Computer wont use domain network location

[mattys domain]

Hi guys,

I have recently built some new Windows 7 computers and joined them to our business domain with no issues, but a couple of these computers have been moved to a different physical office location (e.g. different subnet) they no longer connect using the original domain 'Network Location', instead creates it's own 'Public Network" connection.

Now these computers cannot connect to network services e.g. Exchange, network drives etc...

How can I re-establish the domain network connection???

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards
Mathew.

 

[win7clutz]

How are you connecting the two offices together?

 

[mattys domain]

The offices are connected by a managed WAN, the one in question uses a wireless broadband gateway.

All other computers at this site work fine, just the new Windows 7 machine. It is picking up DHCP correctly, but because it has dropped the 'domain' network location and picked up a "private' network location it will not allow any domain services. I have also tried changing it to 'work' network location with the same effects.

 

[win7clutz]

I'm assuming both locations are on the same sub-net?

 

[mattys domain]

No, one is 192.168.2.xxx, the other is 192.168.12.xxx

We have many subnets over different office locations

 

[win7clutz]

No, one is 192.168.2.xxx, the other is 192.168.12.xxx

We have many subnets over different office locations

Then I don't see how it can connect to the remote domain location... Class2 or Class3 network? What is your subnet mask?

Have you checked here?

 

[mattys domain]

255.255.255.0

It is on a managed WAN which would obviously have static routes set to direct such traffic.

We have no issues with Windows XP clients.

 

[win7clutz]

Can you ping the domain controller?

If so, go to Control Panel / System and try to join the domain again. If you can't ping the Domain Controller/Remote Server then you can't resolve this is until the route is correct.

Luck with it...

 

[mattys domain]

No, I cant ping the domain controller.

I'm currently investigating the link you sent me, regarding changing local sec policies on the affected computer.

 

[win7clutz]

If you can't ping the controller, how would you expect your Win 7 install to find it?

Gotta crash, once again good luck with it...

 

[mattys domain]

I guess thats the problem, these new 'network locations' are not allowing our usual traffic to flow. Although it does seem to be only Windows 7 machines that are at sites with mobile data gateways.

All of our XP machines run fine with our current network configuration.

 

[haxcid]

go into active directory and do a find for the computer names of the machines and delete the computer accounts.

Then go to each workstation that is having issues and remove it from the domain, put it into a work group.

Now I have some questions.
1. are you using a DHCP server?
2. are you configuring your seperate locations as vlans?
3. How are you routing data between the 2 class C networks?

 

[mattys domain]

1. Each of our sites has a router that provides DHCP.
2. No VLANS.
3. routers with static routes.

The thing is network wise, nothing has changed. The introduction of Windows 7 on our managed WAN has been the issue. We can put Windows XP machines anywhere on our network with no problems.

 

[mattys domain]

Guys, I have resolved my issue.

Manually entering the DNS servers on the laptops network connection resolved the issue. Now the network connection is set back on domain, Yay.

For some reason Window 7 wouldn't see past some of our company routers on 'automatically detect DNS', whereas on XP this feature works fine with our network.

Anyway, thanks for all your help - it was much appreciated.

 

[chev65]

Thanks for reporting the fix back in matty.

 

[haxcid]

Guys, I have resolved my issue.

Manually entering the DNS servers on the laptops network connection resolved the issue. Now the network connection is set back on domain, Yay.

For some reason Window 7 wouldn't see past some of our company routers on 'automatically detect DNS', whereas on XP this feature works fine with our network.

Anyway, thanks for all your help - it was much appreciated.

Good to hear that it is working.

Are you giving it a dns server from each network?
As for why XP will work and 7 won't, seven has a far more complex tcpip stack.

 

[mattys domain]

No, we have a primary and secondary DNS servers in our head office - we have around 7 remote sites that report back to these. We probably should implement caching only / forwarding DNS servers at some of our sites, but the network works great so there's no current need for change.

When I set the new Windows 7 computers up in our head office, they worked fine and created a 'domain' network location. Once they were plugged in at one of our remote sites, Windows 7 decided that is wasn't going to use the 'domain' connection and that it would create it's own. But once I manually entered DNS settings into the network connection - it decided to work.....

I can't comment on the TCPIP stack in Windows 7, as I don't know enough about it. But I can say it behaves differently than Windows XP.