Plugged into the Domain Controller Forwarders -

See Here 

However - I'm still getting an error when doing NSLOOKUP on the the Server or Workstations. 

See Here

There are two Domain Controllers -

Primary x.x.2.2
Secondary x.x.2.1

Do I need to have DNS setup on both?

Whats the correct way to have the addressing so if DC1 goes down - Goes to DC2.

I saw an example like this

DC1 - Primary DNS DC2
DC2 - Primary DNS DC1

Would this be correct or does DC1 Being the Primary DC Point back to Itself?

Thanks for all your help in getting this straightened out.

Lukeunlimited


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

"Do I need to have DNS setup on both?"

You should always have a minimum of two dns server for failover.

You will note in your second link the bank url is found [forwarding is working] but you are getting server not found errors.

This means you don't have host and ptr records for the servers and/or you don't have ns records signifying these servers as dns servers.

go into the forward lookup zone of dns
look for these entries
name server(NS) dc1name.domainname
name server(NS) dc2name.domainname
server name Host(A) x.x.2.2
server name Host(A) x.x.2.1

if these don't exist you should make them. When making A records check the box for making ptr records also.


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

2012-05-02_1139 - LukeUnlimited's library

Here's what I got....
http://www.screencast.com/t/1sqXon0GxkU


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

You shouldn't have two zones.

That top zone, it it identical to the _msdcs under DMTemps.internal?


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

No doesn't appear to be the same 

_msdcs zone - 

_msdcs under DMTemps.internal


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Is this showing the same under dns server2?

Not sure how it happened but msdcs zone should be under dwtemp.internal _msdcs folder.

See if you can move it to under dwtemp


----------



## Lukeunlimited (Apr 27, 2012)

DNS Server 2 is not setup it's only a domain controller currently.

No I cannot move the folder - unless there is some 'special' way to do it through registry ect...


----------



## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Can you delete the bad zone? Not sure if Windows DNS will rebuilt the values under _msdcs in the correct zone.

Only solution I can think of in this case is a removal and reinstall of DNS server.


----------

